Crazy Craps Facts

Craps is one of the most widely known, and most popular casino games in the world. Based on intense, quick turnaround action, the craps tables are where the players tend to scream the loudest. But did you know that the game of craps is so old it dates back to the crusades? That’s right; people were tossing the dice in a time when electricity and combustion engines weren’t even a dream. And if you think that’s amazing, here are 5 more craps facts that might just blow your mind.

1.Toad

The name craps is derived from the French word crapaud, which translates directly to toad. But why in the world would a game about throwing dice be derived from amphibians? The answer is both interesting and amusing. Back when craps first became popular, those who played it were often seen squatting in the streets in little groups.

Someone at some point must have said the players looked like toads, and it wasn’t long before this name stuck. Next time you’re getting stuck into a bit of dice throwing, give a few croaks and see how many people get the joke.

2.Transparency

Anyone who has spent any time with craps dice knows that they are traditionally transparent, and still are in the fast majority of casinos around the world. This comes from the fact that in the old days players would attempt to sneak dice into real world casinos that had been tampered with. Manipulated dice can have a number of things done to them, all of which greatly increase the likelihood of them roll winning numbers.

Making the dice transparent means that smuggling in any fake dice is a great deal more difficult, leaning towards virtually impossible. Weighted dice rely on a heavy object or substance being placed inside them, and this is obviously a great deal more difficult if the dice are transparent. Transparent dice have saved real world casinos millions in lost money over the years, and this is something everyone can be happy about. Of course, online casinos don’t have to worry about this problem.

3.Superstition

Craps is one of the most superstitious games in the world. Have you ever seen a shooter ask a lady to blow on the dice before they are rolled? It’s a strange superstition, but one of only many that the game has managed to create. The number 7 is considered extremely unlucky at a craps table, and some even insist that the number not be mentioned. 7 is, however, the most likely number to be rolled.

Another common superstition is snake eyes, referring to two ones appearing on the dice. This originated in craps, and has since made the phrase so associated with not just bad luck, but pure evil, that is has been adopted in other parts of culture. In fact, the term has become so synonymous with evil that movies, comic book characters, and even military slang have adopted use of the words.

4.Popularity

The game of craps is so staggeringly popular that it is officially the most played game involving dice in the entire world. Craps is so popular that if there is a pair of dice out there, wherever it may be in the world, there is an over 50% chance it will have been used to play craps at some point in its life. This is, of course, not taking into consideration other variations of dice, such as those used to play Dungeons And Dragons.

So, next time you come across a pair of dice, consider the fact that there is a more than 50/50 chance it has had a career in craps. This isn’t just amazing, but mind blowing, considering that there are so many pairs of dice in existence that the number is over the tens of millions.

5.Wartime Fun

During World War 2 American soldiers were very big into playing craps. Whenever there was downtime, a solider would commonly break out the dice and have a few throws with friends. The soldiers would normally play for cigarettes, but in some cases the cigarette gambling got out of control.  It was not uncommon for craps to be banned, since some soldiers lost all their cigarettes and had to start begging for more.

Another interesting fact is that it was during World War 2 that American soldiers tried to master the art of throwing dice while manipulating the outcome. Soldiers learned to throw dice, but avoid the dive tumbling in the air, and instead fly with a set horizontal axis. This allowed the dice to land with only intended numbers showing. This was partly the reason that changes were made to the backboard on craps tables, which was altered to ensure that dice would not fall predictably.