History of Baccarat - Casino Blackjack

History of Baccarat - Casino Blackjack

The game we know as Baccarat today is most likely of Italian origin, believed to have been created by an Italian gambler called Felix Falguierein in the Middle Ages. The game is also thought to have first been played using a Tarot deck of cards, hinting at ancient Etruscan mysticism. The legend goes that Baccarat has its roots in an ancient ritual involving a Blonde Virgin and Nine Gods. The Virgin would roll a nine sided die, and its outcome would decide her fate. If she rolled and Eight or a Nine, the Virgin would become a Priestess. If she rolled a Six or a Seven, she would be cast aside from any further religious activities. And if she rolled any number lower than a 6, her fate would be to turn and walk into the sea.

The original Italian name is “Baccara” meaning “Zero” and this is probably because of the zero value given to number 10 and the face cards in the deck. The game moved from Italy, across to France in the late Fourteenth Century, where it was played with vigour by the wealthier members of the nobility. In France, the game evolved slightly and was given a new nickname of “Chemin de Fer” or “Chemmy”, from the French for “Railway”. This is because the “Bank” or “shoe” automatically rotates among the players like a train.

From the 1500’s, Baccarat moved across the globe, and found the Americas. Growing steadily in popularity across Argentina and Cuba in the 1950, it found a home and underwent a change in the rules. In European Baccarat, or Chemin de Fer, the game is financed by one of the players. After the 1950’s, the action at the table was bankrolled by the Casino’s, with the players betting against the House, rather than each other. Thus American Baccarat was born.

The 3 betting options of modern American Baccarat are a) placing a bet on the Player hand b) placing a bet on the Bank Hand and c) placing a bet on the Tie Hand.

Francis “Tommy” Renzoni was a casino executive at George Raft’s Capri Hotel Casino in the 1950’s and it was he who convinced The Sands Hotel in Nevada to open its first exclusive Baccarat pit in 1958. The pit was cordoned off with velvet ropes and the dealers all wore tuxedos: an image to dissuade all but the highest rollers. On the first night, this stylish and classy game cost the House $250,000, a point which Renzoni raises in his memoirs.

Despite this apparent disaster for the Casinos, the game retained its aura of elegance and style. An iconic moment in the movie Dr No, is when James Bond, played by Sean Connery first makes his entrance. He is dressed to kill, looking suave and assured, under the gaze of beautiful women, taking his seat at, yes, a baccarat table.

Baccarat is now far more widely accessible following it’s launch onto the Internet. Players can now read up on the rules, without being concerned at sitting at table surrounded by professionals, and feeling out of place. Most online gambling sites now offer Baccarat in a less intimidating environment than the casinos offer, allowing the game to be enjoyed by a much wider audience.