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The History of Craps
Everyone knows the fun casino game with the unusual name of "Craps." Even people who have never played have a general sense of the game from the famous theater production "Guys and Dolls." Yet few know that the history of the game of Craps is as fascinating as the game itself. Would you believe a form of Craps is described in the writing of Geoffrey Chaucer - from the Fourteenth Century!
Hazard is Also Part of Craps History
Before there is any mention of a game called Craps, there was a similar game called Hazard. This is the game described in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Like with Craps, the game is played with two six sided dice. Unlike Craps, the shooter (called the "caster" in hazard) must call out a point before rolling. If he rolls the point he wins. In Craps, this number that always wins on the first roll is always seven or eleven. Now what is really interesting is that the game was not originally called "hazard" because it was risky to play. The name "hazard" comes from the Arabic "Az- Zahr." "Az-Zahr" means literally "two dice." So although we have no historical evidence, it is likely that the game of Craps was played in the Middle East even before the fourteenth century.
Hazard and Craps History
So as the game spread around the world (in part do to the Crusades), the name Hazard stuck. Hazard does seem an appropriate name for a game in which you could either win or lose vast sums of money. Why on Earth would anyone want to change the interesting sounding name "Hazard" to the word "Craps?" Today, for many people learning the game, their first question is why is it called "Craps?" The answer lies in the city of New Orleans.
What Does Craps Really Mean? It's Not What You Think
The game of hazard was a favorite of Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, a wealth aristocrat who lived in New Orleans. He brought the game to America from France and it spread rapidly among the Creole population. The name of the game became "Crapoud." A Crapoud is a large toothed frog of South America and Central America resembling the bullfrog. Read that line again. A Crapoud is a large toothed frog of South America and Central America resembling the bullfrog. Why on Earth did the game with the perfectly fine sounding name of hazard change to a frog's name?
What do Frogs have to do with Craps History?
There are several theories on why the frog name was chosen. The game was first popular among the Creole natives of Louisiana. The English speaking residents referred to them as frogs and so the name of the game they played became the frog game. Another theory holds that long before the age of green velvet casino tables, people used to play while squatting on the ground. The playing stance resembled that of a frog. Hence the name "Crapoud." Before too long, it was simplified to the game that we all love today of "Craps." That sure gives you something to think about while you're playing real money craps.
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