Who would have thought that the rattling of two plastics cubes in your hand could seal your fate, and potentially win you some impressive jackpot prizes? We are, of course, talking about the wonder that are casino dice games.
If you enter any of the best casino in UK then you’re sure to be presented with classic dice table games such as Craps or Dice, as its sometimes known. You can now also find Live Craps at online casino sites, where an innovative mechanical arm will throw the dice on your behalf.
But have you ever wondered where it all began and how these magic little cubes become part of one of the most popular casino games in the world? Well, read on as we reveal all about the history of dice games, and check out more information on the subject at Getslots Australia.
The Invention of The Die
Dice, or die in its singular, are commonly used objects to generate a random outcome, especially in casino gaming or more traditional board games – for which they have been used for around 5,000 years to determine the movement of playing pieces. The physical design of the dice, usually found in a six-sided cube, allows for the mathematical process of probability.
The actual origin of dice is uncertain, as they are thought to have been used before recorded history. The function of dice in the form of a game, is accredited to the Ancient Egyptian game of Senet. This game saw two two-sided throwing sticks in play, which indicated the number of squares a player could move.
Romans were thought to have enjoyed playing dice games, known as aleam ludere – and translated as ‘to play at dice’. The dice they used were either large and inscribed with numbers one, three, four, and six on just four sides, or were smaller dice with sides numbered from one to six – and more alike to the modern dice we know today.
Dice throughout history have been made from various materials such as bone and terracotta, but nowadays you can expect to find plastic versions played in land-based casinos and live Craps games online.
The Evolution of Craps
This classic and popular casino game involves the wagering on the outcome of a roll, or multiple rolls, of two dice. It is believed the game was invented in 1788, originally called Kraps, and derived from the English game of Hazard.
The game came to be known as Craps, as it developed in the United States. As aforementioned, the game known as Hazard was brought from London to New Orleans in the early 1800s, by Bernard de Marigny – a French-Creole American nobleman. He simplified the dice game, so that the main number was always seven (instead of any number from five to nine in the Hazard game). The game of Craps was born.
Initially rejected by the upper-class Americans, Marigny took his dice game to the local underclass. The game grew in popularity for the lower class, as groups of workers and friends taught each other the principles of how to play, and it made its way across America.
The name Craps soon become the term for this derivative of the dice game, and came from the Louisiana mispronunciation of the word crabs, which in the previous game of Hazard was the name for instant losing numbers.
The game had a boost in players during World War II, as soldiers of every social class were bought together, and was played as a simple form of entertainment. This was a street version of Craps, where you play against each other, and a blanket was commonly used as the shooting service.
Its common place during this time led it become the most dominant casino game in post-war Las Vegas and the Caribbean. Since then, the game of Craps has gone from strength to strength, and you can find it in casinos across the world as well as at an online casino as part of the extensive range of games available.
