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

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately 100 years old. Modern craps come about from the ancient English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when expelled by the English, the French relocated down south and located sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the name of the bad luck throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. A few acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he invented the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.