Baccarat History

Baccarat is just one of the many games you can find in casinos worldwide. In fact they have even started playing this game online at casinos because it is easy to learn and fun. This is a card game. It can be tough to research the history of any casino game because they are often similar to many countries versions. The facts are card games have been around for centuries. We can trace the first card game of any sort back 200 years in the Chinese culture as well as Asia. Studies have been completed to suggest it was not until the crusaders from Europe in the 14th century that card games made it back to Europe. The study further shows that this was when the first card deck was printed for use. Christopher Columbus is credited with bringing some card games to America.

The suits you have in the deck were not just created out of imagination. In fact these suits were symbols relating to the feudal societies hence clubs, diamonds, spades, and hearts. Swords in Spanish mean Espadas, which was translated into spades. It was meant as a representation of the noble classes. Coins during that time were slightly diamond shaped, making the diamond suit. The clubs were serf related. The heart was a symbol of the church.

The face cards like those of the suits also had meaning. At one time the faces were of actual kings, queens, and soldiers. Some of the famous individuals used were Charlemagne, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and King David. The queens were supposed to be Helen of Troy, Athena, Joan of Arc, and Rachel. The Jacks as we call them today were actually knights. The famous knights depicted were Roland, Etienne de Vignoles, Sir Lancelot, and Hodgier Le Danois. While the deck faces have changed over the years for the famous individuals, we now see a more common face on the cards that is standard.

Around 1492 the first Baccarat game was thought to have started in Italy. The game was based on 'Nine Gods.' It is said that in Rome about 2000 years ago, nine gods were praying as they stood at the base of a golden haired virgin. This virgin would throw a nine sided die. In this story the virgin needed to roll an eight or nine in order to be crowned a priestess. If she rolled a six or seven her status would be lost. If there was anything less on the die she would have to walk into the sea. For Baccarat we need the same numbers, to decide the winner and actions needed.

The first name associated with the game was Baccarat, but after moving around to other countries names such as Chemin de Fer or Baccarat en Banque were also given. It is a very popular game in countries such as France as well as the rest of Europe. In France the nobility kept the game from casinos, as they felt they had the only right to play the game.

The French version of Baccarat made its way to South America where they couldn't wait to go to the casino halls in order to play the game. From South America the game traveled to Cuba. The French game is played slightly different than the 'American Baccarat' version.

Both the French version and American were brought to Cuba. Many would play the game in the Capri Hotel Casino located in Havana. From Cuba, Baccarat made its way to Nevada. This was about 1958, and the first casino to have it was Sands Hotel.

Now you will find Baccarat in every casino whether large or small. There are still two versions of the game so that you have the French version is Europe and the American version in North America. The game can be played with a lower limit, but there are also tables for the high rollers who wish to make larger bets.