Be clever, play smart, and become versed in craps the right way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps developed from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s horsemen bet on Hazard amid a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when banished by the English, the French moved south and found sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and across the nation. A great many acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players could bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he created the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
