Craps

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Current craps developed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard during a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name 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 English, the French moved down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is derived from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.