Be cunning, play smart, and master craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games goes back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps developed from the old English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the British, the French relocated down south and found sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which is acquired from the term for the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and throughout the country. Most consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn developed the current craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so players could wager on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he designed the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
