'Come in spinner': Punters try their luck at two up

Once the official Anzac Day services were over, large crowds gathered around playing circles at pubs and clubs to engage in an Anzac tradition.

The game is only legal to play one day of the year.

Some hedged their bets and came out quite fortunate, while others left empty-handed.

Australian War Memorial historian Rachel Caines said during WWI and WWII playing two-up was an important and lighthearted form of bonding and a way to pass the time.

"It's a fun part of our nation's history with strong links to the men and women who have fought as part of the Australian military forces since the First World War," she said.

"When playing a game of two-up at the local RSL or pub, it's nice to also keep in mind the diggers who made the game such a popular part of Australian culture and the wartime experiences beyond flipping the coins."

The rules are simple: the spinner will make a bet with someone in the crowd, then toss up two coins at least three metres in the air, making sure they land in a circle.

The outcome is either two heads, two tails, or 'odds', meaning one of each.

People in the crowd will shout out their bets on the outcome and a boxer stands in the middle of the circle and runs the game.

But the most important part is to remember all those men and women who fought to make that very moment possible.