The history of baccarat, like many playing card gambling games, has its origins hidden in time. Italy and France both claim to be the birthplace of this high-roller casino game. The first game of baccarat was played on a deck of tarot cards. The word itself, baccarat, means zero in both French and Italian, which makes the origins even harder to place.
Wherever the game originated, historians do agree on some facts. The game first appeared during the Middle Ages. The game is documented in France during the 1480's and became a fast hit with the French royalty.
Over time, the French version split from the original and led to two separate variations of the game; European baccarat and the French version; chemin de fer. The French version of Chemin de Fer is the predecessor to modern-day American baccarat. It took a while for the game to spread to the United States. It remained a game of French nobility for hundreds of years before journeying across the ocean by way of England. After leaving Great Britain, the game appeared in Cuba and South American before heading to Las Vegas in the 1900's.
Baccarat History in America
Baccarat's popularity in America grew rapidly. Foreign visitors to Las Vegas furthered the spread of the game and Baccarat can be found around the world today. Its latest evolution is online baccarat on the world wide web. Baccarat's history as a game of royalty remains today. High-rollers are the main players of this game and, in many casinos, the baccarat tables are separated from the main casino to allow the VIP players to enjoy the game in peace.
