Baccarat: The Game of the High Rollers
Baccarat, which is Italian for 'zero' and actually pronounced as 'baccara' was a game that was first played by an Italian named Felix Faulguirein. It came to France during the reign of Charles VIII. The French changed its name to Chemin de Fer and added a few more modifications, after which they decided to take credit for the creation of the game in its entirety, a fact that it not well-liked by the Italians, who considers the game as their own invention. The game became a favorite of the French elite and its popularity spread to the Riviera casinos where the French rich and famous congregated.
Baccarat made its way to Argentina wh1ere it was also greeted with warm acceptance by the country's rich gamblers and established a place for itself in one of the country's most popular casinos, The Plata del Mar.
It's first entry to the United States, on the other hand, was greeted by a cold and indifferent gambling population. Americans were deterred by the high stakes involved in the game, and so the game did not gain as much popularity as it had done so in previous countries.
The game spread to Cuba during the pre-Castro era, where, after a dozen or more modifications it bacame known as punto blanco and finally, American baccarat. This is the modern form of the game that is more popularly known today.
In American baccarat, the players played against the house who also financed the dealer, a difference from the French Chemin de Fer where players took turns being the banker.
Casino exec Frank 'Tommy' Renzoni liked the game so much that he brought the game to Las Vegas, where he opened a baccarat pit in the Sands. This proved to be a bad move, however. On its opening night the house lost 250,000 dollars; very few seemed to be interested in playing the mysterious game that was cordoned-off by ropes and tucked away in a secluded portion of the casino floor, away from the noise and prying eyes of casino hoi poloi.
However if you are an avid baccarat fan (and you have the cash to share), do not despair. There are still many top casinos who offer the game, although you might want to do a bit of research about where you can get the best play for your money. There is also mini baccarat, another version of the game that is easier to play and played by more people than its more exclusive counterpart.
|
