Be a Master of Craps – Hints and Techniques: The History of Craps

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is only about one hundred years old. Modern craps come about from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights played Hazard during a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the castle’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when driven away by the English, the French headed south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is derived from the term for the bad luck toss of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and all over the nation. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.