Hazard

Medieval two-dice English gambling game — the ancestor of Craps.

🌤indoor

What is Hazard?

Hazard is a medieval English gambling game played with two dice, first described in the 14th-century Canterbury Tales. The caster names a main (5–9), then rolls; the outcome (nick, out, or setting a chance number) determines whether they win, lose or must keep rolling. Hazard travelled to the American colonies where its rules were simplified into Craps in early 19th-century New Orleans.

Quick facts

Category

Dice Games

Type

Individual

Players

2–8

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Estimated origin

Medieval English game — the ancestor of Craps and Chuck-a-Luck

Olympic

No

Popularity

niche

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified