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

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about 100 years old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the game, but Hazard is said to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s soldiers enjoyed Hazard through a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French moved south and located refuge in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said 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 riverboats and all over the country. A great many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the current craps setup. He created the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. Afterwords, he invented the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.