Craps and Its Beginnings
Craps and Its Beginnings
The game of craps is considered to be one of the most played games in any land based or online casinos today. However, its beginnings are somewhat debatable since there were no clear records to be found. One theory as to the origins of Craps was that it came from Hazard a game which was played during the year 1125 AD by the crusaders.
Early Craps
According to history, a castle called Hazarth was taken by the crusaders led by a Sir William where their favorite past time of dice became popular. They named their game after the castle they had conquered. Some scholars thought that Hazard originated from an Arabic game called “Al Zar” which when translated means “dice”. It may be that the game traveled across the countries even before the 12th century where it fast became popular amongst the people.
Remnants of dice games being played in Egypt were found recently where they were traced back to 2600BC. This discovery may or may not prove that Craps came from the world of Arabs but there are few evidences to prove otherwise. This has still not been proven to have any connection to craps but scholars are still looking into it.
In the 17th century, Hazard became quite popular with the British. Not a single tavern was without a game of craps which showed how much the game was loved. Hazard was not only played by the common folk but by the nobilities as well.
Modern Craps
The French soon adopted the game of Hazard and changed its name to Craps which was a derived from the word Crabs. This is to separate them from their English counterparts. Crabs is a term used in the game of Hazard to show a losing situation especially when you roll a 2. There isn’t enough evidence to boost this theory of the origin of Craps but if you will ask around this is the theory that most people accept. However, some people think the term Craps came from the United States which is still a derivation from the term Crab.
The game of Hazard reached the Americas either through the help of the French or British. Regardless of who transported the game, its popularity continued along the coast and was further developed by a man called John H. Winn. According to the history of Craps, John H. Winn was the man who developed the rules for the game of Craps. He was the one who created the modern version of Craps which we are playing today. Winn integrated the Pass and Don’t Pass bets, Big 6 and 8, as well as the ability of the players to bet against the shooter. This new version has definitely increased its popularity which until now continues.
During the 20th and 21st century, Craps was played by soldiers during the war. The game helped them pass the time and they even brought the game to distant countries as well. However, the game declined during the 90s but thanks to the internet technology, Craps became popular once more.
