Craps Strategy

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Dice and dice games goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is approximately a century old. Modern craps formed from the ancient English game referred to as Hazard. Nobody knows for sure the beginnings of the game, however Hazard is said to have been invented by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It is believed that Sir William’s knights wagered on Hazard through a siege on the fortress Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when exiled by the British, the French relocated south and discovered refuge in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which is acquired from the name of the losing throw of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the nation. A few consider the dice builder John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In 1907, Winn built the current craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. At another time, he established the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.