Craps TipsBeginner Craps Tips

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps come about from the 12th Century Anglo game referred to as Hazard. Nobody absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s soldiers bet on Hazard through a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonizers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when expelled by the British, the French relocated down south and found safety in southern Louisiana where they after a while became Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it fair mathematically. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the title to craps, which is derived from the name of the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the nation. Many think the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the modern craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he invented the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.