Be smart, play smart, and become versed in craps the right way!
Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is only about one hundred years old. Modern craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the origin of the game, however Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.
Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when displaced by the English, the French relocated south and found safety in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which was acquired from the term for the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and all over the nation. A good many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the current craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spaces for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.