Craps Information

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s horsemen played Hazard amid a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French moved south and discovered refuge in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is derived from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and across the country. A great many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn designed the current craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.