World Apr 17, 2026 · 1 min read

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

Growing numbers in the capital Honiara are playing the street card game Pass for a chance of a big payout, while risking big lossesAs 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...

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The Guardian
by Edward Cavanough in Honiara
Inside smoky shelters, a fast-paced, illegal card game has taken off in Solomon Islands

Growing numbers in the capital Honiara are playing the street card game Pass for a chance of a big payout, while risking big losses

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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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Edward Cavanough in Honiara.

Read original article on The Guardian
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