Pickup Craps – Pointers and Strategies: The History of Craps

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Dice and dice games goes back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Current craps developed from the old Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the beginnings 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 supposed that Sir William’s knights played Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they after a while became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which is acquired from the term for the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the country. Many acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so players could wager on the dice to not win. Later, he designed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.