Become Versed in Craps – Hints and Techniques: The History of Craps
Be smart, play brilliant, and master craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately one hundred years old. Current craps developed from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the birth of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s paladins enjoyed Hazard amid a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French relocated 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 fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which is acquired from the term for the non-winning toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi scows and all over the country. Many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he established the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
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