Be a Master of Craps – Hints and Strategies: The Past of Craps

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps developed from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s soldiers enjoyed Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the castle’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French relocated south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is gotten from the name of the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn designed the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. Later, he invented the spaces for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.