History of Playing Craps
Perhaps one of the oldest gambling games, Craps has been around for as long as the 13th century. Some, however, claim that it has been around since 1120 AD. Though there is quite a confusion as regards the real distinct roots of Craps, there are general agreements on how and what brought the game to life.
Hazard, a 17th Century Game
There is general agreement among scholars and historians that craps originated from the game Hazard, whose popularity peaked in the 17th century. A word that means dice in Arabic, Hazard’s roots is still under debate. Records purportedly show that it as created around 1120 AD by a knight, Sir William of Tyre.
This game’s popularity was a pastime during the time of war. Aside from references in ancient wartime chronicles, Hazard is also mentioned in books such as the Canterbury Tales. In the book, Hazard is pictured as a game that was played by the elite.
In Hazard, the player is known as the caster. The caster will basically throw the dice for as long as he is in a winning streak, but must surrender the dice to the next player in the event that he loses three times consecutively.
Craps, by the French to the Americans
At a certain point, the game Hazard was turned by French gamblers into the game you well know today, Craps. Initially, it was called crabs and even crapaud. It turned the rule of Hazard in more simplified terms and a game where players may only bet against the house.
Eventually, this variation was transported to United States. Exactly how such transportation happened is still being argued by different historians. Some say that French colonization allowed this to happen. Through the colony Acadia, who travelled to Louisiana, the game was introduced in the United States. Some, however, reckon that it was first played in New Orleans.
When it was transported to the United States, John H. Winn revolutionized the game by adding a feature, where players now have the prerogative of betting in favor of or against the house. This feature is readily available in the modern game of Craps in casinos, both land-based and online.
What is so fascinating about Craps is the possibility of winning a lot by simply tossing a dice. The game also requires very little from its players, only their discernment in determining the numbers as they land. Also, luck is the principal driving force in Craps, which, when you think about it, basically what gambling is all about.
