Be cunning, play clever, and learn how to play craps the ideal way!
Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the ancestry of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is presumed that Sir William’s horsemen enjoyed Hazard through a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the British, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and across the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps layout. He appended the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he invented the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.