Be cunning, play clever, and pickup craps the right way!

Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately 100 years old. Modern craps formed from the 12th Century English game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s paladins played Hazard amid a siege on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 1700s, when expelled by the English, the French headed south and located safety in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favored game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was gotten from the name of the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi scows and across the nation. A few think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn developed the current craps setup. He put in place the Do not Pass line so gamblers can bet on the dice to not win. Later, he created the spaces for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.