Two-up

Overview

A spinner throws two coins into the air from a wooden paddle, and everyone bets on how they land. Australia's traditional gambling game, and in NSW lawful for money only on a few days a year, outside casinos and Broken Hill.

Sources. How to play is checked against the Australian War Memorial's How to play two-up. The legal position is checked against the NSW Gambling (Two-up) Act 1998, current version from 3 April 2018. Other states and territories have their own laws, which aren't covered here.

1. When it's legal in NSW

Two-up is an unlawful game under NSW law, except where the Gambling (Two-up) Act allows it. That Act permits two-up on (s 4A, s 6):

• Anzac Day, 25 April;
• 15 August;
• 11 November, after 12 noon; and
• any other day the regulations name.

On those days it can be played on any premises that aren't gambling premises, on two conditions (s 7):

• no charge to enter or to take part, other than your bets; and
• nobody takes a commission, percentage or fee on bets or winnings.

A registered club may charge or take a cut only if every cent goes to charity and not to the club (s 8).

Separately, the Broken Hill council may run two-up under the Minister's authority and its own approved rules (Part 3), and casinos operate under their own licences.

2. Equipment

• Two coins.
• The kip: a flat piece of wood the coins are thrown from.
• The ring: the circle of players, where the coins must land.

3. Play

1. A chosen spinner throws both coins into the air from the kip.
2. The coins must go three metres into the air, not touch the roof, and fall within the ring.
3. The result:

Coins	Result
Two heads	The spinner wins
Two tails	The spinner loses their bet and the right to spin
One of each ("odds")	The spinner throws again

4. Betting

Players around the ring bet on heads, tails or odds, and place side bets against each other on whether the spinner will win or lose and on the next throw. In the traditional game the players bet against each other, not against a house.

Many rings add their own customs, such as how the spinner's bet is matched, which way up the coins start, or a limit on consecutive odds. The War Memorial's guide doesn't cover them, so agree them in the ring.

Commonly argued

• In NSW it's legal on Anzac Day, 15 August and 11 November after noon, and otherwise only in Broken Hill and casinos.
• Nobody may take a cut at a legal Anzac Day game, except a club passing it all to charity.
• Odds is not a loss. The spinner throws again.
• Two tails costs the spinner the kip, as well as the bet.
• The coins must go three metres up and land in the ring.