Lifestyle

Originally designed as a posh game, Baccarat remained the favorite game of high rollers. We have seen reference to Baccarat in Hollywood movies. It was also described as Napoleon’s favorite game. This game had many variations and still manages to capture the attention and interest of wide audience. Baccarat history and facts are filled with interesting trivia and twists. Either way, Baccarat, chemin de fer, or punto banco – however you choose to call it, has eternal appeal.

The Essence of a Game

What 21 is for Blackjack, 9 is for Baccarat. It is a game of two hands playing against each other. The goal is to reach the 8 total. One of the most beautiful moments in playing Baccarat is landing a 9 on the first two cards. This is known as the “natural.”

In case reaching the nine total is not possible, then the second best is to reach the number closest to nine. The good thing is that there are no possibilities to reach the total which is much higher than 9. In Baccarat, if this happens and the total reaches double-digit, the left-hand digit gets simply cut off enabling for the total to lower and return to single digits closer to 9.

The History

If we take a look at different theories surrounding the beginnings of Baccarat, one theory stands out. Namely, a 15^th century Italian, Felix Falguiere, took an ancient Etruscan myth about virgins and nine-sided dice and applied it to the game he called Baccarat. The virgins were obliged to throw dice and in case they landed an 8 or a 9, each of them would become priestess. However, if they landed a 6 or a 7, the church would exile them from the community. Throwing a number lower than 6 would have meant death. Falguire used the word “baccara” which meant “zero” in Italian. He chose it because zero-value cards were the most wanted in the deck, with 10s, jacks, queens, and kings all adding 0 to a hand’s total. This legend certainly adds a certain flavor to Baccarat history and facts.

Officially, Baccarat originates from 18^th century France, where people referred to it as “Baccarat banque”. In the beginning, one player took the task to bank the game. That same player used to pay out the players, as well as to collect the losing wagers. Thereafter, the game evolved in an interesting direction. The French gave it a bit of flavor in the 19^th century and sort of a spin-off appeared, called “Chemin de fer”.  Oddly, the new version featured several bankers who took turns. This enabled for sharing of the risk. Simultaneously, it also made the game a bit slower.

Lastly, the version that we all know today, appeared in Havana, Cuba. Logically, there was a drive to make the game more appealing to people who were not ready to bet high amounts of money. Hence, mini baccarat. The Cuban version was called “Punto banco.” Being lively as it is, the atmosphere in Cuba did not accept the slow path of Chemin de fer. Therefore, the game evolved in Cuba to the well-known version where players bet against the house.

This was also the version which the Americans have embraced under the name “Mini baccarat.”

Baccarat Trivia

Baccarat appears in James Bond movies, which corresponds amazingly well with its reputation of a mysterious game for high rollers. As a quick reminder, there have been almost 30 Bond movies and casino games are featured in all of them.

Remember “Dr. No” (1962)? Check it out for landing a “natural” and the smooth Bond play of Chemin de fer. Also, the main plot of the Bond movie “Casino Royale” is happening at the Baccarat table.

Additionally, an interesting fact is that Baccarat arrived at Las Vegas in 1959. “The Sands” was the first casino that featured this game. Reportedly, the casino lost $250,000 to players during the first night of playing.

What’s your experience with Baccarat?

Emotional fitness is crucial. There is no money that can make up for a sane piece of mind. Moreover, no matter how much money you earn, being emotionally fit can help you navigate the storms and swim with the sharks. We did a bit of thinking about how to build emotional fitness.

Practice Regularly

The important thing is to be aware that achieving emotional fitness is a process. Usually, it entails testing the person’s limits of endurance, faith, patience and will. On the other hand, no matter how hard it may be, this process builds a character. Furthermore, it can make a person become a better leader, a more conscientious individual and more understanding friend.

As with all other types of practice, working on your emotions can be exhausting, but rewarding. Furthermore, working on emotions includes not just facing the fears and overcoming them, but adopting healthier habits as well. This could be hard. However, it shows daily progress and boosts self-confidence. Seeing the result of your practice, whatever it may be, is always beneficial and strengthens the will power.

