The Evolution of Baccarat: From Royal Courts to Online Gaming

Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games worldwide, both among newbies and veterans. It has grown even more famous over the years thanks to the availability of the online version.

In baccarat, the fate of the participant is determined by their hand. Each card has a different value, and the highest possible hand is 9. Familiarize yourself with the key rules of baccarat and find out how it originated in China, Europe, and the US.

How to Play Baccarat?

Before diving into the history of baccarat, let's look at the basic rules. The most attractive thing about baccarat is its simplicity. The game requires no complex skills. Every user in a baccarat game starts by placing a bet on the Player, the Banker, or a Tie. Next, the player and banker each receive two cards from the dealer.

The main objective is to get as close to 9 as possible. A natural win in baccarat games online can be achieved with the 10 worth zero and the 9 card. When the user decides to request a third card, then the banker draws it according to these additional rules:

• Banker has 0, 1, or 2 – always draws a third card;
• Banker has 3 – draws when the player's third card is 1 to 10 (excluding 8);
• Banker has 4 – draws when the player's third card is 2 to 7;
• Banker has 5 – draws when the player's third card is 4 to 7;
• Banker has 6 – draws when the player's third card is 6 or 7;
• The banker always stands with a total of 7.

That's quite a bit to remember, so you can write up this information somewhere and always look at it whenever you are not sure what happens next.

Baccarat in China

Pai Gow, which was played in China during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 BCE), may have had an influence on baccarat, according to a report titled «The History of Baccarat» from the University of Nevada's Center of Gaming Research (UNLV). The Pai Gow game was played using tiles that resembled dominoes rather than cards.

The belief originates from the fact that both Pai Gow and modern baccarat have 9 as their best number. Also, the name Pai Gow translates from Chinese as «make nine».

Baccarat in Europe

The «The History of Baccarat» article also explores how the Roman custom of using a nine-sided dice to determine whether a Vestal Virgin – a priestess who worshipped the virgin goddess Vesta – would become a high priestess, lose her Vestal Virgin status, or be compelled to walk into the sea and drown – might have influenced baccarat. The number nine on the dice, which bestowed the title of high priestess upon the Vestal Virgin (as does the number eight), is said to have a connection to this game.

It is also thought that Pai Gow was brought to Italy following Marco Polo's return from his well-known trips around China, in case the Asian link is accurate. The game of baccara, which means «zero», originated in Italy in the 15th century in Rome, according to Felix Falguierein, an Italian croupier and tarot card reader. Because every face card and ten had a value of zero, it was called «baccara».

Baccarat gained popularity in 19th-century France in the court of King Charles VIII, who promoted the game to the nobility and aristocrats because he loved it so much. As its popularity grew throughout France, where it was played for centuries, it was first known as Chemin de Fer and then «Chemmy».

Chemin de Fer was introduced to England by French tourists, and the game variation soon gained popularity there before making its way to Argentina, Cuba, and the US.

Baccarat in the USA

According to the «The History of Baccarat» publication, several writers who have studied the history of baccarat in the United States explain how it was introduced in 1911 but was played illegally in the early 1900s. But it was no match for more well-liked casino games, such as blackjack and craps.

A «Baccarat board» is mentioned in a New York Times article from 1871, and the game is pointed out again in 1899, but this time that is because several Frenchmen were jailed for playing it illegally.

Although playing baccarat could have been prohibited in late 19th-century New York state, it was lawful in mid-20th-century Nevada. Francis «Tommy» Renzoni is credited in «The History of Baccarat» for introducing Punto Banco to Las Vegas from Havana, Cuba, in the 1950s.

Baccarat Today

Baccarat has grown in popularity over the past few decades, particularly as internet game versions have emerged. The World Series of Baccarat, the Golden, Ruby, and Royal Dragon Tournaments, and the Baccarat Tournament of Champions are just a few of the top-tier competitions that focus on baccarat. Lin Haisan took home $12.9 million after winning the World Series of Baccarat in 2015.