Craps Information

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Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Current craps come about from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the birth of the game, although Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard during a siege on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when banished by the British, the French moved south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the losing throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and all over the nation. Most consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.