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 a century old. Modern craps formed from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s soldiers played Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when exiled by the English, the French relocated down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which is derived from the name of the losing throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi scows and across the country. Most acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.