History Of Baccarat
Was it invented by the French or the Italians? No one seems to know since both countries claim the game as their own. What is known is that it started out as pagan ceremony used to determine the fate of young blonde virgins in the temples, telling them whether or not they would become priestesses. An eight or nine was yes, a seven or eight meant no and she banned from any other religious activity, and a six or lower meant death. How the game evolved from there no one seems to know.
Baccarat in Italian means zero and the name probably came from the fact that most of the cards are valued at that number. The earliest version of the casino game was played with Tarot cards and the first game was officially played in 1480 with a standard deck of cards and standard rules. By 1490, it had made its way from Italy to France, China, and other countries.
The game was played exclusively by the French nobility and was adopted as one of the nation’s favored pastimes. The version known as Chemin de Fer was the French’s variation and even though it is commonly accepted as being an Italian game, the French simple changed some rules and took the credit. You can find Chemin de Fer tables in the casinos on the French Rivera, but hardly anywhere else.
The game made it to England and once the again the rules of play were changed, introducing the European version of the game. It arrived in America by the 20th century, but most American’s were not impressed with it. A few casinos in Mar del Plata offered it in the 1950s and it was a big hit in Cuba where the game went through one more transition to become the version known as American baccarat. This final version of the game is the one that is the most well known and players are pitted against the house instead of each other.
Tommy Renzoni, who was an executive for the George Raft’s Capri Hotel in Cuba, is responsible for introducing the game to the casinos of Las Vegas around the Cuba Revolution. The second time around saw a stronger showing of interest, but there still seems to be very little interest in the game overall in the United States. Most casinos do offer it to their patrons, but poker, blackjack, roulette, and slot machines still get the bulk of gamblers activities and money.
