www.CostaRicaTicas.com

everyone mentions casinos in CR......but are they vegas style casinos or what?.....do they have liberal rules on table games and do they use american or local currency?anyone mention the best one?

I know you can place bets is both colones or dollars. Simular to Vegas but the odds are not as good in CR. Casinos are small compared to Vegas but offer a wide varity of games and slots.

Side note: I have not played but have watched. I have yet to see anyone win!!!!!

S66;

Well I guess there finally comes a topic where I could be considered an expert. Not something to be real proud of but here's beakdown. Note:
If I miss something (and I usually do, for I am old and senile), I'm 100% sure one of our brothers will catch it and chastise me (but I'm used to it).

Casino in the Del Rey. Not a great place to play. Fairness is not thier thing. Everything is in the house's favor. 1 Canasta table, 2 tute tables,
3 Rummy tables. No American Blackjack. No poker room. Machines are tight, so don't expect to hit a jackpot. Only reason for going here is the eye candy which is abundant.

Casino Colonial. Just two doors east of the Del Rey on Avenida Primera. This is a real casino. A lot of machines but they are also tight. Possibly 12 tables including: Craps, Canasta, Tute, Piagow, Blackjack and Rummy.
If you play blackjack, If you split say 8's and get a 3, they won't let you double down. Poker every friday night at 8:00PM. Very elegent atmosphere.

Horseshoe. Caty Corner from the Del Rey. 2 levels: First floor consists of appox. 9 tables plus Craps. Games include Blackjack, Rummy, tute, piagow (3 tables full of local chinese residents). Upstairs is a resturant, a few machines and the Poker area. Not sure of the times for the poker but I think it daily.

Casino Fiesta: Adjacent to the famous Presidente on Ave. Central. The first floor is a sea of Machines. Second floor has more machines with a table area of about 5 or 6 tables. Games include Blackjack, Rummy, tute and Canasta. This place really isn't my cup of tea so I really don't know too much about it.

Casino Gran Hotel Costa Rica. Located in the back part of the lobby of the Gran Hotel CR. Yesterday, I heard that they took out all the tables and it's nothing but machines now. Haven't been there for a while.

Casino Paradisio. Located one block north of Zona Blue in the Clarion Amon Plaza Hotel. This casino has great atmosphere and is usually quiet.
They have a Texas Hold Em Poker game every Friday and Sunday. Tables number 8 and include tute, 3 card tute, blackjack, one on one (the only one in Costa Rica) Texas Hold Em, Roulette and Rummy. Lots of machines that seem fair to me (This is the only place in CR where I hit a Royal).

Holiday Inn Aurura. Located on top floor of Holiday Inn across the park from the Del Rey, this casino offers a quiet atmosphere with a spectacular view. Very few machines but they have about 8 tables. Opens at 2:00PM.

Casino Tropical. Located one block west of the Del Rey, they offer 24 hour service, about 8 tables plus a canasta set up. No Hold Em game.
Lots of machines. Good for Cherry Master players. You'll find lots of Chinese playing piagow. Kind of a local crowd.

Casino Europa. Located downstairs in the Raddison hotel. This place will cost you 1500 colone taxi ride from the Del Rey. Worth the trip. Free lunch buffet for players every day. Lots of machines. Tables number about 15 and include Pia Gow, tute, Blackjack, Rummy, Let it ride and Canasta. Nice Poker room (Wed nights). Nice atmosphere.

Fiesta Casino at the Airport. This is the largest casino in Costa Rica and it is also the newest. Very busy at night. Machines rule but they have two pits of 6 tables each. All the popular games. Worth a visit just to see it.
Taxi will run like $12.00.

There are a couple of others like the Corobisi and the SJ Placio that are only open at night. Also, in Carari, theres the one in the Ramada Heradora and the luxury hotel next door but they are evening places too.

Well, thats it for the San Jose area, as stated above, if I missed something, I'm sure someone will note it. Good Luck!

LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

I played two short sessions of blackjack at the Horseshoe and picked up $350. I usually play $10/$20 a hand.

Yes, you can use dollars or colones. They have different chips for both. When you cash out you get paid in the currency you bought in with.

