Be smart, play clever, and become versed in craps the right way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is only about 100 years old. Modern craps developed from the ancient English game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s horsemen enjoyed Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.
Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French headed south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they after a while became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is acquired from the term for the non-winning throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and across the nation. Most acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the modern craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he created the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.