The History of The Popular Dice Game

The history of Craps

Hazard in Mediaeval History

Mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Hazard was a complicated game of chance played with two dice. Historians disagree as to its exact origins. Some suggest that Hazard was invented by English crusader, Sir William of Tyre and his knights during the twelfth century. They called the game “Hazard” after a battle place name. Other historians suggest, however, that the name Hazard is derived from \'al zar\' or \'azzah\' the Arabic word for dice.

Whatever its origins, Hazard became immensely popular. In England, starting in the 1600s, gambling houses staged elaborate games of Hazard. Later, in great London gaming clubs such as Crockford’s and the Almack, large fortunes were won and lost on rolls of the dice.

Hazard and Craps

Although there is a definite historical connection between Hazard and Craps, exactly how and who modified Hazard to make it Craps is unknown. There is a possible French influence with the French playing Hazard in England and taking the idea of the game home to be modified into what has become arguably the most popular casino game in the world. The name Craps could be a French corruption of the word “crabs,” the name for a losing throw of 2 in Hazard. According to some historians, the French played Craps in Louisiana, which eventually lead to the game being played throughout the US.  Yet, since Hazard and Craps are historically connected and Hazard was a popular English game, it is equally likely that Craps was a modification of Hazard, brought to the US by English colonists.
 

Modern Craps

In America, the modern version of Craps enjoyed today owes much of its popularity to a New York dice manufacturer called John H. Winn. In nineteenth century America, as the popular game of Craps spread across the country from riverboats to casinos, cheating by way of fixed or loaded dice was relatively common. In 1865, Winn introduced a new way to play the game that helped prevent the use of fixed dice. In Winn’s version, bettors could gamble for or against the shooter and this modification meant fixed dice were no longer useful. Thus, while craps is connected historically to the mediaeval game of Hazard, in the US, when discussing craps history, Winn is often cited as the father of modern craps because it is his version of “bank craps” that is enjoyed in casinos across the country today.