Hazard (game)
Encyclopedia
Hazard is an Old English game played with two dice
which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer
's Canterbury Tales in the 14th century.
Hazard is not interchangeable with "Grand Hazard," which is played with three dice; Grand Hazard is similar to Sic bo
.
Despite its complicated rules, hazard was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and was often played for money. At Crockford's
Club in London, hazard was especially popular. In the 19th century, the game craps
developed from hazard through a simplification of the rules. Craps is now very popular in North America but neither game remains popular amongst the rest of the world.
In each round, the caster specifies a number between 5 and 9 inclusive: this is the main. He then throws two dice.
This is simpler to follow in a table:
As long as he keeps winning, the caster may keep playing: but if he loses three times in succession, he must pass the dice to the player to his left, who becomes the new caster.
If the caster nicks on the first throw, he wins an amount equal to his stake. After the first throw, the caster wins his stake if he gets his chance before his main.
After the first throw, the caster (and others, in side bets) may wager an additional sum that the chance will come before the main. These bets are made at odds determined by the relative proportions of the main and the chance:
For example, with an odds stake of £10, a main of 7 and a chance of 5, a castor stands to win £15 (3/2 × £10); with the same stake, a main of 5 and a chance of 6, he could win £8 (4/5 × £10).
In some reports on the rules of the game, the main is determined randomly by tossing the dice until a valid main appears. In this case the overall player disadvantage is 1.84%. If the caster can choose a main, he should always choose 7. This may be how craps
evolved, since if you always choose 7 the game is basically just craps
.
is a version of Hazard where the main is always 7:
However, betting in craps is significantly more complicated.
. The origin of the French word is unclear, but probably derives from Spanish
azar ("an unfortunate card or dice roll"), with the final -d by analogy with the common French suffix -ard. The Spanish word has been supposed in turn to come from Arabic, either from the name of a castle in Palestine, or from the word az-zahr (الزهر) meaning "dice". However, early evidence for this word in Arabic is lacking, as it is absent from Classical Arabic dictionaries, making the etymology doubtful. Another possibility is Arabic yasara ("he played at dice").
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
's Canterbury Tales in the 14th century.
Hazard is not interchangeable with "Grand Hazard," which is played with three dice; Grand Hazard is similar to Sic bo
Sic bo
Sic bo , also known as tai sai , dai siu , big and small or hi-lo, is an unequal game of chance played with three dice, and of ancient Chinese origin. Grand hazard and chuck-a-luck are variants, and of English origin...
.
Despite its complicated rules, hazard was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and was often played for money. At Crockford's
Crockford's
Crockford's was a London gentlemen's club, now dissolved, which was established in 1793 and which closed in 1845. It was one of London's older clubs, was centred around gambling, and maintained a somewhat raffish and raucous reputation. It was founded by William Crockford.From 1823, the club leased...
Club in London, hazard was especially popular. In the 19th century, the game craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
developed from hazard through a simplification of the rules. Craps is now very popular in North America but neither game remains popular amongst the rest of the world.
Rules
Any number may play, but only one player — the caster — has the dice at any one time.In each round, the caster specifies a number between 5 and 9 inclusive: this is the main. He then throws two dice.
- If he rolls the main, he wins (throws in or nicks).
- If he rolls a 2 or a 3, he loses (throws out).
- If he rolls an 11 or 12, the result depends on the main:
- with a main of 5 or 9, he throws out with both an 11 and a 12;
- with a main of 6 or 8, he throws out with an 11 but nicks with a 12;
- with a main of 7, he nicks with an 11 but throws out with a 12.
- If he neither nicks nor throws out, the number thrown is called the chance. He throws the dice again:
- if he rolls the chance, he wins;
- if he rolls the main, he loses (unlike on the first throw);
- if he rolls neither, he keeps throwing until he rolls one or the other, winning with the chance and losing with the main.
This is simpler to follow in a table:
| Main | Nicks | Outs | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 2,3,11,12 | Anything else |
| 6 | 6,12 | 2,3,11 | |
| 7 | 7,11 | 2,3,12 | |
| 8 | 8,12 | 2,3,11 | |
| 9 | 9 | 2,3,11,12 |
As long as he keeps winning, the caster may keep playing: but if he loses three times in succession, he must pass the dice to the player to his left, who becomes the new caster.
Betting
Bets are between the caster and the bank (the setter), which may be the remaining players acting as a group.If the caster nicks on the first throw, he wins an amount equal to his stake. After the first throw, the caster wins his stake if he gets his chance before his main.
After the first throw, the caster (and others, in side bets) may wager an additional sum that the chance will come before the main. These bets are made at odds determined by the relative proportions of the main and the chance:
| Main | Chance | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 5 | 4/3 | — | 4/5 | 2/3 | 4/5 | 1/1 | 4/3 |
| 6 | 5/3 | 5/4 | — | 5/6 | 1/1 | 5/4 | 5/3 |
| 7 | 2/1 | 3/2 | 6/5 | — | 6/5 | 3/2 | 2/1 |
| 8 | 5/3 | 5/4 | 1/1 | 5/6 | — | 5/4 | 5/3 |
| 9 | 4/3 | 1/1 | 4/5 | 2/3 | 4/5 | — | 4/3 |
For example, with an odds stake of £10, a main of 7 and a chance of 5, a castor stands to win £15 (3/2 × £10); with the same stake, a main of 5 and a chance of 6, he could win £8 (4/5 × £10).
Probability of winning
For each main the probability of winning can be calculated:| Main | Probability of winning | Disadvantage to caster |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.492 | 1.52% |
| 6 | 0.488 | 2.34% |
| 7 | 0.493 | 1.41% |
| 8 | 0.488 | 2.34% |
| 9 | 0.492 | 1.52% |
In some reports on the rules of the game, the main is determined randomly by tossing the dice until a valid main appears. In this case the overall player disadvantage is 1.84%. If the caster can choose a main, he should always choose 7. This may be how craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
evolved, since if you always choose 7 the game is basically just craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
.
Craps and Hazard
At its heart, crapsCraps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
is a version of Hazard where the main is always 7:
- if the shooter (the caster) rolls a 7 or 11 on his first throw, he wins;
- if he rolls a 2, 3, or 12, he loses;
- if he rolls anything else, that is his point (his chance); he now keeps throwing until he wins by making (rolling) his point or loses by rolling a 7.
However, betting in craps is significantly more complicated.
Etymology of the name
The name "hazard" is borrowed from Old FrenchOld French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
. The origin of the French word is unclear, but probably derives from Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
azar ("an unfortunate card or dice roll"), with the final -d by analogy with the common French suffix -ard. The Spanish word has been supposed in turn to come from Arabic, either from the name of a castle in Palestine, or from the word az-zahr (الزهر) meaning "dice". However, early evidence for this word in Arabic is lacking, as it is absent from Classical Arabic dictionaries, making the etymology doubtful. Another possibility is Arabic yasara ("he played at dice").
Miscellaneous
From the game of Hazard came:- The phrase "'at sixes and sevens". "Set upon six and seven" first appeared in Chaucer's Tales relating to betting one's entire fortune on a single throw of the dice. Over time the phrase became associated with any circumstances involving general confusion or disorder.
- The word "hazardHazardA hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm; however, once a hazard becomes "active", it can create an emergency situation. A hazard does not exist when it is not...
" in its modern sense of "risk" or "danger".