Craps

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Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Current craps developed from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been made up by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s paladins bet on Hazard during a siege on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the castle’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 1700s, when banished by the English, the French relocated south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they left 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 changed the name to craps, which is derived from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and throughout the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn designed the current craps setup. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.