The game of Craps dates back to as early as the days of the Ancient Egyptians. In these times, the dice were made from the ankle bones of sheep and soldiers would “roll the bones” on their shields for entertainment.
In the 1700s, it was developed into a game known as Hazards, which was frequently played in Europe. Hazard mania swept through Europe and the French soon picked up on the game, which they called Craps. In the 1800s, the French introduced the game to New Orleans in America; however, there was significant mispronunciation with the name. Then in the 1900s John Winn revolutionized the game of Craps by introducing several rules that made it more profitable and entertaining for participants. He took Craps to its next level of excitement by introducing such things as (i) a Craps bank to enable betting against the House instead of other Players; (ii) betting against the dice so that Players could still win even if the shooter loses.
Although Winn formalized the game of Craps, it really took off in the Navy. GIs would play the game for entertainment on the decks of the ships when they got paid but did not have shore leave. It was rare that a member of the service returned home without intimately knowing the game of Craps.
Today, Craps has lost much of its appeal having been replaced significantly by the Video Slots craze. Nonetheless, we can expect Craps to continue to hold a significant position of importance in the gaming and gambling tradition.
Pretty interesting stuff, I’d say. Let’s proceed now to Craps Basics.
