Craps

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Dice and dice based games go back to the Crusades, but modern day craps is only about 100 years old. Modern day craps developed from the very old British game titled Hazard. No one knows for sure the birth of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been designed by the British man, Sir William of Tyre, in the 1300’s. It’s theorized that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard for the duration of a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was developed from the citadel’s name.

Initial French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada (the colony of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia). In the 1700s, when driven away by the British, the French relocated south and found sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Nova Scotia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and developed it to be more statistically honest. It is believed that the Cajuns amended the name of the game to craps, which was attained from the term for the losing throw of 2 in the dice game of Hazard, called "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and across the territory. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern day craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the modern craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so individuals could wager on the shooter to not win. Later, he developed the areas for Place wagers and added the Big six, Big eight, and Hardways.