Craps Information

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Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Current craps formed from the old Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the origin of the game, although Hazard is said to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights bet on Hazard through a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French relocated down south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which is acquired from the name of the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. A good many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he established the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.