History of baccarat
Baccarat is a card game with more than 500 years of history, yet nobody knows for certain where it originated. Some claim that it’s an Italian game, as ‘baccarat’ means ‘zero’ in Italian. Others argue that this word is used in the French language too, so therefore France is the true birthplace of baccarat. As both languages belong to the romance branch of the Indo-European language family and share many similarities, it is highly unlikely that this question will ever receive a definite answer.
According to legend, the game of baccarat was created by a medieval Italian gambler, Felix Falguierein and was first played with the Tarot deck. Myth suggests that it’s based on an Etruscan ritual where a virgin had to throw a nine sided dice. Nine sides represented nine Etruscan gods. The virgin’s fate was decided by the outcome of the throw: if it was less than six she had to drown herself in the sea, if she rolled 6 or 7, she would live and wouldn’t have to participate in this ritual ever again and finally, if she threw 8 or 9 she became a priestess. Whether or not this legend has any truth in it is not clear, but rules of the game seem to closely follow the described rite.
Although the Italian theory of baccarat origins appears to be the most credible, this game was also played in France, as early as the end of the 15th century. First it was played by French nobility then a few centuries later it was introduced in casinos. Thanks to its simplicity and significant chances of winning offered to players, baccarat was an instant success among the general public.
Nowadays baccarat is one of the most profitable games of chance and it has spread far beyond French and Italian borders and is enjoyed by casino players all over the world. Although over the years several variations of the game have appeared, however the French baccarat or Chemin de Fer is considered to be the original game. Currently Chemin de Fer is mostly played by French and British gamblers.
Tommy Renzoni brought baccarat to the USA after the Cuban Revolution and this game became especially popular in Las Vegas where a distinct variation of baccarat, combining characteristics of European and Chemin de Fer baccarat developed.