Two-Up or Swei (Swy): An Australian Gambling Game

What is Two-Up?

The game of Two-Up, also called Swei or Swy is one of the most popular Australian gambling games. This page describes the rules and the history of a traditional Australian gambling game called Two-Up. The game is traditionally played in a flat circle of a 20 feet in radius or larger. Two coins (traditionally sub-decimal pennies) and a flat piece of wood, called the kip. The kip is about 8 inches long and has two sockets carved it. The sockets must fit the coins precisely enough to sit stably, but not too tight to come out when tossed.

The Boxer

The person who conducts the game is called a boxer. The boxer calls for one of the players and puts him in charge of tossing the coins. This player is called spinner.

How is Two-Up Played?

The spinner and other players wager on either heads or tails and the game begins.

1. The spinner tosses the coins. According to the rules, the coins must go above the spinner%u2019s head, rotate sufficiently and fall inside the circle. If one of the conditions is not respected, the boxer calls to repeat the throw.
2. If both coins land on the same face, those who placed their bets on this face (except the spinner) win. If coins lend on different faces, nobody wins and the coins are thrown again. If this situation repeats 5 times in a row, everybody loses and a new spinner is selected.
3. If both coins land on the face selected by the spinner three times during his spinning, he wins and is paid 7.5 to 1. If both coins land on the opposite face once or on different faces 5 times in a row, he loses.

History

The exact origins of the game of Two-Up are unknown, but it probably evolved from a gambling game called Pitch and Toss that was popular among poor in England and Ireland in the 18th century. Pitch and Toss is a more simple game, where only one coin is tossed.

Two-Up as we know it today first appeared during the 1850s on the goldfields of the eastern states, later on it was spread across the continent during the gold rush. By the end of 19th century, numerous gambling venues called two-up schools were open all over the country. These venues were illegal and stayed illegal for the most of the 20th century.

Two-Up was widely played by Australian soldiers during World War I and became a regular, although illegal, part of Aznac Day celebrations for the returned soldiers, which it remains until now.

In 1973 the game of Two-Up has become legal for the first time. It was adopted to be played at a table and was introduced for the first time at the new casino in Hobart. Shortly after that, the game was legalized as a part of Aznac Day celebration and also in some Two-Up schools in outback towns, mainly as a tourist attraction. Two-Up is still played at some Australian casinos, but it slowly loses popularity leaving space to slot machines and blackjack tables.