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The activity of playing gambling games is not new. In some way, shape, or form, it has been around for many centuries. Different civilizations have come up with intriguing and engaging games involving objects like cards and dice, all in an effort to establish a tradition. Such pastime activities first grew into hobbies, only to become a way for the whole community to come together. Naturally, a little lighthearted wagering on the outcome here and there resulted in the games being closely connected to gambling. Fast-forward a few centuries and today we have a whole gambling industry.
Due to the rapid change in technology and novelty ways to play these classic games, it is the online variety of casino games that is now by far the most popular. There still exist brick-and-mortar casinos in most cities, especially planetary gambling hubs like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Macau, and Monte Carlo. Still, the majority of players go online for their needs. After all, this practice allows for the most modern of solutions and features like registering at a crypto casino and playing baccarat and blackjack.
The Origin and Rules of Baccarat
The official origin game is unclear. Most people agree that it was first played sometime during the 1500s in Rome, Italy. This means that it is half a millennium old, which is a pretty amazing fact. Many also believe that one Felix Falguiere called the name “baccara” which means “zero” in Italian. This makes perfect sense because of the essential rule in the game where the usual strong cards, the tens, jacks, queens, and kings, are all worth zero.
The game then spread throughout Europe. It was the French that called it by its official name, and even King Charles VIII enjoyed it at court. And so, the game spread like wildfire among the nobility and the wealthy who, of course, had enough money to make it interesting and wager amongst themselves. Hundreds of years later, it stopped being only available for the rich and famous as the casinos adopted it and made it widely accessible to anyone. The modern game also differs in some ways from the old-timey version.
There are many stories that used to be played for life or death, that there was dice throwing to determine the fates of people, etc. What was kept is the tule that drawing lower than 6 means losing, now of money, and back then, who knows? Some legends claim that baccarat used to be played with tarot cards, or at least that there was a version that used them instead of playing cards. It was more complex and difficult than what we have today, a game of luck over skill where you have to draw closer to 9 to win, betting on the player’s hand or the dealer’s.
The Origin and Rules of Blackjack
The sophisticated card game has its humble origins in the 1700s when it came into existence at the French casinos of the time. It originally bore the name “Vingt-et-un”, 21 in French. If this is true, then it has a similar geographical origin to Baccarat but it is around 200 years younger. There is also a legend that the Romans used to play something similar using wooden blocks instead of cards, which would have happened much earlier.
While Baccarat became widely popular and famous in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Blackjack was popularised a few decades earlier during the mid-18th century. Gambling houses, saloons, and casinos offered the game and promoted it with the so-called “special bets” which was enough to draw in the crowd. One of them was the 10:1 odds of getting the Black Jack, the Jack of Spades, or Clubs, with an Ace. This is how it got the now classic name.
In the French court and among the nobility, it was enjoyed by historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and the mistress of King Louis XV. Napoleon relaxed while playing the game and played it as a celebration following major battles. It also came to North America in the early 18th century with French colonists. New Orleans was the location of the first banked game. Fast forward a century, Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 when it took off as a staple of every casino.
Classic Card Games Go Online
Both Baccarat and Blackjack used to be played at saloons and casinos long before there was even widespread electricity available, let alone the internet all around us. As such, most gamblers know them and are more than used to playing nowadays. The only different thing is that they no longer need to touch the cards or go anywhere away from their home for that matter. The rules are exactly the same but there is no dealer and there is nobody else around you.
Still, if you want something more akin to the real deal, you can join live rooms. These sessions have other players playing at the same time you are. Some even have live dealers that you can see thanks to the camera feed from the service. Various different options exist for both gambling games so that every type of player can find exactly what they are looking for. Together with other heavyweight gambling games like poker, roulette, craps, and slots, baccarat and blackjack make up the bulk of playing options no matter where you play.
Final Thoughts
It makes sense that these two card games often go hand in hand. People tend to remember them together, they are always present at every casino, and they start on the same letter. Historically, they have similar origins where they were played mainly in France and then all over Europe, North America, and eventually the world. Both have to deal more with luck than skill, and they are referred to as members of the Top 5 casino games, alongside Poker, Roulette, and Slots. While many claim that Blackjack is somewhat easier, Baccarat has better odds. In addition, Baccarat is much more difficult to learn than Blackjack since it has more nuanced and complex rules, as well as more ways to wager on the outcome.