Booms of laughter and cheers filled the North Beach RSL as hundreds gathered, drinks in hand, for a spirited game of two-up on Anzac Day.
Families and friends packed into the club, forming a tight-knit crowd in which men and women of all ages waved $10, $20 and even $50 notes high in the air as punters eyed up someone willing to match their bet - heads or tails.
Behind the scenes, volunteers Bill Wilson, Bruce Wainwright and Terry Gemeiner worked the sausage sizzle, while tipping Chris Margin as the branch’s two-up champion.
Mr Margin was quick to downplay the title.
“It’s luck, but I do enjoy being spinner,” he said. “The real fun comes with everyone’s side bets.”
The room fell silent as the kip flew into the air, a pile of colourful cash rests waiting on the floor below. All eyes followed the brown coins as they spun and twirled, deciding the fate of each gambler’s spare cash.
“If both coins land heads, heads wins. If both land tails, tails wins,” Mr Margin explains. “If one is heads and one is tails, it’s called odds and the spin is thrown again. The spinner keeps going until there’s a clear result.”
Unless you live in Kalgoorlie, where a dedicated two-up ring exists for daily playing, the game is illegal to play across the country for the majority of the year, with the only exception being April 25.
Among the crowd was local mum-of-two Candice Heath, who comes down each year to commemorate Anzac Day with friends and family. This year, she walked away $160 richer.
“It’s a great thing to do, and there’s a big sense of community here,” she said. “I’m still learning the tricks of the game, so I’m happy to take home some cash.”
