Become Versed in Craps – Tips and Techniques: The History of Craps

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Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Current craps evolved from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard amid a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the fortification’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the English, the French headed down south and located sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is acquired from the name of the losing toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi scows and all over the country. A great many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In 1907, Winn developed the current craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.