07.17
Become Versed in Craps – Hints and Tactics: The History of Craps
Be brilliant, play cunning, and become versed in craps the right way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps evolved from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the birth of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s paladins bet on Hazard through a blockade on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when exiled by the British, the French headed south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which is gotten from the name of the non-winning throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the country. A few acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he established the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.