Crowds rush to Sydney pubs to play two up on Anzac Day

Hundreds of eager punters have hit the pubs to take advantage of gambling laws which make two-up illegal on every day with the exception of April 25.

Anzac Day revellers have hit pubs across Sydney in droves while commemorating Australia’s fallen soldiers.

The public holiday on Tueday had people flooding inner city venues as early as 9am, with punters in high spirits as they soaked up the sun.

Queues for the The Royal Hotel Paddington in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs had reached several blocks long by 9am, with the heritage pub widely advertising their two-up event on social media.

Popularised by Australian troops during WWI, the gambling game is banned year-round with the exception of April 25 – Anzac Day – and other special occasions.

A young woman plays two-up. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

A young woman celebrates a win at Thee Royal on Tuesday. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

There was hardly any room to move at The Royal Hotel in Paddington on Anzac Day in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

The crowds were forming from 9am. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

A general view of people seen having fun playing two up at the Royal Hotel in Paddington on Anzac Day in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

There was wild footage shared on social media showing massive lines filled with revellers waiting to get into venues.

As of 12pm, The Royal had implemented a “one-in-one-out” policy, with punters warned that wait times would only balloon into the afternoon.

The line outside The Royal in Paddington, Sydney. Picture: Instagram/ Bondi Lines

The Royal was reportedly packed by midday. Picture: Instagram/ Bondi Lines

Many people waited hours in the heat to go inside pubs across Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Once inside people were very keen to play two-up. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

People are only legally allowed to play two-up on Anzac Day. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

One of the users behind the popular Instagram account Bondi Lines told NCA NewsWire the pub had “people flocking to the venue as early as 9am, which saw an 80 person line build up before 9.30am”.

Inside, rowdy punters played two-up, with one woman photographed doing a shoey. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

More than 80 people had lined up outside the pub by 9.30am. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

The Royal hosts one of Sydney’s biggest two-up games in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

The pub had reached capacity by 12pm. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

One of Sydney’s most sought-after venues was The Clovelly Hotel on Sydney’s Eastern beaches.

Queues of revellers were filmed snaking 300m down the street by 10am. By 11am, the venue had neared capacity.

“It stretched from the venue entrance almost down to the Clovelly beach carpark,” Bondi Lines said.

A large queue is seen at the Clovelly Hotel on Anzac Day in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Huge lines had appeared from as early as 9:30am. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

The Clovelly Hotel had queues which stretched for several metres. Picture: Instagram/ Bondi Lines

By 10.30am, the venue was reaching capacity. Picture: Instagram/ Bondi Lines

Many were happy to line up for hours to make the most of the public holiday. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Famed for having the “largest outdoor two up arena” in Sydney’s east, the pub opened at 9am on Tuesday.

A young woman told NCA NewsWire she had waited about 45 minutes to get into the pub and believed they had roughly another 20 minute way before they would be let in.

Revellers soaked in Tuesday’s warm weather while commemorating Anzac Day. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Punters at Clovelly Hotel in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

The Clovelly Hotel was one of Sydney’s busiest pubs on Tuesday. Picture: Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

In Sydney’s inner west suburb of Rozelle, The Sackville Hotel, punters flooded the pub’s carpark. In the 25 minutes after the game began at noon, the venue was shoulder-to-shoulder and at capacity, with guests turned away from midday.

Nearby, the DiCK’s Hotel in Balmain faced similar issues.

Crowds at the two-up arena at The Sackville Hotel was shoulder-to-shoulder two minutes after it opened. Picture: Instagram/ Bondi Lines

There were also large crowds at The Sackville in Rozelle

While Victorian law states two-up can be played during commemorative events in the seven days leading up to Anzac, other states and territories only allow the game to be played on April 25.

Another special reservation is made for the NSW town of Broken Hill where two-up can legally played all year-round, due to a special licence issued by the state government.

How to play

The game supervisor, or ‘ringie’, puts two coins tail-side up on a paddle, or ‘kip’.

Participants gather round the ‘spinner’ (the person who tosses the coins), and make their bets for heads or tails.

The game-runner or ‘boxer’ calls “come in spinner”, and the coins are tossed at least three metres up into the air.

If one or both coins falls outside of the crown’s circle then they must be tossed again, but if not then the spinner must keep tossing the coins until two of the same side appear.

Then you win or lose! — but remember to gamble responsibly.