Learn from Your Success, Not Just from Mistakes

It may sound cheesy, but the change truly starts within ourselves. No one can fight the battles on our behalf. Or, perhaps can, but that would do us no favor. People who are dedicated to work on themselves, have a habit of forgetting how much they have achieved. They always struggle for more and rarely look behind. This could be the result of the fast-paced dynamics of the lives we lead and the jobs we do.

Nonetheless, taking a glance at the previous ups and downs is very important. We learn from mistakes. However, the successes are equally important. As achieving emotional fitness is a process, everyone needs a pat on the back from time to time. The advantage would be to learn to empower yourself, and not depend on someone else’s opinion or praise. So, take a break, and observe your accomplishments. You will eventually realize how far you have come and what obstacles you have overcome.

Be Aware That You Are Only Human

Imagine you have practiced all of the above and reached a certain level of emotional fitness. You have adopted healthier habits and managed to balance your life and hence – make more sound decisions. You have become aware that going through life surrounded with people dear to you is a gift, but that you would endure on your own, just as well, if necessary. At that point, a person must feel quite powerful.

Now, imagine something goes wrong and you are not able to sustain the same level of control and emotional soundness. Would you panic?

The most important lesson to learn is that we are all humans. We make mistakes. Our lives consist of so much more falls than successes. It is ok to lose control every now and then. It’s natural and makes us who we are.

The goal of emotional fitness is to strengthen the will and empower an individual to get used to exploiting his or her own mental and emotional resources and to rely on them fully.

Have you tried to build emotional fitness? We would love to hear your experiences.

With the appearance of TV show “Chernobyl”, the audience was drawn to the dark side of history once again. Strangely, the darkest places and events always attract attention. We are witnessing the phenomenon of media feeding itself with the human darkest drives. Or, maybe it’s vice versa? Perhaps, the media places the content that people demand to read or watch. It’s a vicious circle. Either way, these are some of the strangest and most noir tourist attractions worldwide. Justified or not, it is up to you to decide.

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl was number one news in April 1986, when an accident happened at one of the nuclear reactors. The catastrophe that shook the world that year continues to leave people in disbelief. There are various interpretations of how and why the event of this magnitude was possible. No matter whether the Soviet government tried to cover up the errors, the fact remains that the effects of this nuclear disaster will last for app. 20,000 years.

Nevertheless, there are people who do not hesitate visiting Chernobyl, regardless of the danger from radiation. Moreover, this place has quickly become one of the most frequently visited noir tourist attractions. This also shows how strong media influence can be.

Pompeii, Italy

It could be the fact that Pompeii is located close to romantic and vibrant cities on the south of Italy, that makes it so interesting for tourists. However, this does not change the fact that the entire population of Pompeii was wiped out in a Vesuvius eruption.

However, since Italy is so full of historical monuments and art, the thought of a monument to victims of a catastrophe somehow blends in. Apparently, people are able to look at the evidence of death or catastrophic event with less emotional attachment if the events took place way back in time.

The further we are from the tragedy, the less we are able to sympathize with it.  The volcanic eruption took place in 79 A.D. Nowadays, the traces of this tragedy are still clearly visible, due to the extremely large amount of lava and ash that covered the entire city f Pompeii and preserved the remains as untouched.

Birkenau-Aushwitz, Poland

The place near Krakow in Poland is one of the monstrous places of significance when it comes to WWII. It was the largest German Nazi concentration camp. This, and many other similar places, draws attention on regular basis.

Although the very mention of this place is so macabre that it sends shivers upon one’s spine, we cannot overlook its importance. Aushwitz-Birkenau is the place that many people visit annually. Out of curiosity, we suppose. However, we would like to think that the main reason to visit this spot is the need to get to know the history and the dark side of the human nature. Above all, knowing how things can take wrong turn is a halfway in preventing similar situations to happen in the future.

Would you visit any of these places? Tell us about your reasons.