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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Edward Cavanough in Honiara

Inside smoky shelters, a fast-paced, illegal card game has taken off in Solomon Islands

Cars on a dusty road in Honiara, Solomon Islands, at sunset
Business owners in Honiara see Pass as a way to supplement income, with shopkeepers setting up tables in backstreets. Photograph: Supplied

As the school day ends in Honiara, *Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus.

After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter. Plastic tables fill the space and playing cards are scattered on the floor. Irene has stopped by a hidden gambling table in a western suburb of Honiara to play Pass, a street card game gaining popularity in the Solomon Islands capital.

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