Thought to have started in 18^th century Britain as an evolution from a single coin game called pitch and toss, two-up was a popular gambling activity with poorer Aussie citizens of English and Irish descent during that era. This new game, played with two coins, was hugely popular at the time, especially amongst the Diggers of World War I.

To celebrate the efforts of those that fought for their country, two-up started to become a regular Aussie event on ANZAC Day. Although illegal at first, authorities were known to turn a blind-eye to people playing and as time went on, two-up has become a legitimate and fun activity that’s played at RSL’s and pubs Australia-wide.

How to Play Two-Up

Two-up’s a very simply two-coin game where players bet on the outcome of how the coins will land after they’re thrown in the air. With three specific ways the coins can land, the game is very simple to pick up and can be played by experts and novices alike. For every round of two-up there’s a designated spinner that’s in charge of tossing the coins, and everyone else is betting on the outcome. It really couldn’t be any simpler.

Two-Up Rules

Whilst some locations will have slight variations on the rules, the basic procedure remains standard throughout Australia.

A spinner is selected and is usually introduced with a roar of ‘come in spinner!’ from the players. The spinner must place a bet before they throw, and that bet must be matched by another player. He or she then tosses the coins in the air from a kip (a wooden flicking utensil that allows simultaneous coin spins even from the most rookie spinner). Any others in the area that wish to partake can make side-bets on the outcome and whether the spinner will win or lose.

The three outcomes of which the coins can land in two-up are as follows:

Obverse – Both coins land with heads facing upwards

Reverse – Both coins land with tails facing upwards

Odds – One coin lands heads-up, whilst the other lands tails-up.

The results of the throw are based on how the coins land, and in short, Obverse means the spinner wins, Reverse means the spinner loses, and Odds means the spinner has to throw again.

Joe’s Double-Up, Two-Up Tip

Whilst you can’t win every time with this game, the way I play two-up ensures I rarely go home out of pocket. My strategy is simple – if I lose, I bet twice the amount the next round, if I lose again, I repeat the procedure. Although it can seem a bit daunting after five losses in succession, you can rest assured that the moment I win a throw (and it will happen) I’ll be back to where I started with enough left over to raise a glass to the Diggers that fought for our way of life.

Good luck out there on ANZAC Day and lest we forget.

Cheers,