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Ready to play dominoes: This is how members usually hold their dominoes in their hand while they play so other players can’t see what they have. The men play in teams but the other member of the two-man team doesn’t know what his partner has in his hand. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Domino champs: Shown here are members of The Cavaliers, a club of domino players. They are Julius Small, captain; Patrick Bobb and Carl Moore. The men

are part of a group of about 34 players who meet Saturdays at the Veterans Park Center to play dominoes. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Dominoes anyone?

There’s a small group of men, mostly from the Caribbean, who meet weekly in Lehigh Acres to play dominoes. They attend tournaments around the state and even have a trophy to prove they can be champions.

Two weeks ago they held a tournament in Lehigh at 205 Joel Blvd. and on March 21, they plan to go to Palm Bay and play.

Dominoes isn’t just a kids’ game anymore, members of the group said. Now dominoes tournaments are held on sports television cable channels and the game is drawing more and more people.

Although there may be a dozen or more way to play dominoes, these men in Lehigh say they play “straight line dominoes.”

They play with one set of dominoes and each player gets seven dominoes and they must match the numbers of the dominoes on the end. Those that can’t lose and it takes good memory skills to remember what the players around the table of four can and can’t do, said Patrick Bobb, president of the Lehigh Cavaliers. The club has been located in Lehigh since 2002 when a few men from the Caribbean, who didn’t know one another, began playing.

Now Carl Moore and Julius Small and several others play on Saturdays at the Veterans Park Community Center.

When there are games, four sit at a table and another man is called the club’s captain and he monitors the games and has the power to remove players for any reason he sees fit. The games are played with teams, but the other member of the team doesn’t know what you have in your hand, but he must have a good memory so he can play so

the other can put his dominoes down.

In the Cavaliers, Julius Small is the club captain and he is respected by all the players, the men said.

Some of the men’s wives play, but not in the tournaments. However, the men said that can change.

“We’re looking for more players. We are a diverse community here and we would invite people from all over to join us,” said, president Patrick Bobb.

“We have 34 active members and a few more on some weekends,” he said. He said playing dominoes was like playing a lower case of chess. “It takes a lot

strategy and memory,” he said.

“If people don’t know to play, we will be happy to teach them.”

These guys are really serious about the game. They have a trophy they brought back from Freeport in the Bahamas from last October and they’re proud to

display it.

“We’re going to get some more of these,” the each laughed.