Baccarat is a simple casino table game with just three possible outcomes – a Banker win, a Player win or a Tie. It is one of the most popular games in casinos and maintains a low house edge, making it a good choice for players who want to increase their chances of winning at the casino.
The game’s popularity is partly due to its simplicity and the fact that it is one of the only casino games where players can actually predict what the outcome will be. The rules are straightforward: The dealer deals two cards to the Bank and the Player hands, then the hand with the total closest to 9 wins. Players are not allowed to make any other decisions in the course of a round, so although some players swear by betting strategies such as the Martingale strategy, it is very difficult for them to influence the final result.
In the 19th Century, Baccarat produced some of the most exquisite and opulent glassware available at the time. Its displays at the Great Exhibitions of that period – such as the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris where it won a gold medal for a massive pair of nine-light candelabra, or in 1867 when it displayed a glass ‘Temple of Mercury’ – often astounded contemporary audiences and earned the firm important customers from all over the world.
At the onset of the first World War, the company began to expand its production capacity. It utilised the new technologies of the day such as the sand-casting process, which enabled it to produce larger, heavier and more complex pieces of glassware. It also embraced the emerging technologies of electricity and steam, which allowed the manufacture of larger furnaces and kilns.
As the demand for its glassware increased, Baccarat became one of the most prestigious names in international luxury goods. The firm was able to secure contracts with the major luxury retailers of the day, and its products were sold in all major cities in Europe. Baccarat also expanded its export business to Russia and China.
In the modern era, baccarat continues to be enjoyed by players from all over the world, with its popularity increasing in Asia thanks to the rise of online casinos. The game’s simple rules, ease of play and the fact that it is one of the few table games to pay out even money on both the Banker and the Player bets has made it a popular choice for players of all budgets. Baccarat has also featured in a number of film and television shows, including the 1956 French heist movie Bob le Flambeur, in which main character James Carter gambles as part of a heist to fund his lavish lifestyle. A more recent and perhaps more popular depiction is in the 2007 Rush Hour 3 movie, where main characters James Carter and Genevieve first meet playing a game of baccarat. Baccarat has also appeared on the silver screen as the favored card game of royalty in movies such as Elizabeth, Princess of Wales and The King of Masks.