Craps has been around for centuries. It has been played since Ancient Rome. Craps is a game of dice. Craps has been known since 600 BC. Craps were among the most entertaining games among the Hindus. A roll of the dice could earn you a living or turn you into a pauper in a very short time, depending on how good the dice roll was.
Dice rolls are still a very popular game in Asian countries. Earlier, there was a time when the joints of human fingers were used instead of dice. However, more often they were made from animal bones.
Bones were also used as divination tools. This is confirmed by archaeological finds. Bones have been found on every continent. This confirms that dice were popular among many nations.
Interesting Facts
There are many interesting cases associated with the game of craps. Here are just a few of them:
- Craps is the name that gave rise to the notion of gambling, because the Arabic word for ‘zar’ is dice. Until the 12th century, a game called Al Zar was popular in Arabia.
- The Roman emperors were very fond of dice. Caligula was the most gambling among them.
- Analogues of the modern dice were found in Egypt. These objects were made about XX century B.C. Even the Bible mentions dice. The Mahabharata, the Odyssey and the Iliad still contain information about them.
- In ancient Rome, dice were played by everyone, but the poor could entertain themselves with them only during special seasons. There is an opinion that these periods were established because of the great popularity of dice.
- Craps became popular in North America after sailors on ships that sailed the Mississippi caught hold of it. It became an incredibly popular pastime throughout the United States.
- The Church in the Middle Ages was against dice because of their use in divination. The very first ban was placed on these amusements as early as the 3rd century B.C.
- In the 19th century, craps was known as the game of African dominoes.
- The clergy in the Middle Ages also played dice, but used special dice on which virtues were depicted instead of points.
Many hundreds of years later, the dice were transformed into dice with six sides. Each has a number of 1 to 6 dots marked on it. Wood, nuts, animal tusks and bones could be used to make dice. Previously, they were often made from ivory. Nowadays, dice are mainly made from a hard type of cellulose.
Alternative versions of the origins of craps
Not all historians and scholars agree on the idea that craps is any different from dice. Some scholars propose the theory that craps has its origins in ancient China. Others in the scholarly world believe it was discovered as recently as 200 years ago. They also suggest that its homeland is England, and that the game previously had a different name, Hazard. It came to North America after immigrants arrived.
There are several types of Hazard. Since the XVIII century, it was English Hazard that was popular in the homes of Foggy Albion. The three-bone Hazard is also played. This pastime is referred to as the great Hazard. It is certainly different from craps.
Some scholars believe that you have the Crusader Knights to thank for the invention of Hazard (the Arabic name for the dice game), as they invented it in 1125. During this period, William of Tyre’s army laid siege to a fortress that was named Azart.
There’s also a theory about the name of the game. Some believe that the word crabs was once mispronounced. As a result of its mispronunciation, the name that is used today appeared.
Nowadays, crepes is played in casinos and on the street. In the second version, the dice must roll away from the kerb. The casino game is played on tables with a marker. It was invented in 1907. At the same time, John Wheen developed the rules of the game that are in force today.