Dice games: craps one of the oldest street game

Dice games and its implements are one of the oldest gaming known to man. In 400 BC, famous Greek poet Sophocles stated that the dice were invented by Greeks. He said that it was discovered by Palamedes during the siege of troy, but was disregarded by Herodotus who claimed that they were invented by the Lydians. Studies, however, show that the game has long been used in numerous earlier societies. In this article, we will mainly talk about craps and answer frequently asked questions. 

Craps—One of the oldest Street Games

Overview 

Craps is amongst the oldest dice games where the player makes wagers and succeeds or not depending on the outcome of a roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Wagers are mostly in the form of money (street craps), or bank (table craps or casino craps), from players. Street craps can be played in just about anywhere since it requires little equipment compared to table and casino craps. Right now, craps is probably the world’s most common gambling games with dice.

History of Craps 

According to legend, craps was invented by roman soldiers using knuckle-bones of a pig as dice and their amour shields for a table. Some other claims that it originated from an Arabic dice game called Al Dar, a word that means “dice” in Arabic. The notion is that the game was brought to Europe by merchants in the 12th century.

A more commonly accepted origin story is that it was invented by Sir Williams of Tyre in 1125 during a crusade. He named it “Asart” or “Hazarth”, after a castle, and over time it was called "Hazard”. Street craps became very popular in the 17th century in French taverns because it required very little equipment to set up and play.

What is well known now as the American version was brought to New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, who was a wealthy politician gambler, and descendant from colonial Louisiana landowners. His game, however, had a flaw that was exploited by players for a while, until American dice maker John H. Winn corrected the issue by introducing the "don’t pass” betting options. This happened in the 19th century, and he is now regarded as the father of the modern game.

This game continued to gain fame and flourish up until today.

FAQ— Dice and Crap games

How Do I Play Craps?

To play craps, you as the shooter will roll two dice with six sides on the table. If you roll a 7 or 11, everyone who bets on the pass lines wins, while everyone who bets on the no pass line loses. This is the simplest betting option, although they are more complex ones.

What is the House Edge in Craps game?

This is the ratio of your expected loss as a player, to the amount of money you wagered. As a beginner, you should stick with a house edge of 1.41%.

Do I have to shoot in Craps?

You do not have to shoot in Craps if you don’t like the daunting pressure.

Conclusion

Craps is an awesome game to play when you understand the rules. You can certainly have winning sessions, and it is all about choosing to walk away at the right time.