Be cunning, play smart, and become versed in craps the proper way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Current craps evolved from the old Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the ancestry of the game, but Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the citadel’s name.
Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French headed down south and located refuge in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is derived from the term for the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. Many acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.