Baccarat isn’t just a game. It’s a spectacle. A slow-burning battle of high-stakes cool that’s lured billionaires, masterminds, and pop culture icons for over a century.
From whispered casino myths to courtroom drama and movie screens, baccarat has made its mark not through the masses, but through the few. The elite. The daring. The unforgettable. Below, we dive into the game itself and meet the legends—real and fictional—who made it famous across different eras and continents.
What Is Baccarat?
Baccarat is a comparing card game played between two hands: the Player and the Banker. The rules are simple—bet on which hand will come closer to nine (or if the result will be a tie). Yet beneath its simplicity lies a deep appeal. The game is fast, clean, and has one of the lowest house edges in the casino. It requires no skill, but it demands nerve.
Unlike poker or blackjack, players don’t compete against each other or even the dealer. Instead, they back an outcome, often wagering astronomical sums on a hunch or instinct. That’s part of what has drawn so many risk-loving personalities to the baccarat table over the years.
But that simplicity is part of the appeal. Over the decades, baccarat has become the game of choice for high rollers, billionaires, and even fictional secret agents. The velvet ropes and private rooms weren’t built for blackjack. They were built for baccarat.
How to Play Baccarat
If you’ve ever peeked into a high-limit room at a casino and seen suited players around a green felt table murmuring over cards, there’s a good chance it was baccarat. While it can seem like a mystery to outsiders, the rules are actually refreshingly straightforward.
If you want to learn how to play baccarat, it’s much easier than it looks. Each round begins with two hands dealt- one being for the Player and one being for the Banker. You’re not competing against the dealer or other players; your only decision is to bet on which hand will get closer to a total of nine. Face cards and tens are worth zero, aces are worth one, and if the total goes over nine, only the last digit counts. For example, a 7 and an 8 add up to 15, but in baccarat, that hand scores 5.
The Most Famous Baccarat Players of All Time
Some played for the thrill. Others, for the millions. These are the names that changed the way we look at baccarat.
1. Akio Kashiwagi – The Warrior
In the 1980s and early ’90s, Akio Kashiwagi was a legend in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. A Japanese real estate mogul, he earned his nickname “The Warrior” for a reason. He would routinely bet $100,000 to $200,000 per hand, sometimes playing for up to 80 hours straight.
Kashiwagi didn’t just gamble, he waged war at the table. His sessions were infamous for wild swings. He could win $10 million or lose the same in a weekend. Casinos both feared and revered him. Tragically, his story ended in 1992 when he was found murdered in his Tokyo home, a mystery that remains unsolved.
2. Phil Ivey – The Edge Sorter
Phil Ivey is best known as a poker phenom, but his baccarat chapter is one of the most talked-about in gambling history. In 2012, Ivey and his partner used a technique called “edge sorting” to win nearly $10 million at Borgata in Atlantic City and another £7.7 million at Crockfords in London.
Edge sorting isn’t card counting. It’s noticing tiny printing flaws on card backs to predict outcomes. Ivey claimed it was skill; the casinos called it cheating. Lawsuits followed, and although he never denied using the method, he stood by his belief that it wasn’t unethical. Regardless of the legal outcome, his baccarat sessions have become part of casino lore.
3. Kerry Packer – The Billionaire Gambler
Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer wasn’t just rich, he was fearless. Known for entering casinos and betting millions without blinking, Packer once reportedly won over $20 million during a single Vegas trip. Another time, he lost $28 million just as casually.
Dealers and casino execs would brace themselves when Packer walked in. He tipped generously (cars, even houses), played fast, and didn’t chase losses. For Packer, baccarat wasn’t a game, it was a battleground. And win or lose, he left a mark on every table he touched.
4. John W. Gates – Mr. Bet-a-Million
Before modern casinos and neon lights, John W. Gates was the original high-stakes player. A steel tycoon in the early 1900s, Gates reportedly wagered $1 million on a single hand of baccarat, hence the nickname “Mr. Bet-a-Million.”
Whether the number is legend or fact, Gates’s appetite for risk was very real. In an era when most gamblers bet coins or modest sums, he staked fortunes. His reputation as a fearless, stone-faced player helped elevate baccarat’s image in early 20th-century America.
5. James Bond – The Fictional Face of Baccarat
He may not be real, but James Bond has done more for baccarat than any other player, living or otherwise. In Ian Fleming’s novels and their early film adaptations, baccarat (specifically Chemin de Fer) was Bond’s game of choice.
In Dr. No, Thunderball, and Casino Royale (1967), we see Bond calmly outplaying villains across velvet tables and crystal tumblers. Long before Hold’em became the cinematic standard, baccarat was the spy game. Even though newer Bond films shifted toward poker, the association remains. Bond gave baccarat its aura of cold sophistication.
Why Baccarat Attracts Legends
It’s no accident that some of history’s most famous gamblers are linked to baccarat. The game has always had a mystique about it, less flashy than roulette, more elite than blackjack. It’s the choice of those who want to make a statement quietly.
There’s no room for hesitation at a baccarat table. Whether it’s a fictional spy or a real-life mogul, the game demands confidence. You don’t get to think out loud. You bet, you sit back, and you wait. It’s the ultimate test of poise under pressure.
Final Deal
Baccarat’s appeal isn’t in its complexity, it’s in its clarity. Two hands. A few cards. Millions on the line. That simplicity, paired with elegance, is why it continues to pull in the world’s boldest players.
From the cold stare of Akio Kashiwagi to the sly tactics of Phil Ivey, baccarat has always been more than a game. It’s been a stage. And the players? Legends in their own right.
