Craps

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Current craps formed from the 12th Century English game called Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the birth of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French moved south and discovered safety in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they took their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the country. A great many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the modern craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he created the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.