Be clever, play cunning, and become versed in craps the right way!

Dice and dice games date all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is approximately one hundred years old. Current craps formed from the old Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one absolutely knows the beginnings of the game, although Hazard is said to have been invented by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, sometime in the 12th century. It’s presumed that Sir William’s paladins gambled on Hazard amid a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers imported the game Hazard to Acadia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French headed down south and settled in southern Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns altered the title to craps, which is acquired from the term for the losing toss 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. Most think the dice builder John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn designed the current craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so players can wager on the dice to lose. Afterwords, he established the boxes for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.