History and Fun Facts About Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the oldest and most popular casino games to play. It has a long history in gambling and has been transformed several times among the years. In this article, we take a look at the most fun facts about Baccarat and the history of the game. Continue reading to learn more.

An Introduction

Baccarat is an exceptionally popular casino game to play. It is extremely popular among the Asian casino industry but originates from Europe. Playing Baccarat is very simple, as the rules are easy to learn. In some instances, Baccarat can include progressive jackpot side bets, making it one of the most played jackpot games online. Discover the origins of the casino game before we look at some fun facts about Baccarat.

A Brief History of Baccarat

The game of Baccarat can be traced back more than 500 years to medieval Italy. For many years, it was a game reserved for the aristocracy and the high rolling gambling elite; however, today all players, regardless of budget or background, can enjoy it.

The game was invented by a man called Felix Falguiere or Falguierein in the 1400s. He initially named it “Baccara”, which is Italian for “zero” as all the tens and face cards are worth zero points.

The theory is that the Italian game was based upon an old Etruscan legend about a virgin who had to roll a nine-sided die to determine her fate. If she rolled an 8 or a 9 then she was elevated to become a priestess. Alternatively, if she rolled a 6 or 7 then she was allow to live, but could not participate in religious or community events. If she rolled lower than 6 then she was thrown to sea to drown. While being dealt lower than a 6 in Baccarat will not result in a drowning, there is a fair chance that the hand will lose.

Original Baccarat

The initial form of the game was slightly different to the modern version. The cards were dealt by four different dealers and each of the players was given the chance to be the banker. Furthermore, players could place bets against each other as well as against the house. In all modern versions of Baccarat, there is just one dealer and the bets are usually placed against the house.

It wasn’t long before Baccarat spread from Italy into France where the Chemin de Fer version of the game became popular, and remains so until this day. It was known to be a favourite game of King Charles VIII and the noblemen surrounding him, and Baccarat remained a favourite of the French aristocracy for hundreds of years.

From France, Baccarat spread to England where it too became popular. Since then, it has continued to spread around the world. It went across the ocean to South America and the Caribbean. In Cuba, the Punto Banco version of the game became particularly popular as players were only betting against the house and not each other.

In the late 1950s, just when the Castro government in Cuba was closing the Havana casinos, a man named Tommy Renzoni brought Baccarat to the Sands casino in Las Vegas. While it wasn’t an immediate hit, it has steadily grown in popularity ever since. Furthermore, in order to drum up interest, casino owners marketed it as a game for high rollers and the games would take place in special VIP rooms away from the public.

However, as soon as casinos went online, Baccarat was opened up to the gambling masses. The last few decades have seen the game’s popularity soar, and it is fair to say that it is a true player favourite.

Playing Baccarat Online vs In a Land Casino

Playing Baccarat online and in a land casino is a vastly different experience. The first thing to be aware of is that they may be entirely different games. We will discuss the differences between playing Punto Banco online and in land casinos as this is the version of the game found most often in land casinos across the world and pretty much the only version found online.

Land Casino Baccarat Advantages

To begin with, the atmosphere is entirely different. Online casinos do their best to create a realistic casino ambience, and live dealer games do an excellent job of it. However, nothing compares to the experience of actually sitting in a casino with other players, in front of the dealer, enjoying a drink and the gambling action. In addition to the atmosphere, it also means that there is a social element to the games, which cannot be recreated online in quite the same way. Although live dealer games do have chat functionality, it is never going to be the same as talking to someone face to face.

Online Casino Advantages

However, a disadvantage of playing Baccarat in a land casino is that the stakes are likely to be higher than online. As mentioned, for a long time Baccarat was a game only played by high rollers, which means high minimum bets. You may struggle to find a Baccarat table with a minimum bet under $10 in a land casino. In fact, in Las Vegas the average minimum bet for Baccarat is $25, which for many players is simply too high. However, online you will have no problem finding minimum bets of $1 or even less.

Another major difference between playing in a land casino and an RNG version of Baccarat (i.e. an online game that isn’t live dealer), is that in a land casino the dealer controls the speed. There are speed baccarat tables, where the dealer is very fast, and regular tables, which are slower. However, in a land casino it will always be out of your hands. When playing online, you can decide when to start each round; you can even take a break in the middle of a round. It gives you far more control and gives you all the time you may need to consider your bets.

When playing in a land casino you also need to be aware of etiquette. For instance, you should not touch your chips after betting, you should not touch the cards, you should tip the dealer, and so on. Furthermore, you need to be aware of dress codes and will also have to spend time on travel. Playing online eliminates all of these things, making it a simpler and more convenient experience. Furthermore, when you visit a land casino, there is no guarantee that you will find a space available at a Baccarat table.

Preference

Baccarat is hugely enjoyable both online and in land-based casinos. While the game remains the same, the experience is completely different, and if you have the chance, then you should be sure to try both.

Fun Facts About Baccarat

Now that we have reviewed the history of the game, it is time to look at some fun facts about Baccarat. The game is incredibly popular among the US, European and Asian gaming markets, and has had many instances in its history of where it has also appeared in pop culture.

• Many people don’t realize that ‘Punto Banco’, ‘American Baccarat’ and ‘Baccarat’ usually refer to the same game, but there are other forms of Baccarat.
• Baccarat players often account for the most casino revenue after slots players, easily betting more than roulette or craps players do.
• The term ‘Baccarat’ is a French word so the ‘t’ at the end is silent, it is pronounced bah-kuh-rah, to rhyme with ‘far’ not ‘fat’
• Baccarat is named after the worst possible hand; it comes from the Italian for ‘zero’, which is never going to be a winning hand.
• While the payout from a Tie bet may be tempting, it actually has one of the largest house edges you will find, only behind keno.
• James Bond is the world’s most famous Baccarat player; he can be seen playing Chemin de Fer in the 1962 film Dr. No.
• Baccarat is a favorite game of Asian gamblers and they account for more than 70% of the high roller players in Las Vegas.
• In the film Rush Hour 3, Chris tucker mistakes Baccarat for Blackjack in a Paris casino and he believed that he had won while holding a useless hand.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we hope that you have enjoyed reading these fun facts about Baccarat and the casino game’s origins. Keep in mind, playing Baccarat at retail casinos is completely different to playing online. At online casinos, Baccarat can have various side bets, such as progressive jackpots linked. You will find instances of this at our latest jackpot ratings, a page that has the biggest jackpot games to play.

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