Craps

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Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps evolved from the 12th Century English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, however Hazard is said to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is supposed that Sir William’s horsemen enjoyed Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when displaced by the English, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later 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’s said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is derived from the term for the losing toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.