The origins are still debated today, but most believe the game of baccarat was created in Italy in the 1400s by a man named Felix Falguiere or Falguierein. He called the game “baccara,” Italian for “zero,” because all the tens and face cards were worth zero. (Later on, the French spelling “baccarat” was adopted worldwide.) It is believed that the Italian game of baccara was based on the old Etruscan legend of a virgin who had to throw a nine-sided die. The result of the throw determined her fate.
If she threw an 8 or a 9, then she was elevated to the glory of being a priestess. If she threw a 6 or 7, she was allowed to live but could not take part in any future religious or community events. If she threw lower than 6, she was banished to the sea to drown. Not a nice tale, perhaps, but from it came the initial rules of the card game of baccarat. Although no one today is banished to the sea if they get lower than a 6, they usually lose the baccarat game.
The original baccarat game was played slightly differently than it is today. Cards were dealt by four different dealers, each of the players had an opportunity to be the banker, and players could place bets against other players as well as against the house. Today there is one dealer, bets are generally placed against the house, and the house also serves as the banker.（資料來源）
