History of baccarat

Baccarat, in its oldest form, originated in Italy in the 1480s. In this form, tarot cards were used, the Italians called it baccara – the Italian word for zero. The game was then introduced in France during the reign of Charles VIII (1483-1498).

There are three main forms of the game: baccarat chemin de fer (railway), baccarat banque and punto banco (North American baccarat). Whereas punto banco is purely a game of chance, both of the other forms involve skill (as the players can make choices during the game).

You may well have seen baccarat chemin de fer in James Bond Films, most famously in the original Casino Royale (1953) in which the film revolves around the game. This form of the game was also central to the Royal baccarat scandal (1890) in England, which involved the future king, Edward VII.

Baccarat, as portrayed by James Bond, is often associated as the high rollers’ game, depending where you play the limit can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.