Become Versed in Craps – Hints and Strategies: The Background of Craps
Be smart, play brilliant, and learn how to play craps the ideal way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Modern craps evolved from the old English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the birth of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French relocated south and settled in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the losing toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and all over the country. Most think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps layout. He appended the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he created the spaces for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.