Craps History

As a dice game, Craps is relatively new on the scene in gaming. Craps was originally a rich man's game in 18th and 19th century England. Called Hazard, the English brought it to the Isles from Arabia in the Middle Ages; here the game was named Az-zahr'. This was a rather convoluted game of numbers and rules. Picked up by the French in the 18th Century, it was called French Hazard, and, for the first time, Craps. Craps was a misnomer of the term, "Crabs" which was simply a roll of a pair of ones.

Craps came to the New World with a variety of colonizers, and privateers in what is now, Nova Scotia, Canada. When the area changed hands after the French and Indian Wars, those French who moved to Bayous of Louisiana took Craps south.

The game was made simpler, and in 1813 in New Orleans, the game of Craps as now played today was formulated. Craps is known as an American game because of this.

Craps floated up the Mississippi on paddle wheelers, and spread east and west on barges. There was one last tweak of the game rules allowing a player to bet with or against the roller and Craps was made into a game played by average American. Craps is an easy game to learn, and carry in one's pocket. This helped it become very popular throughout the country. It's popularity has never declined.