Craps Information

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately 100 years old. Current craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the birth 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 amid a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when exiled by the English, the French headed down south and found sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which is acquired from the term for the losing throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi scows and throughout the country. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the modern craps setup. He created the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.