Baccarat History
An old drawing of people playing Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games in the world, and has remained amazingly popular despite the introduction of newer games over the last few centuries. Legend traces the game back to the Italian gambler, Felix Falguerein, though the true originator of the game is unlikely to ever be known for certain.
The game of baccarat was first brought to France from Italy at the end of the 15th century, during the reign of Charles VIII. It is unclear, however, if recognizable forms of what we today refer to as baccarat first came to exist in France or if they were simply imported from Italy. However, we do know the game was initially popular among French nobles before eventually becoming a widespread gambling game. Over the next few centuries, the game found pockets of interest around the world, most notably in neighboring England and far away China.
However, the early forms of baccarat were somewhat different than the most popular modern casino version of the game. The original version of baccarat is known today as Chemin de Fer, which means railroad, though the literal translation is “iron road.” In this version of the game, players take turn in the role of the banker, who can control the maximum total amount wagered by the other players. One interesting note is that in this version of the game, the players have some control over the hand being played; they can choose whether or not to take a third card, and do not have to follow strict rules that dictate when to do so.
One feature of Chermin de Fer that didn’t appeal to all players was the fact that the role of the banker switched after each banker loss. Baccarat players looking for a more permanent banker developed a new version of the game, known as Baccarat Banque. In this version, a shoe of two to four decks is used, and each player may bid for the right to be the banker, with the player willing to risk the most money getting the honor of having that role. The banker keeps his role until the end of the shoe, unless he runs out of money or quits by choice. Although there are some small changes from Chemin de Fer in regards to wagering, the rules are otherwise the same, making the two games very similar.
However, neither of these games ever gained much traction in North America. Much of this might have been due to the fact that it was introduced to the United States around the same time as blackjack, which quickly overtook baccarat in popularity as a gambling game.
It wasn’t until a third version of the game was reintroduced to Las Vegas that the casino game most people know as baccarat became known to American gamblers. The game of Punto Banco was undoubtedly related to the older version of the games, but with a few notable differences. First, the casino would bank the game at all times, taking away the need for players to bank large amounts of money. Secondly, the banker would control both the player and banker hands, and follow strict rules on how to play both, taking the element of skill out of the game entirely.
Today, Punto Banco is the form of baccarat found in most live and online casinos, including those in the United States and Macau. The game remains popular around the world, as it offers a low house edge and an old-fashioned mystique that most other casino games can’t match.
Play Baccarat Online
People have been playing Baccarat for centuries now, but I doubt the ones who developed this game knew how far it would get. Thanks to technological innovations and a couple of bolded names within online gambling industry, you have a chance to experience games like Live Baccarat Online and Mobile Baccarat. Gambling online is really close to match the brick & mortar experience offered and its get better and better every day.
So you want to give Baccarat a try in an online gambling environment? That’s great, but you will need to find a compatible casino site.
Most Popular Baccarat Casino
Players are able to choose from a way wider range of online casino sites from the top software providers and developers. One of our top 10 Online Baccarat Casinos is Europa Casino, a casino site powered by PlayTech and offering live baccarat as well as a mobile version of it and listed in out top 10.
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New players can claim $2,400 in bonuses over the next 12 months, plus weekly and monthly reload bonuses. Oh wait, that comes on top of VIP programme and promotions – visit www.EuropaCasino.com for more details.
