Baccarat is an easy and fun game that has been around for centuries, serving as a parlor game but now one that excites Las Vegas gamblers as a full-fledged casino activity.
Where did it all begin? In this article, we will trace the history of baccarat from its humble roots to today’s luxurious casinos.
Origins
Baccarat can trace its history back centuries. While its exact roots remain uncertain, traces have been drawn between Macao in Italy or Le Her in France as possible origins for this card game.
From Italy, Chemin de Fer soon spread into France where it quickly gained popularity among nobility and eventually royalty alike. Given a new name Chemin de Fer (which translates as railway road), this game became an official favorite among France’s royal family.
Ian Fleming used it in his James Bond series. However, the game did not become popular with general gambling public due to requiring high minimum bets and taking place only in separate rooms reserved for high rollers.
Rules
Baccarat is a game that marries luck and strategy. Players have the option of betting on either the banker, player or tie; should they win they will receive payment. There are several variations available including Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque.
European Baccarat may still be associated with high-end casinos and its minimum table minimums are typically quite expensive; however, its availability on regular casino floors has become more widespread over time and often with lower minimums. The rules are simple but there are multiple strategies you can try; some involve using mathematics to predict winning sides while others may involve superstitious beliefs about winning sides.
Payouts
Baccarat gives players an exciting opportunity to quickly make large sums of money quickly. When betting, players can select either the banker, player or tie, each offering different odds of success; with bankers having higher chances and offering 9:1 payouts on successful bets.
Tommy Renzoni is widely credited with popularizing punto banco, the version of baccarat most of us know and enjoy, in Las Vegas during the 1950s. Prior to that time, this version was mostly played in France as chemin de fer; today this variant remains one of the most beloved casino games worldwide.
Variations
Baccarat has seen great success as an increasingly popular game, leading to many new variations and games being created around it. Many are available both online and in casinos – some offering progressive jackpot side bets while others provide tweaked rules that improve Banker and Player odds.
Players also have EZ Baccarat as another option that pays out even money on ties and features a reduced house edge. Although previously patented, its patent expired in 2013, meaning casinos can offer this variant without paying licensing fees or licensing fees for licensing agreements. Furthermore, its smaller table and lower odds makes EZ Baccarat more suitable for casual gamblers.
Symbols
Baccarat is a game of patterns and if you can recognize them, baccarat can become very lucrative indeed. That is why so many baccarat players obsessively record winning hands by marking them with black ink for player wins and red for banker ones on little rectangles marked up on little sheets before discussing these sheets in intimate meetings.
Some players believe trends are predictable and that they can be identified through analysis of past results. Such trends can be observed on five “roads,” more complex than the Bead Road and Big Road, that players use to understand the history of casino games they enjoy and predict future outcomes.
History
Baccarat made its debut in Italy and France gambling salons before making its way into casino clubs across America, where it has since become an immensely popular game with special high-roller rooms being installed for it.
Asia, too, was quickly drawn in. A Japanese player known as Aiko Kashiwagi became famous after betting $6 Million on one hand – setting a world record.
In the 18th Century, baccarat spread from Spain into France where it became immensely popular with aristocrats and played at exclusive entertainment venues, such as London’s Crockford’s Club. French rule makers even modified baccarat so as to increase banker appeal by giving zero value for picture cards and 10-s.
