Become Versed in Craps – Tricks and Strategies: The Background of Craps
Be smart, play smart, and master craps the right way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about one hundred years old. Current craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard amid a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French headed south and located safety in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was gotten from the term for the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he designed the spaces for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.