Be brilliant, play smart, and learn how to play craps the right way!
Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is just about a century old. Current craps formed from the old English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard through a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the fortress’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French moved down south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the name of the bad luck toss of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and across the nation. Most consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps setup. He created the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he established the spaces for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
