Be cunning, play cunning, and learn how to play craps the right way!
Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is just about a century old. Current craps developed from the old English game called Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is presumed that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when driven away by the English, the French moved down south and discovered sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was gotten from the term for the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi scows and throughout the nation. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spaces for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.