It’s Australian as vegemite on toast, sunburn in summer, spotting roos on the road, or crackin’ a coldie on any day ending with a y. It’s the iconic game of Two-up, where we show you how to play the game, explaining why it’s such a tradition on Anzac Day…

What is Two-up?

Two-up is the Aussie’s adult version of heads or tails, and because we’re super clever people, we get to use two coins. And we’ve been doing it since the 1850s, playing through many outback pubs and goldfields across the country.

In World War I, the Australian soldiers played Two-up in the trenches. This is how and why this game is played as part of the tradition for Anzac Day.

The rules to Two-up are as simple as making a Vegemite sandwich. However, the rules do differ from place to place.

The aim of the game of Two-up is to get doubles. Two heads, or two tails to win. Easy as.

But the tricky part is that there are two betting pools running at the same time on the one game. In the centre you have a bet going between the spinner and the bank, while everyone else runs a side bet.

And the side betting is where the real fun is.

What you need to play Two-up:

• Two pennies.
• A paddle (wooden board) called a kip to throw the pennies.
• A ring of some sort where the crowd gathers to watch the pennies land. Some use patches of carpet to make a ring, creating a perimeter for those making side bets.

And that’s all you’ll need when you compare it to the electronic games people play today.

via GIPHY

How to place your side bet in a game of Two-up:

For those wanting to cash in on the side betting spectacular of Two-up, you can bet on double heads or double tails. And you get to bet each time they toss the coins in the air.

To find someone to bet with you, all you have to do is:

For Heads: you wave your cash amount over your head. Like A fiver for heads.

On Tails: you tap your cash on your posterior or wave it behind your tail like you’ve eaten too many baked beans for brekkie!

This is the fun part. It’s loud! And it’s exciting. The wizardry of these larrikins, trying to convince you to bet against them is where you get to revel in their foreign-like lingo, especially with their colourful terms for cash.

It’s entertaining. And the energy is infectious to be around.

The role of the Spinner in a game of Two-up:

Before anyone can place their bets or start the game of Two-up, you need a spinner.

The spinner is the lucky one who tosses the two coins in the air using the wooden paddle (the kip).

To play the part of the spinner, you drop a hefty cash bet in the centre before any side bets can be made.

Becoming the spinner gives you the chance to double your money!

And that depends on what odds you’ll get from the bank…

The other important roles in a game of Two-up:

The ring-keeper, also known as the ringer or ringie, manages the show like an MC. They don’t bet, but they provide the coins, set-up the coin-tossing perimeter, and announce the rules. Their primary job is to alert the crowd that the coins are about to be tossed, as a sign for all side bets to end and wait for the result of the coin toss. And that’s when everyone calls out “come in spinner”.

The Banker, or the Bank, is the person who bets against the spinner. They’re like a bookie at the racetrack and set the odds on the spinner’s bets. They don’t play but hold the spinner’s money while the coins are being tossed.

Those special Two-up pennies:

Two-up is traditionally played with two large weighty pennies, known as the pound. It’s a coin that hasn’t been in circulation since the Australian currency changed to a decimal system back in 1966.

The reason for playing with these pennies is that you can clearly spot the kangaroo on one side for tails.

For heads, you’ll either find King Such-and-such from back in the day, or the recently dearly departed Queen Elizabeth.

These days you can have Two-up coins specifically made for the game. Yet, in the early days, miners and Aussie Diggers used two tin circles to play the game in the trenches, simply by painting a white cross on one side for heads or tails.  Today, it’s not uncommon for ring-keepers to paint a white X for heads, or tales, on their coins to make it easier for the crowds to see.

The technicalities of spinning those coins:

The spinner’s job is to throw the coins above their head, allowing the pennies to spin in the air.

For those who’ve never played spinner before, some ring-keepers will give you a second chance at tossing the coins in case you muck it up.

If the pennies don’t spin, you lose.

If you throw the pennies outside of the coin tossing circle, you lose.

The spinner needs to throw double heads or tails, three times to win and double their money.

Should the spinner throw five head or tail combinations in a row, it’s called ‘odding out’, and all bets are off or on hold. Again, depending on where you play.

Oh, and if the spinner tosses five odds in a row, they lose their bet.

Clear as mud?

Ready to place your bets?

One last thing,  since 1998 you can only play Two-up in licensed casinos.

But they do make the exception, allowing you to play at certain clubs and pubs to celebrate Anzac Day. Otherwise, it’s illegal.

Unless you’re like the cattlemen gathered at a certain outback campdraft found at…

**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via CANVA.com 

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