The game is very good with DAS, 3/2 on BJ, resplit pairs up to 3 times and surrender, even on an ACE if they don't get blackjack (the dealer gets their 2nd card after all hands have been played). If you double-down and the dealer gets blackjack you get your double bet back.

They are honest but they sometimes make mistakes. That can open up a whole world of confusion, even over $5.

The horseshoe will also offer a "Match Play" coupon good for up to a $25 bet.

My recommendation is do not play blackjack at the Del Rey casino.

With all due respect to Wit, the casino in the Del Rey no longer offers American style Blackjack - just rummy.
I do however agree that you should not play ANY game in the Del Rey.
I also forgot to mention in my above post that there is no gaming commision in Costa Rica - Each casino sets thier own rules which can be confusing to the gringo players.
LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

There's also a casino in the 'basement' of the Best Western Irazu. Also, there's a casino in the Intercontinental Camino Real (or whatever it's called now) across from the Multiplaza in Escazu.

LVSteve...do you still play the Cherry Masters at the Colonial? Are they still there?

Do they still have the craps table in the casino on the top floor of the Holiday Inn? It saw very little action whenever I was there. They used to have a very good free buffet there around 8:00 on the weekends though.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

GT;
Yes, I did forget about Casino Concord in the Best Western. Thanks for pointing that out. Never knew about the one in the Intercontinental - I will check it out tomorrow!
Unfortunaly, the Colonial did take out the cherry masters. I go to the Raddison to play them now (made about 10K today). Cherry masters can also be found in the shoe (upstairs) and the Tropical but no one else seems to have them anymore.
As far as I know, the Casino Aurora in the Holiday inn still has craps and the Saturday night buffet.
Good to hear from you again, GT.
LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

Done very well at the Amon on several of my trips playing REAL blackjack

My friend won $1500 playing Rummy at Del Rey over the course of about 12-15 hours straight. (Unfortunately he was rolled by a couple of chicas that night and they took it all. -- he was very drunk so it's partly his own fault)

They pretty much threw him out telling him that he was counting cards. I think they figure you must be cheating if you actually win.

That should tell you all you need to know about the HDR casino.

Gringotim;
Went over to the Intercontinental in Escazu this morning. No casino - used to be one but they closed it about 2 years ago. This according to the desk clerk at the front desk.
He did tell me however that a new casino is under construction accross the highway from Multiplaza. That would be nice as it would save me time and gas.
LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

What are the minimum US bets for craps and blackjack, $5? What are the odds on the craps table? 1X, 2X etc. For the regulars, where do you recommend for craps.

Thanks. I guess you know what I like to play!

The Colonial deals a good craps game. I usually play in colones, usually 500 colones is minimum bet, so playing in colones is cheaper. I think the minimum dollar game is 5 bucks. Odds times 2, maybe 3 on 6/8. I think the horseshoe plays minimum 5 bucks also.

Is the game at the Colonial dealt fair and is it a good game? Yes, on one trip almost all of my chica fees were courtesy of the craps game at the Colonial.

One of the reason i went to san jose is i got tired of all the people in las vegas and driving the 5 hours to tj mexico for some pay for play..i mostly bet on sports and the morazan (2ndfloor) has the best book around but i do bet on tables ...everything thing that lvsteve and others have said is true...what has happen to me at the delray !! my nite starts off the same most nites i buy in at the tute table for 100.00 (carb. poker) and you can drink for free and its a great spot to girl watch ..you can see most of the girls and if you want to call one over she can only stay and chat for a few mins and she must go, if you like her you can have stand behind you.
Yes this is a very bad game for the player but my first 2 trips i did bad (dropped about 700.00) but on my third trip i hit a few fullhouses and one nite hit 4 of a kind and made almost 2000.00 so you can win ...but alot of luck is involed , but it is a easy game and you can girl watch and most of the time you can look and tell each other what you have so you can make a better guess of what the dealer might have....also there are many of girls who play ...and as they lose , their price goes down.....

I can walk and chew gum at the same time, but when I have my money on the table, I prefer to concentrate on winning and just gamble. The chicas will always be there.

Great feedback guys. Looking forward to my first visit...