Learn to Play Craps – Tips and Plans: The History of Craps
Be brilliant, play clever, and pickup craps the proper way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is only about a century old. Current craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for certain the origin of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French moved down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which was gotten from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and throughout the nation. Many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the current craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he established the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.