Craps Information

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Dice and dice games goes back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps formed from the old English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard amid a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French headed down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was acquired from the name of the losing toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and all over the country. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he created the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.