Be a Master of Craps – Tricks and Tactics: The Past of Craps

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Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the birth of the game, although Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s paladins enjoyed Hazard through a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when expelled by the British, the French relocated down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which is acquired from the name of the losing toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and across the country. Many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players could bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.