While it is true that online slots are still king at online casinos, thanks to the recent rise in online baccarat, that claim is seriously being challenged. Baccarat is one of the most classiest card games available at retail and online casinos. Baccarat dates back to 15th century Italy. While baccarat is usually associated with high society and the wealthy, thanks to the rise of online casinos, it continues to become more popular among everyday players.
- The Origins and Evolution of Baccarat Games
Baccarat gets its name from a real-life French town with the same name. Its roots first go back to Italy in the 1400s. It is believed that the popular Italian gambler and card player Felix Falguire accidentally stumbled upon starting baccarat. The original name, “baccara,” means zero, which is a popular trait for baccarat games because the ten cards and the face cards all equal zero.
But it wasn’t until baccarat shifted to France that it truly took off. Originally played by French nobility and high society, baccarat was a huge favorite for King Charles the Eighth. The allure of today’s amazing online baccarat games also happened in the 1500s when baccarat developed into Chemin de Fer and Punto Banco.
Punto Banco is the most popular variant played at most retail and even online casinos. The game has the banker, who is the dealer, passing out the cards to the player. The player is known as “punto,” and the banker is “banco,” hence the name Punto Banco. With Punto Banco, the banker doesn’t change. Players stake a bet on either the player, the banker, or the tie, equaling an eight or a nine, which is considered a natural winner.
Chemin de Fer follows the same rules as Punto Banco, but a player also plays the role of the banker, passing out the cards from the shoe. Chemin de Fer is usually the type of baccarat game that is often displayed in Hollywood films like Rush Hour 3 and the James Bond series. When the player wants or needs to leave the game, they pass the shoe to another player to continue to the game.
With the rise of casinos in Nevada and, ultimately, Atlantic City, baccarat found a new home and a growing audience. When the first wave of online casinos came online in the mid-1990s, online baccarat continued to gain supporters.
Thanks to massive technological leaps, especially with the rise of broadband Internet, online baccarat really took off. Also working in the rise of online baccarat was the switch from Flash technology to the present day, HTML5 technology. With much sharper graphics, smoother and more stable gameplay, traditional and new baccarat players fell in love with the baccarat experience.
- Why Baccarat Games Are So Popular
Baccarat remains one of the most classiest and revered casino games because, for the most part, it has remained mostly the same. Players can still make the same player’s, banker’s and tie bets since when the game first was played. The tens and face cards still count for zero, and the aces only count for one point. With these simple rules, plus not having to worry about busting like with blackjack games, more players continue to flock to online baccarat games at real money and social casinos. Thanks to the surprising surge of iGaming, baccarat players have 24/7 access to their favorite games. They don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes. They can log in using the web browser or their mobile devices and continue playing online baccarat.
- The Role of Technology in Modern Baccarat Games
There’s no question that technology continues to play a major role in the growing involvement of online baccarat. With the rise of Evolution Gaming, baccarat players can play anytime and seemingly anywhere against a professional dealer. Evolution Gaming is also the gaming engine behind new and popular online baccarat variants like First Person and Lightning Baccarat.
First Person Baccarat plays like the Punto Banco version, but players get a front-row view as if they were sitting at the table. With Lightning Baccarat, this new live dealer game also follows and plays like Punto Banco, but players have the chance to win additional winning multipliers. If you’re familiar with slot games, you already have a good understanding of the concept behind the random winning multipliers.
Speedy Baccarat is also a product of amazing gaming technology. For those who want to play baccarat at a faster pace, Speedy Baccarat has a chair for you. Enjoy playing rounds that finish in thirty seconds or less. Also, Speedy Baccarat accepts wagers as small as a buck, so if money is an issue, you can get into the game. On the other hand, Speedy Baccarat accepts bets as high as $10,000.
- The Social Aspect of Baccarat Games
With the rise and popularity of online casinos, social casinos came onto the scene. The allure of sweepstakes casinos is that they are available in over 40 states compared to traditional online casinos. As a result, more baccarat players can enjoy their favorite baccarat games, including the rare Dragon Bonus Baccarat game at the best sweepstakes casinos. Playing baccarat at social casinos also allows players to bond with other like-minded baccarat players.
- Responsible Gaming and Baccarat Games
While baccarat is a fun and simple game to play, caution about how long to play baccarat and to spend still applies. Fortunately, online casinos, including social ones, have a responsible gaming section where players can easily set loss limits and playing sessions to help prevent problem gaming.
- Conclusion
Baccarat games continue to grow at an impressive rate online. The top developers like Evolution Gaming and Playtech continue to develop new and exciting baccarat games for players to enjoy. Also, AI continues to play a more prominent role in getting players to play this elegant and timeless card game.