Baccarat is a very popular casino game when it comes to casino tables all around the world. The Italian-founded and French-favourite casino game is played by many in casinos from Las Vegas to Singapore. The simplistic card game is straightforward for new players to understand, while still being preferred by many gamers worldwide. The game’s growth has even resulted in the development of live baccarat in online casinos, enabling gamers to enjoy playing without visiting a brick-and-mortar casino. With that, let’s take a look at the history of one of the world’s most popular card games.
How to Play
Before we look at the history of this card game, it’s important to understand how Baccarat is played and what the rules are behind it. For this example, we will be looking at the more popular variation, ‘Punto’ Blanco’, the common format found in most casinos. To begin, the casino is appointed the role of banker, providing 2 cards to themselves and the player at random. A 3rd card may be presented to those who have a sum below 5. The card’s values are added together, with the person who has the closest to 9 being the winner. The cards are represented at face value, with Jacks, Kings and Queens equaling 0 and an Ace equalling 1. If the sum of the cards is worth more than 9, the final digit of the number is the value that the player stands with. For example, if a player has a 7 and a 6, 3 would be the number the player stands with instead of 13. With the rules in mind, let’s take a look at the history of baccarat.
The Origins
The exact date of the creation of baccarat is unknown; however, it is thought to have been invented in the 1500s in Italy by a man known as Felix Falguiere. It was originally named ‘baccara’, which meant 0, referencing the value of the Jack, King and Queen cards within the game. This was until it reached France, where the pronunciation changed to the name we know today, ‘baccarat’.
The popularity in France grew thanks to the adoration of King Charles VIII, spreading the game to his closest and wealthiest friends. Instantly, the royal reputation of the game was developed, with people viewing it as a high-end game that only the wealthy can play. This was just the beginning of the popular casino game.
The Creation of Baccarat Chemin de Fer
In the 1800s, the game had spread to France and had become a major player favourite due to the simplistic nature of the rules, as well as the prestigious element of the game, making players more curious and wanting to get involved with the culture. The variation of baccarat known as Chemin de Fer was invented, which features a more strategic approach to the basic game. As the game in France became more and more popular, French travellers introduced the game to England, and from that point forward, the game began to spread far and wide, with a variation of rules and playing opportunities around the world.
Punto Banco
Punto Banco was created when the game spread over the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as South America, which came with rule changes such as playing against the house, rather than other players. As this game grew in popularity and even spread over to Asia, this format became known as American baccarat, the most common form that is played today.
Rise of Casino Baccarat
In the late 1950s, baccarat was introduced to the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas. The game hadn’t featured on any tables in the city, but that was about to drastically change. As it is a game of luck, the minimum stakes were raised very high, meaning only the wealthiest could play this game, as well as providing secret tables for it, covered in leather and velvet to continue the rich and royal atmosphere around the game that was created by King Charles VIII in France. The game was a success in terms of the number of people playing it on the initial launch night. However, the Sands casino, which introduced it for the first time, ended up losing around $250,000 to players in one day. Nonetheless, the game remained in Las Vegas and to this day is still available to be played.
Expansion to Asia
The game’s expansion to Asia was massive, with baccarat becoming one of the favourites in casinos. In fact, Macau, a region of China, is the place where baccarat is played the most, with 90% of casinos’ income coming from the card game. The Las Vegas of Asia makes a lot of money when it comes to baccarat, and with the introduction of live casinos, this growth may even continue to rise.
Online Casinos
With the introduction of online casinos, the game has only grown even more, with live dealer baccarat being available to players to play online. This has benefited the game massively, extending popularity in the likes of South America, Europe and even more in Asia. As technology develops, the experience of live dealer baccarat can be improved, providing a more realistic casino experience.
