When you step into a casino today, you’ll always see a Baccarat table with players bunched up together. This extremely popular card game is one of the mainstays in casinos in Canada and throughout the world, like in popular gambling locations like Las Vegas, Macau, and Atlantic City. In particular, Baccarat in Canada is a big thing, and is enjoyed by countless players in the country. We can safely say it’s in the league of games like poker, slot machines, and roulette.

Its fascinating rise to popularity leads us to ask: how did it manage to spread the shores of the Great White North? Well, you’d be surprised.

Baccarat’s disputed origins

No one can exactly point out when baccarat was created. Some say it first became popular in France in the 15th century during the Italian Wars when French soldiers brought the game back to their homeland. Others mention it was made in France, although one cannot dispute its Italian origins. After all, the source of its name came from the boot-shaped peninsula.

However, no one can ever dispute that the game rose to fame in France when the French nobility got hooked into it starting in the 19th-century. During the Napoleonic Era, the upper class played it in private gaming rooms. Since the elite played it, one can then assume it spread throughout the populace.

Baccarat variations and rise

Since its rise to popularity centuries ago, baccarat evolved and developed into several varieties. In France, the Chemin de Fer variation became the most prevalent in casinos and gambling parlors. From there, the game spread to the British Isles, likely introduced by travelers and members of the nobility. However, instead of Chemin de Fer, the Punto Banco variation became the undisputed hit in the UK.

It is important to note that the English variation was the most widely spread throughout the world. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the burgeoning burgeoning British Empire continued to thrive and expand, spreading British influences around the globe. After all, there’s a famous saying that the sun never sets on the British Empire, since the flag waved on the shores of Hong Kong to the diverse landscapes of North America.

Baccarat in Canada - Punto Banco

You can now probably guess how baccarat made its way to Canada. It’s all thanks to the French and British, as both had colonized Canada before. However, the British influence won in the case of baccarat since Punto Banco is the overwhelmingly popular version of the game in the country and even in other casinos throughout the world. It has now reached a point wherein if you say “baccarat,” people will automatically assume it is Punto Banco.

Playing baccarat today

Today, you can play baccarat - may it be punto de banco or other variations - in many casinos in Canada and throughout the world. Apart from vacationing in the famous casino cities to play, you’ll also have the option to play online. Moreover, apart from betting real money, you can also play using digital currencies like Bitcoin. Before stepping in front of a table and dealer, though, we recommend learning its many intricacies, so playing for fun first before playing for real.

So, what do you think? Will you try out baccarat any time soon? Remember, baccarat in Canada is a huge deal, which isn’t surprising since it’s all the craze in casinos throughout the world. We recommend giving it a shot, and who knows, the game could be your next obsession.