History of Baccarat 
The exact origins of Baccarat are still unknown till today. But Legend suggests that it was used to determine the priestess of ancient ceremonies. The potential blond virgin would roll a nine-faced die labeled 1-9. If the die was 8 or 9, she would become priestess. If it was 6 or 7, she would be barred from all religious ceremonies from then now. But if it was below 6, she would have to swim in the sea until she drowned.
Baccarat is derived from the Italian word Bacara which means zero. Zero refers to the value of all face cards, whereby their value is zero. There are three variants of the game: baccarat chem. De far (railway), baccarat banque, and punto banco.
Baccarat was made popular during the reign of France by Charles VIII reign when he introduced the game to France. Back then, there was no specific banker. But rather, the players themselves take turns to deal the cards. If the banker side won, that specific player would continue to deal the cards. However, if the player side won, the ‘shoe' would be passed on to the next player. When it arrived on the shores of England in the 16th Century, the French version of the game was modified and it evolved to the English version of the game that is so popular around casinos throughout the world - European Baccarat.
Traditionally, Baccarat is often played only by the affluent and nobles. Until today, the exclusivity of Baccarat remains. Even in modern casinos, this is said to be true. For Baccarat tables are usually only located in the exclusive high-rollers section, roped off to the general public. However, with that said, it is noted that Baccarat is ever increasingly growing in popularity among the masses. Prompting casinos to offer Baccarat for the masses. This can be seen in Asia, where Baccarat's popularity is on par with Blackjack.
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