Craps Information

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about one hundred years old. Current craps evolved from the ancient English game called Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the origin of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is supposed that Sir William’s paladins played Hazard through a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when expelled by the British, the French headed south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the losing throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. A few think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the current craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. Later, he established the spots for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.