Craps

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

Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about one hundred years old. Current craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for certain the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s soldiers enjoyed Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French moved south and discovered refuge in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which is gotten from the name of the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the nation. A good many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so players could wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he developed the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.