Be cunning, play brilliant, and pickup craps the proper way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Current craps developed from the 12th Century Anglo game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is believed that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard through a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.
Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when banished by the English, the French relocated down south and discovered safety in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which was acquired from the name of the non-winning throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the nation. A few think the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn built the current craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players could wager on the dice to lose. At another time, he developed the spaces for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.