Be clever, play cunning, and pickup craps the proper way!
Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps come about 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 invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s paladins enjoyed Hazard during a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French relocated south and located safety in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they took their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. A few acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In 1907, Winn designed the modern craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to not win. Later, he established the boxes for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.