Be smart, play clever, and master craps the correct way!
Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about one hundred years old. Modern craps come about from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when driven away by the British, the French moved south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was gotten from the name of the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and across the country. A good many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn developed the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to not win. At another time, he established the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.