European Baccarat Varieties
Europe has contributed well in the gambling world. Most of the famous casino games have their roots traced in this continent. One of the "old world's" finest casino games is the game of baccarat. This game was invented by an Italian gambler and serves as the ancestor of modern baccarat games played today.
One of the offshoots of the Italian "baccara" is the French "chemin de fer". This baccarat variety became popular among the French aristocratic class before it was made available for people of all walks of life in French casinos up to now. In "chemin de fer", the players wager and deal amongst themselves. The casino does not finance the game and one of the players serves as the bank. Once a round of baccarat is finished, the "shoe" or the role of the banker is passed to the next player in a counterclockwise manner.
"Punto Banco" is also an offshoot of the first Italian baccarat game. It literally means "player" for "punto" and "bank" for "banco". This baccarat variety is popular in some casinos in Europe and North America. Some say that this game cannot be considered as a baccarat variety. Punto Banco is merely a French term for the American Baccarat because the rules are basically the same between these two baccarat games. The difference can be seen in the lay-out of the table and the number of cards used, though this also varies from one casino to another, .
Meanwhile, European Baccarat has an English origin. This baccarat variety is not only popular in England, but also in casinos of South America. European Baccarat mainly evolved from its French counterpart, the "chemin de fer". Some rules of the Fench version were altered along with its name. In this baccarat variety, the casino provides the finances for the hands of the banker. There is also a maximum amount of bet that can be placed, which is also set by the banker.
And finally, one of the famous European baccarat varieties is the Baccarat en Banque. In this baccarat variety rules for drawing another card is similar to "chemin de fer". Two hands are dealt for the player and one hand goes for the bank. One of the players serves as the banker until he has been beaten by another player. The players wager according to the maximum amount of bet the bank has placed. Once the bank has been beaten, he will changed seats with the player who won the round of baccarat.