The History of Baccarat

Ever since its introduction to France in the late fifteen century, Baccarat was a card game played exclusively by royalty and the rich. Only about a half century ago, Baccarat was still a card game reserved only to high rollers (big money bettors) and played in secluded areas of casinos away from the public grounds. With such a restricted circle of players, the rules of Baccarat remained to a great extent away from the public eye until the ‘80s. During that decade, the inclusion of the Baccarat variant Mini Baccarat in ground casinos all over the world (specially in Vegas), and the public exposure the Internet gaming industry gave to the game made possible the dissemination of Baccarat and its rules within a wider group of people.

Historically wise, all evidence seems to point towards an Etruscan pagan game allegedly played with some sort of Tarot cards and in which the fate of a blonde-haired virgin was at stakes, as the absolute predecessor to Baccarat. Nonetheless, it is in the Italy of the Renaissance around 1480 when most connoisseurs will agree that Baccarat makes its historical debut as such. One of the versions regarding the conception of Baccarat appoints a famous Italian gambler named Felix Falguierein as its creator. However, many experts believe that the real mind behind the creation of Baccarat was not Falguierein but the Italian moneylender Lino Bussoli.

As elusive as Baccarat’s past seems to be, no one seems to argue the fact that the true dissemination of this elegant and fascinating gambling game did not occur until the game was introduced in and adopted by the French in the beginning of the sixteen-century. Another fact remains crystal clear is that Baccarat was always a game for the royal and the rich and remained out of the scene of any other social stratum until very recently, a remarkably unique fact among the history of gambling games.

From the Europe of the Renaissance, Baccarat made its way to Asia, especially to the European colonies, to become one of the most popular games of the upper classes. Many centuries later, Baccarat made it to the Americas where Cuba became its main center until the Cuban Revolution vanished all playing casinos and all gambling activity from the Island in the mid and late ‘50s. From there, casino owner Tommy Rezoni imported Baccarat to the US in 1959-1960 convincing the Sands to open a Baccarat pit in their famous casino in Las Vegas. The Baccarat pit at the Sands casino did not count with much success and the game remained an activity for the eccentric rich and famous all over the country. It was not but until the Baccarat variant Mini Baccarat was invented that Baccarat began gaining popularity in the US. The second major center for Baccarat activities in the Americas is Bariloche, Argentine, where many of the international jetsetters come to enjoy the game since the beginning of the ‘50s.

Thanks to the creation of Mini Baccarat and the inclusion of the game as part of the Internet gaming industry’s offers, the history of Baccarat is turning into a new direction where more people are able to play this fabulously simple, yet elegant and compelling gambling game more often.