Be a Master of Craps – Hints and Plans: The History of Craps
Be smart, play smart, and learn how to play craps the correct way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately 100 years old. Current craps developed from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the origin of the game, however Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s horsemen gambled on Hazard during a siege 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 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French moved down south and found refuge in southern Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the losing throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi scows and all over the country. Most acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn built the current craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he developed the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
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