Become Versed in Craps – Pointers and Techniques: The History of Craps
Be brilliant, play clever, and pickup craps the right way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Current craps formed from the ancient English game called Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, however Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s soldiers enjoyed Hazard during a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.
Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French moved south and discovered safety in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which was acquired from the name of the losing toss of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the country. A good many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps layout. He added the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he created the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.