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. Modern craps developed from the old English game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s knights played Hazard through a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when expelled by the English, the French moved south and discovered safety in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which was derived from the name of the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. Many acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn built the modern craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players could wager on the dice to lose. At another time, he established the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.