Craps

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is just about 100 years old. Modern craps developed from the old English game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s paladins played Hazard during a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when displaced by the English, the French relocated down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was gotten from the name of the bad luck toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. Many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn created the modern craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so gamblers could wager on the dice to not win. Later, he established the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.