Craps is a kind of betting game where the only instrument needed is a die or a pair of dice. Players just place bets on what the outcome will be after the shooter tries his luck with a roll of the dice. But how did the game originate?

1. The History of Craps The History of Craps ©Maple Casino 2011

2. The History of Craps The History of Craps Craps is a kind of betting game where the only instrument needed is a die or a pair of dice. Players just place bets on what the outcome will be after the shooter tries his luck with a roll of the dice. The game of Craps is played in rounds. Depending on your bet, you can win or lose automatically on the come-out roll, however if you neither win or lose on the come-out, the round continues until the Point or a 7 is rolled.

3. Lady Luck Lady luck The use of dice dates back as early as 6000 B.C. when people possibly used the outcome of a roll as a sign from the gods. Dice also took on many early forms - from sticks, shells, fruit pits, to animal bones. Ancient Romans believed that the outcome of a thrown dice was determined not by luck but by Fortuna, who was a Roman goddess and a daughter of Zeus. Nowadays, she is commonly referred to by gamblers as “Lady Luck”.

4. Ancient Origins Ancient origins The dice game craps is a popular game played not only in casinos but also on the streets. Some believe that craps was originally played by soldiers of the Roman Legion to pass their time. They made use of pig bones and threw them onto their shield. But some evidence point to craps as having originated from an old English game called “hazard” which soldiers of the Third Crusade during the 12th century played.

5. French Connection French connection The French later adopted the game and baptized it with the name craps, which was the French pronunciation for “crabs”. Some say that this name was a reference to the way the players looked while playing the game on the street. Others claim that the French took the name given to a losing throw of 2 in the earlier game of Hazard, known as crabs, as the game name.

6. Born in the U.S.A. BORN IN THE U.S.A. Craps was introduced to New Orleans in the 1800’s by Bernard de Marigny. He was the spoiled and uncontrollable son of Count Pierre Enguerrand Philippe de Mandeville Ecuyer. He was born in New Orleans where his family owned a plantation. In efforts to keep the young Bernard under control, he was sent to England. But he spent most of his days in England in gambling establishments and took the craps game with him upon his return to New Orleans.

7. The Modern Game The Modern Game The game spread to the riverboats of the Mississippi and from there to the rest of the country. It was American dice maker, John H. Winn, who developed the rules further to allow betting for or against the shooter, thus becoming the father of modern Craps. His influence on the game brought us the game as we know it today, a full table setup in the air-conditioned comfort of a casino. Please feel free to distribute and republish this document providing that all links contained herein remain intact © Maple Casino 2011 www.MapleCasino.com