Craps is one of the simplest casino games available to players, with very little equipment needed to play a game. However, it is still widely loved by casino goers and falls under the top played gambling games on the casino floor as opposed to online casino games.
The Origin
The game of Craps developed from a simplification of the early British game of ‘hazard’. The origins of the game are convoluted and complex and is suggested to date back to the Crusades, being later influenced by French gamblers.
Craps was first known by players as ‘crapaud’ the French word for ‘toad’ and was named in reference to the original way players played – crouched over a floor or sidewalk.
The Developments
The modern version of craps that we all know today was brought to New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Phillipe de Marigny de Mandeville. He was politician descendent and a gambler from rich colonial landowners in Louisiana.
During World War II, street craps were popularised amongst soldiers who would play it using an army blanket as a shooting surface. However, with no backboard or sidewalk curb to hit against, dice control became essential with soldiers developing new techniques through play.
The game spread throughout the US much in the same way as with other gambling games, on the river boats of the Mississippi river. It was around this time that the 6, 8, win and field bets were present. Further down the line, John H. Winn changed the game by introducing the ‘don’t pass’ which gave bettors the ability to bet with the shooter or against him. This began to stop the house from cheating by using loaded dice.
