History of craps: one of the oldest casino games

Craps is a fascinating game with a long history spanning centuries and countries. Here’s a quick rundown provided by Exycasinos of where and when Craps came from, how it grew into the game we know today, and why it’s grown so popular in casinos all over the world.

Popularity in North America is increasing

In 1755, the French surrendered the sovereignty of Acadia to the English, who renamed it Nova Scotia. The local French nationals (dubbed Cajuns) were dispersed and traveled south to Louisiana, imparting their expertise of the game along the way. The game was known as Crebs or Craps at this time.

Indeed, it was during this time that Craps became the official name of the game. To this day, people argue whether it was merely a misspelling of Crebs or Crabs, or whether it was a play on the French word crapaud, which means toad, referring to the wide-legged crouching position individuals would take when playing it on the street.

The Originator of Modern Craps

While Craps was becoming more widely available in American casinos at this time, it was often contentious due to various interpretations of the rules, prompting some casinos to utilize rigged dice in order to secure a house edge.

Casinos immediately accepted these extended and consistent rules since they ensured that they could guarantee a house edge merely by setting payments. This eliminated the need for manipulated dice and helped to dispel the game’s bad, shady image.

Craps grew in popularity during the twentieth century, and it was often played by American soldiers during World War II, firmly extending both its global reach and popularity in the United States beyond the working class. In the 1960s, casinos in Las Vegas and the Caribbean took advantage of this by increasing the number of Craps tables available, and casinos in Central Europe, Australia, and Asia soon followed suit.

The Canterbury Tales and Hazard

The origins of Craps may be traced back to the Roman era, when soldiers shaved pig knuckles into cube forms to imitate dice and played games involving throwing them into their reversed shields.

The more widely acknowledged version of events claims that Craps evolved from Hazard, a similar dice game that first appeared in England. Hazard was invented in 1125 by Sir William of Tyre and his knights as a way to pass the time while waiting to lay siege to a stronghold named Hazarth during the Crusades.

Hazard, like Craps, required players to take turns as the caster, who was in charge of tossing two dice and putting bets on who they felt would win the round. Hazard rounds were determined by whether the caster rolled a specific number while successfully avoiding rolling others, much like its modern version.

Today is a bust

Craps has remained popular into the twenty-first century, and it can be found in casinos all over the world. It is consistently popular because of the energizing and camaraderie-based attitude it creates, in which groups of players enjoy “teaming up” against the house and urging the shooter to throw rolls that will help them win.

It’s also demonstrated its potential to spread popular culture. In the long-running musical Guys and Dolls, a game of craps is a crucial story aspect, and it is featured in a well-recognized moment in the 1993 film A Bronx Tale, where character Eddie Mush announces “Baby needs new shoes” before rolling a 12 in the game. As a result, Craps is still connected with the phrase “Baby needs a new pair of shoes!” Craps, like many other casino games, has seen a recent surge in popularity because to the rise of internet casinos like Pinnacle Casino, which has allowed players to play Craps at any time, from anywhere, with anyone on several different games.