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. Modern craps formed from the old English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for certain the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when driven away by the English, the French headed south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it fair mathematically. It is said that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which is acquired from the term for the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the nation. A great many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he designed the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.