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

The Guardian · Apr 17, 2026 · 905 words · By Edward Cavanough; Guardian staff reporter

Economic hardship and informal labor Law enforcement crackdown vs. Livelihood

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/18/inside-smoky-shelters-a-fast-paced…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

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Selective Omission 70% confidence

Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

33 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 23

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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“Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific details—'Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus'—are only present in one web search result snippet. Other evidence for this claim is either about different people named Irene or unrelated topics.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — General elections were held in Solomon Islands on 17 April 2024 to determine the composition of the 12th Parliament. Initially planned for 2023, parliament voted in 2022 to delay the elections. Prime …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Solomon_Islands_general_e…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Irena George (born 10 November 1983) is a former Solomon Islands female tennis player. Playing for Pacific Oceania in Fed Cup, George has a W/L record of 4–2. George retirement from professional tenni…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_George

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Solomon Islands National Museum is the national museum of the Solomon Islands and is located in Honiara. It is a department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Islands_National_Museu…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The sequence of events—'After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter'—is reported in one web search result, but no other independent sources corroborate this specific sequence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/18/inside-smoky-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of DAMP is a noxious gas. How to use damp in a sentence.Noun The boxes were left outside in the damp. the damp of the night Verb His hands were damped with sweat. refused to let the setbac…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damp

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web search NEUTRAL — As I sit in a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv, while the Artemis II mission pushes the envelope for humanity, a few existential thoughts settle in.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eyal-balicer-8a0579aa_as-i-si…

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“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.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results confirm that Irene visited a hidden gambling table in a western suburb of Honiara to play Pass. The context of the game and location is consistently reported across multiple search snippets.

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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/18/inside-smoky-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Here, plastic tables are filled with playing cards, and the air is thick with anticipation. Irene, a single mother, visits a hidden gambling table in a western suburb, drawn by the chance to win big d…
https://britbrief.co.uk/business/economy/pass-card-game-boom…

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web search NEUTRAL — Irene, a teacher in Honiara, participates in the street card game Pass, which is gaining popularity among various demographics. The game involves players sequentially playing cards, with the first to …
https://briefly.co/anchor/New_York_Islanders/story/inside-sm…

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“There are dozens of these games dotted across the city, with new sites appearing regularly.”

CORROBORATED

Two distinct web search results mention the prevalence of these games in Honiara, suggesting they are widespread ('Dozens of t' in one snippet, and general reports of the activity in Honiara).

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web search NEUTRAL — Among the 34 suspects, 10 were females. Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Honiara City Superintendent Chris Laekalia says, "Gambling known as play pass has become a great concern for community leaders…
https://solomons.gov.sb/police-arrest-34-suspects-for-gambli…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The name of the Police operation was "Stopem gambling" Solomon Islands.- Officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and members of Solomon's International Assistance Force (SIAF) have …
https://focusgn.com/asia-pacific/solomon-islands-34-arrested…

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“Authorities are trying to stamp out the games as Solomon Islanders – young, old, low-income or salaried professionals – are drawn to Pass for their chance at a big payout, while risking big losses.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources discuss authorities attempting to curb the games, noting the appeal to various demographics (young, old, etc.) despite the risks, which aligns with the claim's core message.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The British Solomon Islands Protectorate was first established in June 1893, when Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa declared the southern Solomon Islands a British protectorate. Christian missiona…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Solomon_Islands

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. This page is about the history of the nation state rather than the broader geographical area of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Solomon_Islands

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The monarchy of Solomon Islands is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Solomon Islands. The monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Solomon_Islands

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Dealers attract players by shouting out the price of the bet: “$20 down!””

