Definition

Noun: 1. A card game: A casino banking game, a variant of baccarat, where two or more players ("punters") bet against the house ("the banker"). The objective is to hold a hand of two or three cards with a point total closest to nine.

Usage

• As a subject:
• As an object:
• With a modifier:

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is often shortened colloquially to "chemmy" in British English.

Variants and Related Words

• Baccarat (n): The family of card games to which chemin de fer belongs. The key difference is that in standard baccarat, the casino always banks the game, while in chemin de fer, players can bank.
• Punto banco (n): Another common variant of baccarat found in casinos, where the casino banks all bets and players have no strategic decisions.

Synonyms

• Baccarat: (Note: This is a near-synonym for the game family, but not an exact synonym for this specific variant).

Notes on Meaning

This word refers specifically to the version of baccarat where players compete against each other (with one acting as banker) rather than all players betting directly against the house. The name is French for "railway," but the origin of this name for the card game is uncertain.

Noun

1. a card game played in casinos in which two or more punters gamble against the banker; the player wins who holds 2 or 3 cards that total closest to nine