Craps Tricks

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Games that use dice and the dice themselves date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is approximately 100 years old. Current craps formed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is said to have been discovered by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard amid a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.

Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when expelled by the British, the French relocated down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and across the country. A good many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn developed the modern craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he created the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.