| It’s Sun Tzu, Chinese General
and author who once said you must “know thy self, know thy enemy…” in order
to win “a thousand victories.” We’re
not sure us telling you the history of Baccarat will win you 1,000 victories, but maybe it
could help you win a thousand bucks?
The 500-Year Old Game
Baccarat is the senior citizen of casino games. While games like Blackjack are recorded as
starting up in the 17th century, Baccarat is said to have been around since the pagans
were running things. They used the game to decide the destiny of young blonde
virgins… seriously.
The virgin would use the game to decide whether or not she
became a priestess. If she tossed an eight or a nine, she was to become a priestess at the
temple. A seven or eight got her banned from any further religious activities. Roll a six
or less… she must die. Man, now that’s gambling!
The game seemingly disappeared for some time after that -
we assume from a shortage of blonds or overall participation - and didn’t pop up in
the world again until 1480.
Italian gambler Felix Falquierein supposedly re-invented
the game, calling it Baccarat - the Italian word for zero. It was called this because so
many cards in the game equal zero, specifically every card between 10 and King.
Over the next 10 years the game spread all across Europe
and the East, specifically becoming popular in France. French yuppies made the game their
pastime, renaming it Chemin de Fer and changing some of the rules. Because of that, they
claimed the game as their own creation (those snooty French). One of the main rules added
was giving each player the opportunity to be the banker and giving the casino a percentage
of each game.
Over the following centuries the game got tossed around
like a Kid Rock groupie. It regained its original name after gaining popularity in
England, popped up and fizzled out in the United States early in the 20th century, then
settled in Argentina and Cuba.
The game made a comeback in American culture at the hands
of Tommy Renzoni (who, we assume by his name, is Italian), bringing the game to many Las
Vegas casinos. Still, it was seen as a game for yuppies, but the online gaming revolution
in 1996 killed that image.
Today, you don’t have to sit next to some rich, snobby, noblemen in order to enjoy
the game. Almost every online casino offers it; ensuring that Baccarat will be around for
another 500 years. Hopefully during that time the virgin sacrifices won’t make a
comeback. |
