There are several countries that claim to have originated the game of Baccarat. There are a variety of stories and each of them are equally compelling and interesting.
One such country is Italy and their claim is as follows. An Italian gambler by the name of Felix Falguierein that lived in the midst of the Middle Ages is said to be the inventor of the game. Tarot cards, whose roots originate in an ancient Etruscan myth of 9 gods who observed as a virgin girl threw a 9-sided die, were used as cards for the game. The cards were believed to determine her destiny, with an 8 or 9 result in her turning out to be a priestess and a 6 or 7 banning her from any religious rituals. If the number turned out to be less than 6, she would be forced into the sea. Not a game that one would consider entertaining.
Notwithstanding the reality of this imaginary story of the game's development, it is a well-known and accepted fact that Baccarat was commonly played in France as early as 1500. The game was played solely by the nobility continued to be played only by nobility for a very long time before eventually progressing to become one of the most accepted and established of wagering games.
Whether Baccarat was invented in Italy or France, the game of Baccarat is obviously a very ancient game. The rules of the game varied from country to country and through the ages it developed in some very diverse ways.
In its early years of the game, the French version of Baccarat, named "Chemin de fer," became very popular in England where gamers began to transform the rules. It is said that the game then traveled to South America and, soon thereafter, was disseminated throughout the world.
It was finally Tommy Renzoni who brought the game of Baccarat to the United States.