Craps Tips

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps come about from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for certain the ancestry of the game, although Hazard is said to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard amid a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was acquired from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 1700s, when banished by the English, the French headed down south and found sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which was acquired from the term for the losing toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi barges and across the nation. Most acknowledge the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps layout. He put in place the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.