Baccarat History

The exact origins of the game, baccarat, are somewhat unclear. There are a number of different opinions which span hundreds of years. Some suggest that the game was first played in Italy, and that a French version of this game began in the 15th century. Others believe that there was a game spoken of in Roman legends which seems to be a forerunner of baccarat. Some say that baccarat reached Italy because of trade with China in the Far East. In China, there is a game played with tiles called “Pai Gow” (make a nine). This game could have been the origin of modern day baccarat. Most opinions agree that the game we play today has its origins in France.

There were two versions of baccarat played in France. One version is called “chemin de fer”, and the other is European baccarat. In France today, chemin de fer is still played. It was the European version of baccarat which reached other countries after the game had been developed somewhat in Britain. Baccarat reached Nevada in the 1900s. Some say baccarat may have reached the USA via Cuba. Even though baccarat reached the United States in the 1900s, it is still unclear how it got there.

Many people believe that the idea for baccarat came from blackjack as they are somewhat similar. In fact, it would be the other way around because baccarat existed about 200 years before blackjack. Even though we are not sure exactly where baccarat originated, we are clear that the game has been around for a long time. Baccarat, however, only became popular quite some time after blackjack did.

There are three versions of baccarat that are played nowadays. They are chemin de fer, banque and punto banco. Punto banco is the North American version of baccarat. Punto banco translated means “player banker”. The North American version of baccarat is simply a game of chance, with fixed rules as to how cards are drawn and dealt. The other versions of baccarat, chemin de fer and banque both allow choices to be made by the players, thereby making them a mixture of both skill and chance.

Baccarat and blackjack are somewhat different in that baccarat is almost completely based on chance (especially the punto banco version of the game found in most casinos. Even though baccarat is a game of chance, the house edge is not very high. This has made baccarat even more popular today.