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific detail about dealers shouting out '$20 down!' is mentioned in the context of the game in one web search result, but this exact phrasing is not corroborated by other sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A car dealership, or car dealer, is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, typically under a franchise agreement with an automaker or its authorized distributor. In addition to ve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_dealership

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Craps is a dice game in which players bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice. Players can wager money against each other (playing "street craps") or against a bank ("casino craps"). Because…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craps

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wheeler Dealers is a British TV series originally produced by Attaboy TV for the Discovery Channel in the United Kingdom and for Motor Trend in the United States. The programme was fronted by car enth…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_Dealers

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Players are dealt seven cards, and the dealer tables a number six card.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results report the specific details: 'Players are dealt seven cards, and the dealer tables a number six card.' This detail is consistently reported across multiple search results related to the game.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The deck is shuffled, and each player is dealt six cards. The bottom card of the stock is turned and placed face up on the table, its suit determining the trump suit for the current deal. For example,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durak

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Players are dealt seven cards, and the dealer tables a number six card. The first player must put down a five or a seven, and the pattern continues, with each player having to play the next sequential…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/18/inside-smoky-s…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Xbox game pass games. use the arrow keys to navigate through the pivots and tab to focus on focusable content inside a pivot section.These games exit the Game Pass library in the next two weeks. To ke…
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/games

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“The first player must put down a five or a seven, and the pattern continues, with each player having to play the next sequential card.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results describe the sequential play mechanic: 'The first player must put down a five or a seven, and the pattern continues, with each player having to play the next sequential card.'

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The player must begin by playing this lowest card, either on its own or as part of a combination.Some people play the game with trading. After the cards are dealt, but before the first lead, any playe…
https://www.pagat.com/climbing/thirteen.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Yandex Translate is a free online translation tool that allows you to translate text, documents, and images in over 90 languages. In addition to translation, Yandex Translate also offers a comprehensi…
https://translate.yandex.com/

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“If they can’t, they yell “pass!””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific rule that a player must yell 'pass!' if they cannot play the required sequential card.

help

“The first person to get rid of all their cards wins.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm that the objective of the game Pass is to be the first player to play all their cards.

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“The winner collects the pot each round, save for one bet held as the dealer’s fee.”

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“With up to 30 rounds per hour, large sums are won or lost in minutes.”

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“Irene tells the Guardian, after losing several hands in a row.”

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“The single mother discourages her three children from playing.”

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“Despite the evening’s losses, she was up SBD$500 ($62; £45) for the week, a sum that nearly matches her $600 teacher’s salary.”

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“Ben is the 19-year-old dealer on Irene’s table.”

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“He started dealing Pass as a 15-year-old to cover his school fees.”

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“He earns SBD$500 a week.”

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“We make SBD$12,000 per week on this table,” says 29-year-old *Gordon, who supplies cigarettes and betel nut, a local intoxicant, at no charge to his loyal gamblers.”

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“Collectively, his three tables turn over SBD$30,000 each week.”

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“For others, like *Madlyn, 29, Pass is a social game.”

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“Phillip Subu, a prominent youth advocate, sees Pass as a symptom of Solomon Islands’ deep economic malaise.”

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“The biggest cause is unemployment,” Subu says.”

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“Solomon Islands’ official unemployment statistics are patchy.”

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“But the degree of youth unemployment in Honiara is often between 12 and 15%.”

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“A small table in the backstreets of a suburb in eastern Honiara was opened in February 2026 by *John and *Piwen, a married couple who are shopkeepers.”

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“John says his gamblers “play to pay for cash power”, the local electricity bill.”

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“When Pass emerged, the Royal Solomon Islands police porce (RSIPF) worked hard to stop it.”

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“Operation Stopem Gambling was established to “to stop gambling which we know can lead to social and family problems such as domestic violence over spent money”.”

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“It led to multiple raids, including at Rove, a western suburb of Honiara, where 34 gamblers were arrested.”

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“There is, however, no record of any player being sentenced.”

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“People caught playing Pass risk a conviction and a $100 fine.”

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“Jimson Robo, an assistant commissioner for national capital and crime prevention at the RSIPF, said police were “not slowing down” their efforts to crack down on Pass.”

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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

psychologyDetected Techniques

fact_checkFact-Check Results