Craps Strategy » Blog Archive » Learn to Play Craps – Pointers and Techniques: The Background of Craps

 

Learn to Play Craps – Pointers and Techniques: The Background of Craps

[ English ]

Be smart, play clever, and become versed in craps the right way!

Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about 100 years old. Modern craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the birth of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard amid a siege on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French moved down south and found refuge in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was gotten from the name of the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and across the country. Most think the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn designed the modern craps setup. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.