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

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about a century old. Modern craps evolved from the old English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is supposed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French headed south and discovered refuge in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and all over the country. A good many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps setup. He added the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to not win. Later, he invented the spots for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.