King Charles VIII and his noblemen loved the game, and Chemin de Fer remained a hit with the French aristocracy for centuries.īaccarat also caught on in England, where Ian Fleming learned how to play the game before creating the world’s most famous baccarat player: James Bond.

In today’s game there is one dealer, bets are typically placed against the house, and the house also fills in the banker role.įrom Italy, baccarat travelled to France, where it was known as Chemin de Fer, or “Chemmy”. Cards were dealt by four dealers, each player could be the banker, and players could place bets against fellow players and against the house. This original version of baccarat was not played the same way it is today. He called the game “baccara”, which translates to “zero”, as all tens and face cards were valued at zero (the French spelling “baccarat” would be adopted later). The origins of the card game are debatable, but most believe it was created in the 1400s by a man named Felix Falguierein or Felix Falguiere. Baccarat History - Learn About One of the Oldest Card Gamesīaccarat’s history is said to go all the way back to medieval Italy.

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