Craps TipsBeginner Craps Tips

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Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was gotten from the castle’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when driven away by the British, the French relocated down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which was derived from the name of the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and all over the country. A great many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of modern craps. In 1907, Winn developed the current craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. Later, he established the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.