Become Versed in Craps – Tips and Plans: The Past of Craps
Posted in Craps on 07/28/2025 07:25 am by Philip
Be smart, play clever, and become versed in craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Modern craps formed from the old Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is supposed that Sir William’s knights bet on Hazard during a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.
Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when expelled by the English, the French relocated south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was acquired from the term for the losing throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the country. A few consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the current craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he established the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.