Two-Up
TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN GAMBLING GAME — 2 COINS (traditionally OLD PENNIES) tossed together from a small wooden paddle ('KIP') by a designated 'SPINNER'. Players bet on HEADS or TAILS (both coins showing same face) — 'ODDS' if one heads + one tails (spinner throws again). Iconic ANZAC Day game — SEMI-LEGAL only on APRIL 25 in most Australian states (Anzac Day exception); legal year-round in some registered pubs + casinos. Origins in 18th c. British 'PITCH + TOSS'; spread with Australian convicts + Gold Rush miners.
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
3–20
Duration
~2 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇦🇺 Australia
Estimated origin
British Pitch-and-Toss game (17th-18th c.) brought to Australia by 1st Fleet convicts (1788); became national pastime during 1850s Gold Rush; iconic in ANZAC WWI + WWII soldier culture; ANZAC Day legalization exception established by 1980s (previously illegal); Crown Casino Melbourne offered permanent legal version 1994.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Bet on HEADS (both up) or TAILS (both down) — winning depends on spinner's coin toss.
Rules
Basic rules
'SPINNER' places 2 coins on KIP + tosses them at least 3m into the air
Signature 2-coin high-toss.
COINS must ROTATE freely + land WITHIN RING
Signature valid toss requirement.
BOTH HEADS = SPINNER + HEADS-bettors WIN; BOTH TAILS = TAILS-bettors WIN + SPINNER LOSES
Signature 2-coin outcome.
1 HEAD + 1 TAIL = 'ODDS' — no winner, SPINNER TOSSES AGAIN (until decisive)
Signature 'Odds' throw-again rule.
SPINNER wins 5 THROWS IN A ROW = optional 'RING BUSTS' = ring closes, spinner cashes out
Signature 5-throw retirement.
PAYOUT: even money 1:1; house takes small commission (5% in casino version)
Signature 1:1 payout + commission.
LEGAL only on ANZAC DAY (April 25) in most AU states — pubs + clubs run traditional Ring games
Signature ANZAC Day legal exception.
CROWN CASINO (Melbourne) + STAR CASINO (Sydney) offer PERMANENT LEGAL TWO-UP at dedicated tables
Signature permanent casino legal option.
Scoring
1:1 even money on Heads/Tails; house takes ~5% commission in casinos. Traditional Ring is even-money peer-to-peer.
Win condition · Both coins match player's bet (heads or tails).
Equipment
TWO IDENTICAL COINS (traditional: pre-1930s Australian PENNIES; modern: SPECIAL TWO-UP COINS)
Signature 2 pennies.
'KIP' — small wooden PADDLE (~10-15cm) on which coins are placed before toss
Signature kip paddle.
'RING' — chalk-drawn circle on ground (~3 m diameter) — bettors stand around it
Signature betting ring.
TRADITIONAL CASINO VERSION uses casino-standard wooden mat + chip layouts
Standard casino table.
Terminology
- Spinner
- Designated player tossing coins from kip.
- Boxer
- Referee overseeing legitimate throws.
- Ringer
- Money handler collecting + paying bets.
- Kip
- Small wooden paddle on which coins rest for toss.
- Ring
- Chalk-drawn circle defining bet + toss area.
- Odds
- Split coins (1 head + 1 tail) — invalid, toss again.
- ANZAC Day
- April 25 — legal exception for the game in most Australian states.
Major competitions
ANZAC Day (April 25) — traditional community events across Australia + New Zealand
annual · Australia + New Zealand · since 1915
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Australian gaming regulators (state-level) — Victorian Commission for Gambling + Liquor Regulation (VCGLR)
Founded 2011 · Melbourne, Australia
Crown Casino Melbourne + Star Sydney (permanent legal venues)
Founded 1994 · Australia
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Traditional gambling game — cultural, no famous players; ANZAC Day tradition
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Two-up— Wikipedia
- Australian War Memorial — Two-up history— Australian War Memorial