Master Craps – Tricks and Tactics: The History of Craps
Be clever, play smart, and become versed in craps the ideal way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Modern craps developed from the 12th Century English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard during 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 Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French headed south and discovered refuge in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which is gotten from the term for the losing toss of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the country. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn created the modern craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he developed the boxes for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.
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