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 a century old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s horsemen bet on Hazard during a blockade on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when banished by the English, the French moved south and discovered sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they after a while became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the bad luck toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and across the nation. Many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the modern craps setup. He added the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he established the boxes for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.