Traveling Around the World with Baccarat
Traveling around the world can expose us to a variety of culture and people-- different customs, foods and clothing. These differences can cause even a game of baccarat to develop variation according to the differences in boundaries. As baccarat migrated from its roots in Italy, it has evolved to several variations, but still maintains its elegance and sophistication for "high rollers" around the world to enjoy.
Baccarat's popularity can be well-attributed to its French variety, the "chemin de fer". It is one of the oldest versions of baccarat and widely-played by French nobles and later on, in French casinos. "Chemin de fer" is played by one of the players also acting as the banker. The "shoe" rotates counterclockwise among the players, which players can opt to pass. The rules for drawing the card in this baccarat game are flexible. The player and the banker's hand can "hit" or "stand" when the hand values are five.
The English version of baccarat is derived for the French version. Some rules are changed and it became known as the European Baccarat. This version became popular not only in England but also in some countries in Europe and South America. This baccarat version differs from its French origin in the sense that the casino is the financier of the bank's hand. The bank also sets a betting cap or limit. No other players can bet when the limit is reached.
Meanwhile, another European baccarat game became popular not only in Europe but also in North America. This baccarat game is called "Punto Banco", which literally means Player and Bank. This is also an off-shoot of the Italian baccarat game, "baccarat" along with the French version "chemin de fer". Here, the players take turns in drawing the cards and is playing not against each other but the casino.
Baccarat en Banque is also a European variant of baccarat. Three hands are dealt in this baccarat game; two for the Player and one for the Bank. Three decks are involved in this baccarat variety and the players bet according to the amount of money the dealer is betting. The rules for drawing a third card for each hand is similar to the rules used in "chemin de fer"
And finally, there is the American variety of baccarat. The drawing the third card is restricted according to a fix set of rules, which are automatically applied during the game. The players are playing against the casino, which funds the game. The casino provides the dealers and the caller to facilitate the game. This version of baccarat is possibly the most popular baccarat version. It is famous in North America and serves as the basis for most online baccarat games.