Be a Master of Craps – Tricks and Techniques: The Past of Craps

Be cunning, play clever, and become versed in craps the right way!

Dice and dice games goes back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Current craps come about from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is believed that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when banished by the British, the French relocated down south and located refuge in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the non-winning throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the current craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. Afterwords, he designed the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.

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