History of Baccarat

Baccarat is now one of the many popular casino games that can be found online, but it also boasts a captivating history. Just as the similar card games of Faro and Bassett, Bacarrat is said to have its origins in Italy (the name coming from the Italian word 'bacarra', meaning 'zero').

The man credited with creating the first version of the game was an Italian card player by the name of Felix Falguirein, who, at the end of the 15th Century, is said to have played the first hand of Baccarat with a set of Tarot cards.

However, there is a far more intriguing and mystical theory that dates back as far as the Etruscan period. Many historians have drawn on the similarities between the rules of Baccarat and an ancient Etruscan ritual, where a virgin would have to throw a nine-sided dice. If the dice showed an 8 or 9, she would be made a priestess; a 6 or 7 would mean she could live a normal life; but with anything less she would have to drown herself in the ocean. There is no question that the rules laid out in this ancient legend resemble those of Baccarat, but no solid link has been made between the two.

Although it is widely accepted that the game began in Italy, it was the French who gave it the official title of 'Baccarat' (the French for 'zero') and developed the game as we know it today (Some theorists believe that Baccarat actually originated in France and was developed from earlier versions of Blackjack, due to the fact that both games share common rules and scoring methods). When King Charles of France launched the Franco-Italian war in 1494, his forces took control of Naples. The soldiers then discovered this Italian card game and took it back to France, where it began to grow at a rapid rate.

It was initially found in small gambling clubs, but quickly became a card game for the French nobility during the 16th and 17th Centuries. The game was now known as "Chemin de Fer" (literally translating to 'railroad'), which is the traditional version of modern-day Baccarat. The game was so called as the cards were placed in an iron box, which was passed around from player to player.

There was also another version, "Baccarat de Banque", where the house would act as banker – in contrast to the players controlling the bank in Chemin de Fer. When gambling was banned during the Napoleonic era, like every other casino game, Baccarat was forced underground, but it continued to be played by the higher classes in illegal gambling houses.

Of course, this story only counts for two versions of the game. The third, "Punto Banco" or "North American Baccarat" only began to grow at the start of the 20th Century. It made its first appearance between 1911 and 1912, in New York's outlawed casinos. But it didn't last long, as Blackjack quickly became the preferred choice among punters.

The game remained on the fringes of gambling until the late 50's, when it was reintroduced in Las Vegas. It was here that Punto Banco began to earn a reputation and was far more popular than the more traditional forms of Baccarat, being played at a much faster pace. The famous gambling celebrity, Tommy Renzoni (author of "Renzoni on Baccarat" from 1974) takes credit for the game's resurgence in the Las Vegas casinos. Renzoni claimed to have brought Punto Banco from Cuba, where he was running a Baccarat table at the Capri Casino in Havana.

The game continued to evolve in the US, and the most recent version, "Mini-Baccarat" – based on Punto Banco, but with a house dealer – is another popular option for gamblers. Both Punto Banco and Mini Baccarat are by far the most widespread among online casinos, partly because they require no skill to play. Chemin de Fer and Baccarat de Banque are still played online, though they attract a far more strategic player.