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)

Basic Rules of Play The dice are tossed from one end of the craps table to the other making sure that both dice bounce off of the back wall of the table. Moving in a clockwise direction, players take turns rolling the dice. The Shooter's first role is called the "Come Out" role. This Shooter continues to role as long as he or she makes winning roles. The "Come Out" role is very important in craps in that it establishes the Shooter's "Point." "The Point" is the number that the Shooter must role again before he or she roles a 7. A 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 establishes the point. Rolling a 7, 11, 2, 3 or 12 on the "Come Out" role results in the dice being passed to the next Shooter. The Puck - This two-sided disc indicates whether or not a game is in progress and if a "Point" has been established. The puck displays "OFF" and remains on the "Don't Come Bar" until a "Point" has been established by the shooter. The dealer then turns the puck to the "ON" side and moves it to the numbered location on the craps table to denote the "Point" number for this shooter. Betting On Craps Pass Line Bet - A simple and basic even money bet. You are betting that the first role of the dice will add up to 7 or 11. On this bet, a 2, 3, or 12 loses the bet. Any other number establishes the "Point." The "Point" number has to be rolled again before a 7 comes up to win, otherwise, the bet is lost.

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.