The name of the game Baccarat is derived from “baccara” which is an Italian and French word for zero. It refers to the value of all face cards and 10s, which is zero. It is also played in a number of variations which are Chemin de Fer, Baccarat en Banque, and Punto Banco.

Some myths tell that the game came from an Etruscan rite for virgins around 1500 B.C. A virgin supposedly threw a die and depending on the number which came out (1 to 9, which represented the nine gods), the virgin could become a priestess, could be banned, or could die by drowning herself in the sea.

Others credited the invention of the game to Felix Falguierein during the 15th century. Felix was an Italian who, during the Middle Ages, was famed for being such a gambler and so devised a game with the use of tarot cards. The game then supposedly traveled to France in 1494 when the soldiers of French King Charles VIII attacked Naples during the Franco-Italian War.

While there are those who think that baccarat evolved from blackjack because of some similarities in their form and structure. The ancient Chinese had also played a game called “Pai Gow”, which meant make a nine, making use of tiles. It was possible that this game reached Europe through the merchants of the Far East.

At any rate, the characteristics of baccarat that has been adopted in modern times can be traced from the French. In the period between the 16th and 17th century, baccarat was exclusively played by the French nobilities in private houses or royal courts and it was only during the reign of Napoleon when baccarat began to be played in mostly illegal gambling houses.

In the 1900s, baccarat was the most famous game being played in the casinos along the French Riviera. Two variations of the game existed then, the Chemin de Fer (which meant railroad in English) where the one who had the highest bet became banker and dealer, and the Baccarat en Banque where the house served as banker and dealer.

From France, the game spread to England, and landed in America during the 20th century. For a time baccarat disappeared, as it was overshadowed by the more popular blackjack, but between 1958 and 1959, casino executives decided to re-introduce the game. The variation played in American casinos is called the Punto Banco.