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

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Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is just about a century old. Current craps formed from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is said to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s horsemen gambled on Hazard during a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the castle’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French headed down south and found safety in the south of 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 simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It is believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the country. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the spaces for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.