Craps Information

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Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is just about a century old. Modern craps developed from the old English game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the origin of the game, although Hazard is said to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s soldiers played Hazard during a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when displaced by the English, the French headed south and located refuge in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which was gotten from the term for the losing throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and all over the nation. A great many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he established the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.