The History of Baccarat

The game of Baccarat has a very rich history. To begin with, there are several variations of this exciting game, each with its own unique history. The origins of baccarat are multi-faceted and complex and there are a lot of myths around this game.

First of all, let's debunk the myth that the baccarat originates from France. Undoubtedly, "baccarat" is a French word, but the fact is that it derived from the "baccara" Italian word, which is translated as "zero". That is why the losing hand in all variations of baccarat (Baccarat Banque, Punto Banco and Chemin de Fer) is the baccarat hand.

Scientists agree that the origins of baccarat can be traced back to Italy of the 15th Century and a person name Felix Falguerein who is believed to be famous Italian gambler. It is generally recognized that tarot cards were used for the first baccarat games. By the way, the traditional deck of 52 cards derived from the four suits of the tarot cards.

In a short period of time the game spread to France and became very popular in China. The history of baccarat in the United States is much shorter because it took a lot time for Americans to grow to like baccarat. While the original game of baccarat was created in Italy, the France deserves the credit for creating the popular Baccarat Banque and Baccarat Chemin de Fer. These variations of baccarat quickly became popular among French nobles, but like almost all other casino games later baccarat became the game for middle and even lower classes via underground gambling parlors. The game of baccarat also quickly became popular among the British due to its similarity  to Faro. The researchers say that these games have had a major impact on each other's development.

In the late 19th Century immigrants from England and France popularized baccarat in the United States. However, at that moment, the game blackjack was also introduced to American citizens pushing baccarat into the shadows. Today, the most popular card game in US at both land based and online casinos is blackjack.

In 1950's the owners of Las Vegas casinos reintroduced baccarat to general public. They added several new rules and gave birth to American Baccarat (or Punto Banco).

As a rule, most online casinos offer two or three variations of baccarat because by the time this game was recognized in the United States, it was one of the most popular casino games at European casinos. Europeans were used to the rules of Chemin de Fer or Baccarat Banque while Americans were likewise used to the rules of Punto Banco. However, the majority of baccarat fans have no complications in understanding the rules of all three variations.

Later, mini-baccarat was created in the United States thanks to the love of blackjack in this country. Mini-baccarat is similar to Punto Banco, but it is played at a smaller table and has lower table limits.

Today, online baccarat attracts millions of players from all around the world. They can play any variation of this exciting game at any time.