Be smart, play smart, and learn how to play craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games goes back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Current craps evolved from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the origin of the game, however Hazard is said to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It is presumed that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when driven away by the British, the French moved south and located safety in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is acquired from the name of the bad luck throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the country. A good many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to not win. Later, he designed the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.