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)

There are four types of craps bets: Pass Line Bets These bets are made before the come out roll and on the shooter. To make this wager you place your chips anywhere within the Pass Line area of the layout Don't Pass Bets These bets are made before the come out roll and against the shooter. To make this wager you place your chips anywhere within the don't Pass Line area of the layout. Come Bets These bets are made after the come out roll and on the shooter. To make this wager you place your chips anywhere within the Come area of the layout. Don't Come Bets These bets are made after the come out roll and against the shooter. To make this wager you place your chips anywhere within the Don't Come area of the layout.

Basic craps terminology: Shooter: the current dice thrower. Come-out roll: The shooter's first roll. Pass: If the shooter wins his game, by any means, he is said to "Pass". Don't Pass: The term used if the shooter loses. The following illustration depicts the left half of a craps table. The bets to the bottom right, therefore, are referred to as the center bets, as they are actually in the center of a full sized table.