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18th Century - English Hazard
The most fashionable men of 18th and 19th century England rolled dice in
a game called Hazard in luxurious private gambling houses.
In hazard the banker (setter), sets a stake. The player (caster), calls
a main (a number from 5 to 9, inclusive) and then throws two dice. If he
"nicks" (5 is nicked by 5; 6 by 6 or 12; 7 by 7 or 11; 8 by 8
or 12; 9 by 9), he wins the stake. The caster throws out, losing the stake,
when throwing aces or deuce-ace ("crabs", or "craps")
or when throwing 11 or 12 to a main of 5 or 9, 11 to 6 or 8, and 12 to 7.
Any other throw is his chance; he keeps throwing until the chance comes
up, when he wins, or until the main comes up, when he loses. When a chance
is thrown, the setter pays more than the original stake, according to specified
odds.
19th Century - French Hazard
The French learned the game from the English and called it Craps or French
Hazard, a corruption of "Crabs," the name for a pair of ones.
In French hazard the player throws against the house. In English or Chicken
Hazard the player throws against an opponent.
1813 - American Craps
When settlers arrived in the new world, they brought their dice with them.
And, gradually, as dice were rolled on riverboats, wharfs and in private
houses, a simplified Americanized version of "Craps" developed:
Bernard de Mandeville adapted Craps from the game Hazard in New Orleans
in 1813 and simplified hazard into the present game of private craps. So
the casino dice game of craps is of American origin.
1830's - Spread
Private craps then moved up the Mississippi river on steamboats and spread
to casinos and gambling halls throughout the country. This original version
of craps allowed only "field" and "come bets", which
made the game very vulnerable against fixed dice, which were often used.
1865 - John H. Winn's New Version
It wasn't until John H. Winn, a dice-maker by trade, created an innovated
version of craps, where players could bet for, or against the roller. This
eliminated the usefulness of fixed dice and created the very popular versions
of craps that are played today.
1910 - Moving West
The popular game moved west with the frontier, and is played today in homes
and clubs across the country. By 1910, craps had become the most popular
casino game in the world. As many as 30 million Americans play dice every
year. And the stakes can be gigantic. Some years ago, a Detroit businessman
broke a casino bank when he won $300,000 in less than two hours of play.
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