The title of this photo comes from the apples and bees on the game board. It's a gambling game that, like roulette, is based upon a ball coming to rest in a particular location.
i took this somewhere near Puerta Galera in the Philippines. I really don't know how bets were placed. The board has an equal number of apple squares and bee squares. After bets are placed, a ball is thrown into the metal cone which is suspended above the grid of apples and bees. The cone moves which adds randomness to where the ball initially lands. Upon landing it bounces around, the raised edge between the grids sending the ball off in unpredictable directions until it eventually comes to rest. And, when it does, some people win and some people lose.
In this particular shot, the man with his had outstretched across the board has just thrown the ball into the cone.
I don't actually know how many were playing and how many were spectating. From the stance of the guy at the right end of the table it looks likes a two player game. What the symbols at each end of the game table represent, I've no idea. But clearly, from the fading of the artwork, this particular table has seen it's share of use.
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