Be a Master of Craps – Pointers and Strategies: The Background 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 just about 100 years old. Modern craps formed from the old Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard through a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is acquired from the term for the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi river boats and all over the nation. A few acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In 1907, Winn designed the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers could wager on the dice to not win. Later, he created the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.