Pickup Craps – Tips and Plans: The History of Craps
Be smart, play clever, and master craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Modern craps evolved from the 12th Century English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the birth of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s soldiers played Hazard through a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the citadel’s name.
Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when driven away by the British, the French relocated south and settled in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is acquired from the term for the non-winning throw of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and all over the nation. Most acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the current craps setup. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
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