The History of Baccarat
Of course you have heard the game baccarat, right? You have played baccarat and enjoyed it so much that kept on coming back to casinos to play a game or two. But have you ever wondered where the game of baccarat originated? How did it become one of the world's most favorite card games?
Game historians have different theories on where the game baccarat came from. Debates have surfaced on whether baccarat has a French or Italian origin. The term baccarat literally means "zero" in both French and Italian. Each country claims to be baccarat's mother country. But up to now, nobody is really sure which country baccarat is rooted from.
One popular version of the origin of the game baccarat is that it came as a middle-age invention. An Italian gambler named Felix Falguierein invented baccarat and became widely popular up to now. It was first played using the Tarot cards, which is now used by fortune tellers.
Another version of baccarat's origin tells of a very old Etrusci civilization ritual of the nine gods. In this ritual, the fate of a blonde virgin is decided by throwing a die with nine sides. These gods waited tiptoed and paying to a virgin woman with blonde hair while waiting for her to throw the die. If the result of the blonde virgin's throw is an eight or a nine, she would become a priestess. On the other hand, if the result of the throw is either a six or a seven, this will ban her from participating in any religious activity. But if she threw a die resulting to a number that does not exceed six, she would die.
As baccarat spread in different countries, it acquired several variations to its rules. In 1490 A.D., baccarat was introduced to France. But during those times, the game of baccarat is an exclusive to the French nobility before it became available to the public through casinos.
Accordingly, one of France's most popular versions of baccarat is called the "Chemin De Fer". It reached the soils of England where they changed the rules and the name of the game into "European Baccarat".
In the late 1950s, baccarat finally reached the United States of America. Tommy Renzoni brought this game in the country and combined the rules of "European Baccarat and "Chemin De Fer". This version of baccarat became known as the "American Baccarat and was widely played across the nation. Accordingly, American baccarat was frist played in the infamous Dunes Casino that same decade.
Today, several types and variations of baccarat continue to emerge. But whether it is a mini-baccarat or online baccarat, baccarat will always be one of the most favorite games that will be enjoyed for generations.