Craps

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Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately one hundred years old. Modern craps developed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for sure the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s horsemen enjoyed Hazard through a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the castle’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French relocated south and discovered sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is acquired from the name of the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and all over the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn designed the current craps layout. He put in place the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. Later, he established the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.