Be smart, play clever, and pickup craps the right way!
Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Current craps come about from the 12th Century Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is theorized that Sir William’s soldiers bet on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when driven away by the English, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which was gotten from the name of the losing toss of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. Most acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps setup. He created the Don’t Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.