The History of Two-Up: Australia's Iconic ANZAC Day Tradition

Two-Up is an Australian gambling game and larger cultural phenomenon that thrives on ANZAC Day. On this day, all manner of pubs and clubs get packed with patrons as circles form around “spinning” devices. Coins fly through the air. For several hours, a little-known law legalizes the gambling activity. For many, it's more than a bet. It's a way to remember. An ancient ritual connects us to the battles of Gallipoli and the Western Front. To understand the importance of this coin-based game, many players feel compelled to understand where, how, and why: the game's origins, evolution, and current state.

Origins of Two-Up: From Street Corners to the Trenches

Two-Up's history begins with the working-class people, a real colonial story. Historians state that around the 18th century, the streets of industrial England would have featured a similar coin game, 'pitch and toss.' Around the 1700s and the early part of the 1800s, convicts and free settlers would bring that game to Australia. In the mid-19th century, Two-Up became its own unique Australian game. It was a faster and louder game and woven into the fabric of working-class recreation time.

The game is actually very easy to learn. Someone (the spinner) places two pennies (usually older Australian pennies with a picture of the queen) on a flat, wooden tool (called a kip). Up the kip goes! The spinner throws the pennies into the air. The result: two heads, two tails or heads and tails (odds). The ring bets on whether spinner will show two heads or two tails. The spinner continues tossing the pennies until one of three things happen: spinner earns five heads in a row, spinner rolls five odds or rolls two tails which means their turn is complete. Managing the bets and keeping the game fair is the boxer's responsibility, they are the ring boss.