Craps Information

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Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps formed from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, although Hazard is said to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is presumed that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard through a blockade on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French relocated south and discovered safety in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which is derived from the term for the non-winning toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi barges and throughout the nation. A few consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he created the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.