Origins of the game
    Craps is a gambling game played with two dice, perhaps the oldest of all gambling implements. Early dice players used astragals, the ankle bones of cloven-footed animals (usually sheep), which have distinct faces. The modem game of craps developed during the twentieth century from an old English game called Hazard, which was popular all over Europe (but was not the game Chuck-a-Luck, which is sometimes called Hazard). Craps is now the most popular dice game, and in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, the craps tables usually are the busiest. It is also the gambling game with the fastest 'action'.

Overview
    Bets are made against the throw of certain numbers on two dice. Craps can be played either in casinos or privately. In casinos there will be a staking table (of about 10 feet by five feet) and the game will be operated by employees. All bets will be made against the bank. In private games, the only equipment necessary is the dice, and bets will be made amongst the players. In private games, therefore, the range of bets allowed will normally be smaller than that in casinos, and the odds paid for each bet will also differ, since there is no need to build in a percentage profit for the casino.

© The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd 1975

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