Baccarat History – The Origins of Baccarat

Baccarat is believed to be one of the oldest casino games around today. Looking at baccarat’s origins and how it developed into online baccarat.

The baccarat legend …

As is the case with many of today's popular casino games, the exact origins of the game of baccarat remain rather unclear.   It appears that baccarat may have evolved from a medieval game.  Tales suggest that this game grew out of an old Etruscan ritual.  This legend tells of a ritual in which a virgin's fate was determined by the throw of a nine sided dice.  If the dice showed an eight or an nine then she would win and become a priestess.  In the case that the dice showed a six or a seven, then she would not be permitted to engage in religious activities in the future or to roll the dice again.  However, in the case that the dice revealed a five or lower, the virgin would be forced to walk into the sea and drown herself.

Baccarat is zero …

The word 'baccarat' in Italian means zero and for this reason many believe that the roots of the game lie in Italy.  The zero aspect of the game seemingly relate to the zero value of the face and ten cards in this pursuit.  This line of thought suggests that the game developed from a game of Tarot cards that was created by the Italian, Felix Falguierein.

Baccarat in France and England …

It seems that the baccarat game was introduced into France in the late 15th century, where it became known as 'baccarat en banque' and at a later stage was also known as 'chemin de fer', that is the French name for railways.  For a period of time the game was illegal in France and later as 'chemin de fer' it became a very popular pursuit among the aristocracy.  At the time that baccarat was illegal in France, this attractive game became popular in England. Its popularity spread and many began to play the game purely for entertainment, although there were some that also played for money.

Baccarat in America …

The twentieth century saw the introduction of baccarat into America. Attractive casino locations and dress codes were added in order to increase the appeal of the game.  It seems to have worked as baccarat became popular also in America.

Baccarat makes its way online …

A certain exclusivity seemed to surround the game of baccarat until its introduction to the best online casinos during the mid 1990s.  The necessary adaptations and transformations were made in order to present baccarat as a viable online casino game.  Nowadays, thanks to the widespread success of the Internet and the general appeal of the best online casinos, baccarat has become more accessible to a wider audience.