games, the international language

, originally uploaded by ryan linke.

games offer a chance at an international language. they cross countries, borders, and time zones. the same game can be played with twists all over the world, developed a little different through the course of time.
maybe the roots of my interests began at the card room that i worked in for three years. all the characters, the personalities. the common game was poker, and often the table was very diverse. old guys, college kids. white, black, asian, english speaking, spanish speaking, the card room was diversity.
as i continue my travels i am watching for games and their variety. i saw these guys in bangkok playing a varied version of backgammon that was very interesting, and it seemded like the satkes were. instead of rolling on the board they qould throw the dice into a small bowl, the sound of the dice matched the action. i usually stand and watch for a little trying to figure out the little twists and turns that make their version unique.
yesterday i walked past an intense card game where cash was the language. it looked some kind of blackjack but icouldnt quite figure it out. the currency was baht and money was changing hands very quickly. i tried to take some pictures, but the guys said no because of the illegality of gambling in bangkok. its usually a good idea to respect the wishes of the locals, especially when they are in front of a muay thai training facility.
to see more pictures of games throughout the world please follow the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/themissinglinke/sets/72157606089091579/