Craps Tips

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Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Current craps formed from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, although Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the twelfth century. It’s theorized that Sir William’s horsemen bet on Hazard amid a siege 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 Canada. In the 1700s, when exiled by the English, the French moved down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they after a while became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which is gotten from the name of the losing toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and all over the country. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn designed the current craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so gamblers can wager on the dice to lose. At another time, he designed the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.