“At times deeply heartfelt, and yet relentless in its defense of the Black space these elders allowed the author to temporarily occupy, <i>Playing to the End</i> offers a touching tribute and a careful analysis of what Black men relegated to the card room at a Denver recreation center can accomplish through deceptively casual ritual talk surrounding the game of dominoes.”—Jennifer Roth-Gordon, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona and author of <i>Race and the Brazilian Body: Blackness, Whiteness, and Everyday Language in Rio de Janeiro</i> “The end only comes when there is no memory, no record, and no one who misses it. Steve Bialostok’s <i>Playing to the End</i> brings you into a sacred and safe space of the Black card table. He takes you into domino slapping and joyful card table talk. Bialostok respectfully witnesses the history of Black lives in Denver.”—Ray Black, associate professor of African American studies at Colorado State University “Through careful research <i>Playing to the End</i> connects older Black men with the social areas and issues that have prevailed throughout American history and in so doing has creatively added new understanding to the human condition.”—MartÍn SÁnchez-Jankowski, professor of sociology and chair of the Center for Ethnographic Research at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of <i>Cracks in the Pavement: Social Change and Resilience in Poor Neighborhoods</i>