4 Craps Facts You Probably Don't Know About

There are conflicting stories about the origins of Craps. One claims it was invented by the Romans, who used pig knucklebones as dice and played on shields. The second story is a bit more macabre and involves Eutrician priestesses and sacrifices.

The next records of a game like Craps are of the game Hazard. This game has similar rules to Craps and was invented and played around 1125 AD (during the crusades) by English soldiers. The game spread across Europe and even featured in the classic Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It was played throughout the 1600s and 1700s, eventually being picked up by the French. The French called their version Crabs.

Crabs travelled with French colonialists to Canada and America, where it was later rebranded as Craps. The modern Craps table was created by John H. Winn in 1907 and was introduced in Vegas in the 1930s. This game has been a key element on any casino floor ever since.

Controlled shooting or dice control is when you try to set and throw the dice, in the same way, every time and hopefully avoid the dreaded seven. There are multiple complicated ways of setting the dice in your hand with different combinations on top; this is supposed to keep the seven from appearing when you throw it.

Another critical element of dice control is the way you throw. Your throw needs to be as light as possible but must still touch the back wall, and it must be consistent every time.

This is all very difficult to achieve, and, ultimately, there's no statistical evidence that it even works. Although many prominent coaches and blogs might tell you it works and some experts have posted articles explaining why they think it works, it's impossible to know whether it really does.

The rubberized diamond walls, along with the pure randomness of a dice throw, make the outcome impossible to predict, even with some of the most involved formulas and algorithms. The way you hold or throw the dice isn't going to affect that randomness at all.

New Jersey grandmother Patricia DeMauro proved this point by setting the world record for most throws with 154 consecutive tosses lasting over 4 hours. She didn’t even have a clear idea of how to play in the first place. She said it was only her second time playing without knowing the rules. Makes you wonder why all these "experts" spend hours practicing the perfect dice throw.

Gamblers are generally very superstitious people. What do you expect when many of their wins are based on luck? Craps is probably the casino game with the most superstitions around it, and some of them are downright silly. Some of the most prominent ones include:

• Don't touch the shooter when they're hot: it's seen as bad luck to touch the shooter when they're on a streak or '’on fire’'. People seem to think it'll make the shooter lose their rhythm or concentration.
• Don't say seven: because the number seven is what will stop the game, and it's customary to bet with the shooter, it's seen as terrible luck to say seven out loud.
• Too many "don't" bettors bring lousy luck: as mentioned before, it's traditional to bet with the shooter. Many players believe if there are too many betting against the shooter, the round will have bad luck.
• Dice falling off the table brings bad luck: sometimes, if you get too excited, one or both dice end up flying off the table. Players believe this means the next roll has terrible luck attached to it.
• Dice need to be warmed up: some believe you must roll the dice a few times to warm them up, and '’cold’' dice won't give good rolls.

There are even superstitions about women and men playing for the first time and whether they bring good or bad luck! Honestly, some of these are a bit strange, but if you believe they work, it's worth a try.

As mentioned before, Craps tables are a hub of activity and excitement in a casino. Between all this excitement, various jobs need to be done, and there are lots of things to keep watch on and take note of.

To properly run a professional Craps table, you need 4 experienced players. The box person records the outcome of every roll in the game and keeps their eye on chips being passed around. Two dealers are responsible for placing bets on the table and moving chips around, and the stickman hands the dice to players and places bets in the middle of the table.

Craps has one of the richest and most interesting histories of any casino game. It also has the most and the silliest superstitions surrounding it. The tables have become much more intricate over the years, but playing the game is still just as exciting.

Craps is one of the most interesting and layered casino games out there, from strange histories to a record broken totally by chance. Fun gameplay and a feeling of community are part of the package.

If you want to try the game out without paying money or leaving your house, simply find an online casino that offers it. Most online casinos offer many variations of the game with fun themes, prizes, and bonus games. You can even play it live with other people on many live casino floors. Visit your favourite online casino and give it a try today.