Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other (street craps) or a bank (casino craps). Because it requires little equipment, street craps can be played in informal settings.
History
Craps developed from a simplification of the Old English game hazard. Its origins are complex and may date to the Crusades, later being influenced by French gamblers. What was to become the modern American version of the game was brought to New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Philippe de marigny de Mandeville, scion of wealthy Louisiana landowners, a gambler, and politician.[1] There was a flaw in Bernard's version of the game in which players could exploit the casino using fixed dice and taking advantage of the way players can bet with or against the dice thrower. A man named John H. Winn introduced the "don't pass" betting option in order to fix this problem and it is this version of craps that still exists today.[2] The game, first known as crapaud (a French word meaning "toad") reportedly owes its modern popularity to it being spread through the African-American community.[3]
The rules of play against other players
Recreational or informal playing of craps outside of a casino is referred to as street craps or private craps. The most notable difference between playing street craps and bank craps is that there is no bank or house to cover bets in street craps. Players must bet against each other by covering or fading each others bets for the game to be played.[4] If money is used instead of chips and depending on the laws of where it is being played, street craps can be an illegal form of gambling.[5]
There are many variations of street craps. The simplest way is to either agree on or roll a number as the point, then roll the point again before you roll a seven. Unlike more complex proposition bets offered by casinos, street craps has more simplified betting options. The shooter is required to make either a Pass or a Don't Pass bet if he wants to roll the dice. Another player must choose to cover the shooter to create a stake for the game to continue. If there are several players, the rotation of the player who must cover the shooter may change with the shooter (comparable to a blind in poker). The person covering the shooter will always bet against the shooter. For example, if the shooter made a "Pass" bet, the person covering the shooter would make a "Don't Pass" bet to win. Once the shooter is covered, other players may make Pass/Don't Pass bets, or any other proposition bets, as long as there is another player willing to cover.
References
- ^ Bridges, Tyler, Bad Bet in the Bayou Farrar, Strauss & Giroux (2001)
- ^ The History of Craps
- ^ Asbury, Suckers progress; an informal history of gambling in America from the colonies to Canfield. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. (1938)
- ^ The History Of Craps by Meaghan Hutton
- ^ Private Craps
Links
- Craps at the Open Directory Project
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
Last Updated (Friday, 08 April 2011 13:52)