According to Richard Epstein, craps is descended from an earlier game known as Hazard, that dates to the Middle Ages. The formal rules for Hazard were established by Montmort early in the 1700s. The origin of the name craps is shrouded in doubt, but it may have come from the English crabs, or from the French Crapeaud (for toad)

The inside walls of the table are covered with a serrated egg-carton like foam, designed to make the dice bounce around to assure randomness. Each throw of the dice is called a "roll". Players take turn rolling the dice, clockwise around the table, and the player rolling at any given time is called the "shooter". When a new shooter is given the dice, his or her first roll is called the ""Come Out"" roll. This begins a new series of rolls by that shooter and lasts for as long as that shooter continues to make winning rolls.

marked "ON" shows that the point has been set and is located on the craps table over the box for the number rolled as the point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE or 10,". The shooter will keep rolling the dice until he rolls the point or 7 to end the round. If the shooter rolls the point first, a pass line bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 7 first, called seven out, a pass line bet loses.