Baccarat is a popular card game found at almost every land-based casino on the planet. It can also be found at every fully licensed and regulated online casino.
Just like blackjack, baccarat is often regarded as a game for the connoisseur and one of the more sophisticated casino card games, having been depicted in this way many times throughout history, particularly in popular culture.
For example, Ian Fleming often wrote in his best-selling novels about the main protagonist, the iconic secret agent, 007, playing cards. As we all know, these movies were eventually turned into blockbuster movies.
Let’s dive straight in to try and discover why James Bond might have chosen to play baccarat when on his secret missions.
Which James Bond movies depict him playing baccarat?
Out of the 25 James Bond movies in the franchise, a total of five movies show James Bond playing his favourite card game, baccarat, or baccarat chemin-de-fer. They include the following:
- Name: Dr. No. Released: 1962
- Thunderball. Released: 1965
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Released: 1969
- For Your Eyes Only. Released: 1981
- GoldenEye. Released: 1995
James Bond also played baccarat in the 1954 television adaptation Casino Royale. Baccarat has also been seen in several other movies and has long been a part of society’s conscience, thanks to pop culture.
What is baccarat?
Baccarat is a card game, and the three main variants include baccarat chemin de fer, baccarat banque (or à deux tableaux), and punto banco. They are pretty much the same, so once you have learned how to play one version, the other two will be easy to understand.
The main difference between them is that when playing baccarat banque and baccarat chemin de fer, both players can make individual choices, but in punto banco, each player’s next move is forced by the cards the player is dealt. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is.
The game is really fast-paced, and the rules are super-easy to learn, which is why this game appeals to players of all skill levels, whether they are novices or seasoned pros.
You can choose between playing land-based casino blackjack or online baccarat at licensed and regulated iGaming sites using a smartphone, laptop, desktop computer or tablet.
In baccarat, the aim of the game is to bet on which hand you think will win, either the banker (dealer) or the players. The other possibility that can occur, but happens much less often, is for the round to end in a tie (when both hands are worth the same value in points).
You start by placing a bet on which hand you think will win (or a tie result). If you place your money on the correct hand, you will win the round, and another new round can start immediately.
When a new game begins, the dealer will dish out two cards to the player and the dealer. The cards in each are then added up to determine which hand’s total is closest to 9 points.
For example, the numbered cards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are all worth their face value in points. The aces are worth 1 point (not 1 or 11 like in blackjack), and the other cards, the kings, queens, jacks and 10s, are all worth zero (0) points.
Therefore, if one hand contains a 7 and a 6, although the combined total would add up to 13 (7 + 6), only the digit unit of 3 is used, meaning this hand is worth 3 points, not 13. If the other hand consisted of a 2 and a 4, it would be worth 6 points (2 + 4). Therefore, the 6-point hand would beat the 3-point hand.
In other words, the golden number to try and reach in baccarat is 9 points. When the hand value exceeds 9 points, only the single digit at the end of the number is used. Let’s take a quick look at a few other examples.
A queen and 5 (0 + 5 = 5) would be worth 5 points. A 7 and 7 (7 + 7 = 14) would be worth 4 points because you disregard the factor of 10, and an ace and 8 would (1 + 8 = 9) would be worth points, and so on.
Why was baccarat often used in James Bond movies?
The true origins of baccarat have often been debated. However, most agree that it was first played in 19th-century France. Others say it dates back even further to around the 15th century and that it actually came from Italy before spreading to France.
Anyway, the game has also been associated with the French nobility and has long been labelled as a game for high rollers and the more sophisticated player, which makes sense why Fleming would often depict Bond playing this game.
At the time the novels were first published, the game was also considered exotic and had an air of mystery and sophistication about it, just like 007. James Bond will always be linked with baccarat, and vice versa.
Where can I play online baccarat if I live in India?
If you live in India and want to play baccarat at a fully licensed and regulated iGaming site, the most trusted online casino you can turn to in 2024 is the official 10CRIC Casino website (10CR10.com).
The site has an impressive selection of over 20 baccarat games, and you can play them instantly in your web browser or from within the 10CRIC mobile app. The mobile app can be downloaded onto iOS and Android smartphones and tablets for free in under a minute.
The choice of baccarat games on the 10CRIC website includes computer-generated games (that rely on sophisticated RNGs to produce the outcomes) and cutting-edge live dealer baccarat games, which don’t rely on RNGs to produce the outcomes.
This top-rated Indian online casino has live dealer baccarat games from BetGamesTV, Bombay Club, Evolution Gaming, Ezugi, Vegas Lounge, and Winfinity. Hit titles to check out are XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat, Tokyo Baccarat, No Commission Baccarat, and Bombay Mystic Baccarat.
Final note
If you’re specifically looking for a James Bond experience, then you may want to start by playing in the 10CRIC live dealer casino. If you’re not quite ready for live dealer games, try Baccarat from Evoplay, Baccarat from Gaming Corps, 3D Baccarat from Iron Dog Studio, and Baccarat from Switch Studios and Games Global.
If that’s not enough to keep you going, there’s also Baccarat from OneTouch, Baccarat Deluxe from PG (Pocket Games) Soft, Mini Baccarat from Play’n GO, and Baccarat – Punto Banco from Play’n GO.
