Craps

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Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately 100 years old. Current craps evolved from the old Anglo game called Hazard. No one knows for sure the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s horsemen bet on Hazard through a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the British, the French headed down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. A good many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn developed the current craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he created the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.