Master Craps – Hints and Schemes: The Background of Craps

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Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately one hundred years old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the origin of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s paladins enjoyed Hazard through a blockade on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when banished by the British, the French headed down south and found refuge in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is gotten from the name of the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. A few consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the current craps layout. He put in place the Do not Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he invented the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.