บาคาร่า is known to be one of the card games that is quite popular across the globe. Though played mostly in the continent of America and Europe, the game has become quite popular over the years. In Italy, Baccarat denotes a zero and that is how the name of the game got its origin.

As far as the existing records are, the game originated from Italy and then traversed the world over undergoing a lot of changes and then attaining its present form. The first games to be played using cards were played in 1480 by a fellow named Falguierein. The game happens to have quite a fascinating history which dates back to the Pagan customs history.

Baccarat ancient history

The game was started as a simple dice and changed forms with the cards coming into the picture. The ancient times pagans used the game to decide for the future of young virgins. It was a tradition which was quite horrific which made so many girls to be killed. Maidens were told to toss the dice with none surfaces and it was based on the sum of the numbers which were on the dice which sealed their fate.

It was thought that the numbers which the girl happened to roll were the blessings from the nine gods, who were believed to be responsible for the life of the girl. The highest number was reserved for the ones that were rolling a nine or an eight, for they became the community priestesses.

The other numbers a six and a seven were the ones which gave the girl another chance of rolling the dice, but she was never allowed to perform or attend acts for religion. But in case less than a six was rolled, they had to walk into the sea and die there.

The progression in the middle ages

Baccarat was played just for fun in the 1400s in France. In the beginning, the game was played using the Tarot cards. It was a game that was meant only for the nobility in France and the commoners weren’t allowed to pay it.

Anyone other than the nobility found playing the game was punished brutally. So it was played in secrecy. After a while, the game was legalized but banned again during the rule of Napoleon.  In France, the game was referred to as chemin de fer and it still holds the same name there.