Become Versed in Craps – Pointers and Techniques: The History of Craps
Be cunning, play smart, and pickup craps the proper way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps evolved from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard through a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the castle’s name.
Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French moved down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is acquired from the name of the losing toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.