Craps Information

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately one hundred years old. Current craps formed from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the birth of the game, but Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It’s believed that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard during a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when displaced by the British, the French relocated down south and found safety in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and all over the nation. Many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he designed the boxes for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.