Well....visited the Fiesta Casino week before last on a Saturday (July 16th), as my Tica-wife & I often do before heading to the Gulch for the evening. Arrived about 4PM or so & entered & visited the tables. Both were full (Rummy). I asked if they had an open table for Blackjack. They pointed me in the opposite direction. Thinking they might have additional tables I looked & finally asked "¿Dónde?". He said "Máquinas". I've never played the Blackjack machines & didn't want to start. I said so & asked if they'd open a table for me. I also said if it wasn't possible we'd just go to another casino. In a minute he came back & said no problem, for $100 a hand. Thinking I misunderstood, I asked "¿100 dólares para un zapato?" and he replied "No, por mano".
I asked if the manager was available & he was pointed out to me. I asked again (nicely) & the manager (along with another manager - both in suits) repeated the $100 a hand deal. I said I didn't realize the had changed the rules (the rummy players were betting 2,000C). He said they hadn't and the previous times I had used the machines. Sorry, but that was just a lie. I said no, I had never used the machines & I pulled a $500 and a $100 chip out of my pocket.
Well, he went on about how I had used the machines the other time and it was always $100 a hand for Blackjack at the tables. After listening to him a few minutes (I never did raise my voice), I simply said, "Con respeto, usted habla mucha mierda.". Damn, did it go downhill from there. He started screaming, security came running & he went on and on about how this was HIS country and if I didn't like it, there was the door. In my defense, I prefaced my [honest] comment with "with respect,". Anyway, after a few minutes of taking his spittle, I finally said "No es posible hablar con mentiroso." which made his volume level get even louder.
Bottom line - they saw a fat, rich gringo with loads of money & a puta (only accurate assessment is the fat part....) so I cashed in the $600 and we left. Unfortunate because we'd been there 50 times or more in the last two years. Anyway, we stopped off at the Cantina (BW Irazu) upon the recommendation of Diego @ the Horsehoe & they said they will offer Blackjack in about two weeks. Returning on Monday so we'll see if two weeks is two weeks or tico-time.
This post if for information only; we'll certainly not return the the Fiesta. I also suspect that is they try to screw one gringo, they'll likely try with others. It's just too far out to drive there & be treated like that, IMHO.
/dddick
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