Craps TipsBeginner Craps Tips

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately a century old. Current craps formed from the old English game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It is believed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when displaced by the British, the French relocated down south and found sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became Cajuns. When they departed Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the game and made it mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns adjusted the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the losing throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and all over the nation. Most think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In 1907, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He appended the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to not win. Afterwords, he developed the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.