Craps

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Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about 100 years old. Current craps developed from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard amid a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when exiled by the British, the French relocated down south and located sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s said that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was gotten from the term for the bad luck throw of snake-eyes in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and across the country. A few think the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.