Be smart, play smart, and discover how to play craps the proper way!

Games that use dice and the dice themselves date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Current craps come about from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the game, although Hazard is said to have been made up by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, around the twelfth century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s horsemen wagered on Hazard during a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the British, the French relocated south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was derived from the name of the bad luck throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi river boats and across the nation. A good many consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the creator of modern craps. In 1907, Winn built the modern craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so players can bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he established the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.