Be smart, play brilliant, and become versed in craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is only about a century old. Current craps come about from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s horsemen bet on Hazard through a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.
Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the British, the French relocated down south and located safety in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the non-winning throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. Many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn designed the current craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the spaces for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
