Craps

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Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for certain the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s paladins played Hazard through a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when banished by the British, the French headed down south and found safety in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is gotten from the term for the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the country. A few consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he established the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.