Craps Tips

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Dice and dice based games go back to the Crusades, but modern craps is just about one hundred years old. Modern day craps evolved from the ancient British game named Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been invented by the British man, Sir William of Tyre, in the 1300’s. It is rumored that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard at the time of a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was developed from the citadel’s name.

Initial French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada (the area of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia). In the 1700s, when displaced by the British, the French moved south and found sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they after a while became Cajuns. When they departed Nova Scotia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and developed it to be more statistically fair. It is said that the Cajuns amended the name of the game to craps, which was derived from the term for the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, called "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and around the territory. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the modern craps layout. He put in place the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the shooter to lose. Later, he developed the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big six, Big eight, and Hardways.