Be clever, play clever, and become versed in craps the proper way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps formed from the 12th Century Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, although Hazard is said to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is supposed that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.
Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French relocated down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they after a while became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and across the nation. Many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. Later, he established the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.