Baccarat History

Baccarat history can be traced back to the middle ages. It has been said the game was first played with Tarot cards. It was not long before baccarat made its way from its home country, Italy, to France. There it found a new (and welcoming) home among the upper class aristocracy. Further evolution of the game shows it split to European baccarat, and a French game that goes by the name 'chemin de fer'.
'Chemin de fer' is very similar to baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. The difference is that one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. The casino of course is taking no risk here; they simply charge a fee from each banker.
The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's, and since then it has made its final voyage onto the World of web based gambling.
Baccarat's popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year is clear evidence that baccarat history can be found overseas too. The chief high rollers often come from abroad to try their hand under the chandeliers of the elegant Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is matchless. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank bets.