History of Baccarat
Some people say the actual origin of baccarat is lost in history, however
some historians claim that there is no reliable record
of baccarat before the end of the nineteenth century. Some historians also state that the game originated in Italy. Baccarat is thought
to be a variation of the French game vingt-et-un (twenty-one),
the game we know today as blackjack or 21. It is similar in that the
goal is to get as close as possible to a set number without
going over it. Baccarat does differ from blackjack in several ways, they are as follows:
- The total amount aimed at, but never exceeded is nine rather
than twenty-one.
- If the total is exceeded the player
doesn't automatically lose. Rather, the total cycles
around a base of 10, so that if the total is greater
than 9, 10 is subtracted from the total to obtain a
number between 0 and 9. For example if the hand contains
an 8 and a 5 the total of 13 has 10 subtracted from
it and it is treated as a 3.
- The 10, Jack, Queen, and King have
a value of 0 (10 minus 10 = 0).
- The ace has only one value
- The decision to pull another card
is determined by a fixed set of rules, and is not left
to the players judgment (in most versions).
- In Europe chips are used to place
wagers, while in North America they often use real money
for betting. (This is thought to make the game more
exciting). Online you use casino credits that you purchase
before playing.
- There are three present-day games
that are essentially the same and sometimes all thought
of as baccarat. They are:
Baccarat: is one of the only games
played in the United Kingdom, Americas and Canada. Its also played a lot in online casinos in the US. The goal is the
same which is to get as close to 9 as possible without exceeding it. some consider this form of the game to be very mechanical with official rules dictating every
aspect of play. The house banks the game, thus the bets
can be much larger and the thrill more wild than when another player is acting
as the bank, also with the house assuming the role of
banker the game can be played with only one player, similar to blackjack
Chemin de fer: Compared to Baccarat,
in chemin de fer you have to wait for additional players
before the game can start. Often played in
some European casinos, but is not so popular in the U.K. The goal is the same (to get as close to
9 as possible) but the rules allow a few conditions where
drawing a card is optional. The casino doesn't play the
role of banker, the players bet against each other, the
players take turns being the banker-dealer (the option
may be declined, and it then passes to the next player
sitting to the right) the house takes a standard rake t out of the
player banker's winnings.
Mini-baccarat: Considered a relatively new version of the
game. Mini-baccarat is played at a blackjack sized and can cater for
up to 7 players at a time. The rules are the same the
full version of baccarat, however to make the game move faster,
the players don't touch the cards they are dealt by the
dealer. The stakes are usually lower for this game
than the full version of baccarat, this, plus the less formal atmosphere
make this version of Baccarat appeal to many players around the world, especially at online casinos.
Looking for more resources about Baccarat? Use one of the links below:
Online Baccarat | Baccarat Betting | Baccarat Strategy | Baccarat Rules | Baccarat History |
