Online Craps History

While many seem to think the game of Craps owes its popularity to the Hollywood industry and the World War 2, online craps history guides track its roots back to five thousand years ago, in Egypt. However, it is true that, when it comes to the modern game, the Hollywood industry has done a great deal portraying it in a glamorous aura. Considering the fact that the movie industry plays a major role in shaping trends and ideas, it is no wonder that many associate the Craps with prosperity and wealth. Additionally, since craps was the favorite pastime of the American military in WW2, the game can also be perceived by many as patriotic.

However, some online craps history guides state that the origins of the game can be found in ancient Egypt, approximately 2600 BC. On the other hand, there is very little documentation, thus many historians discard this theory as an unjustified assumption. The first documented appearance of the craps game in the eastern culture can be found in the 12th century, when merchants traveling to and from Arabia brought a game named Al Zar. Coincidentally, a similar story in which the William of Tyre found a similar game in a conquered castle called Hazarth roughly around the same period also exists. While the opinions regarding the real origin are mixed, one thing is for certain: the name of the game was corrupted to Hazard and the earliest mentions can be found in the Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Furthermore, Hazard became quite notorious in 17th century England, for all classes of population. When the game was exported to France, it also received new name, most likely due to the fact that the French were keen on differentiating themselves from the Brits. Whether the game was called Crapaud or Crabs at that time is not entirely certain. However, the name was corrupted to Craps by the English and French settlers in America. Online craps history guides teach us that we owe the modern rules of the game to John H. Winn, as he developed several betting systems as well as a method of discouraging cheating with deceitful dice.