Dominoes. How important can the game be?
“We cannot wait until the finals,” said player Gabriel Martinez. It’s the second to the last week of the year-long tournament and the teams are ready to take home the big win.
Over 100 teams within the Latino community in North Philadelphia have participated in this exciting game of strategy.
Six teams have played each other every week at a participating bar in the area. Each Sunday they play 15 games and the top two teams of each week move on to the next round. This past Sunday the tournament continued at Raymonds Bar on the corner of Fifth and Cambria streets.
Martinez is a member of a team called “Calle Deuces.” Rafael Velaguez, Orlando Velaguez, Tony Martinez and Gabriel Vega formed the team two years ago and have been playing ever since. They are the youngest team to date in the domino league. They love the excitement and the way the community comes together each Sunday. The champions of the event get gold rings as well as plane tickets to Puerto Rico where most of the participants are originally from.
How can I get involved with competing? I would like information for my father. Thank you very much. Have a blessed day.