Become Versed in Craps – Tips and Strategies: The History of Craps
Be cunning, play smart, and become versed in craps the right way!
Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Current craps developed from the old Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the birth of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is supposed that Sir William’s soldiers played Hazard during a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the fortress’s name.
Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the English, the French headed down south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was gotten from the term for the bad luck toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the nation. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn created the modern craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he established the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.