Hazard
Medieval ancestor of craps. Complex betting on dice rolls. Historic gambling game.
What You'll Need
About This Game
Medieval ancestor of craps. Complex betting on dice rolls. Historic gambling game.
How to Play
**Setup:** Two dice. One player "casts" (shoots), other fades (bets against).
**Setting the Main:** Caster calls a "main" number (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9).
**Casting:**
- Rolling the main = "nicking" = instant win
- Rolling 2 or 3 = "crabs" = instant loss (some mains also lose on 11 or 12)
- Any other roll establishes your "chance"
**Playing the Chance:**
- Roll your chance before rolling the main = win
- Roll the main before your chance = lose
- Keep rolling until one happens
**Winning:** Caster wins or loses stakes. Medieval ancestor of Craps.
History & Background
Hazard is one of the oldest documented dice games in Europe, with origins tracing back to at least the 12th century. Medieval legend attributes its invention to English soldiers during the Crusades, possibly at the siege of a castle called "Hazarth" or "Asart."
The name likely derives from the Arabic word "al-zahr" (the die), reflecting Middle Eastern influences on European gaming during the Crusades.
Hazard was enormously popular in 17th and 18th century England. It was played in fashionable gaming houses and caused many fortunes to be won and lost. The game features prominently in literature of the period.
Hazard's complex rules made it ripe for cheating, which partly led to its replacement by Craps - a simplified American version that eliminated many exploitable ambiguities. While Hazard is rarely played today, it represents the ancestor of all modern dice gambling games.