Be smart, play cunning, and master craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games 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 beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been created by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s paladins bet on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when driven away by the British, the French moved south and found refuge in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was acquired from the name of the losing toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi river boats and all over the nation. Most consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn developed the modern craps setup. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he created the spots for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.