www.CostaRicaTicas.com

From this thread it definitely doesn't sound like a casino where any real gambler is going to play...

This is crap!!! I went to check it out last week and there is no topless anything. The very nice hostess will try to buy you a drink and suck you into a different game. She will tell you the topless blackjack may be in another month.

Topless BlackJack is now open on the third floor. Sorry it took so long! We were trying to hire some dealers that would fit our critera and we could not hire even one dealer that any of us would be happy with. We went a different route, we hired some beautiful women and taught them how to deal. I assure you it was worth the wait! Come by and see us! Thank you, Gino

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The all new Horsehoe Casino Downtown SJO!

Bob,
First of all, Topless Blackjack is now open on the third floor. Sorry it took so long! We were trying to hire some dealers that would fit our criteria (Smokin Hot!) and we could not hire even find one dealer that any of us would be happy with. We went a different route, we hired some beautiful women and taught them how to deal. I assure you it was worth the wait! Come by and see us!
I have read your post over and over. I apologize you were upset but I do have an issue with a few things you said. You said the dealer cut 2 1/2 to 3 decks instead of 2. Then you say "I told him that I was done trying to find a fair game at the Horseshoe." Your saying you can't get a "fair Game" at the Horseshoe because in your opinion the dealer cut possibly as few as a half a deck. I am the first to admit I am not a professional dealer by any means but how is that denying you a fair game? I called Max Rubin to find out if we were in anyway doing anything unethical or unfair in any way. The only difference cutting the shoe too deep is the shoe wouldn't last as long and the shuffle would come sooner.
You said you spoke to the Manager and Frank and they didn't give a shit. That is not the case by any means. A meeting was called over this the following afternoon and the dealers were told to be more careful when they cut the shoe.
We went out and spent over $100k on Shuffle masters, 50% of the people love them, 50% won't play with them. It seems like no matter what you do, not everyone is always going to be happy.

I'm sorry you were unhappy with the cut of the cards. I asked the manager on duty about how we could have handled the situation differently. He said if we would have reshuffled, that would have also pissed everyone off. All we can do is meet with the dealers, tell them to be more careful in the future.
I assure you and everyone else, we offer a fair game! We have very fair odds. We care about our players and try to take care of them the best we can.
Bob, come back at night when the 3rd floor is open. I promise, when you play at one of our third floor tables with our beautiful topless dealers, you will not be concerned with the "Cut"!!

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The all new Horsehoe Casino Downtown SJO!

Ok, Lubeman
Do us all a favor. Please post exactly what time this topless blackjack thing is happening.So we do not have to waste any trips.It will probably help with the board goodwill as well.

Some people just don't "get it".

Lubeman, Here are my unsolicited views on this matter:
1. Most guys who are putting up their money couldn't care less if the girl was topless or nude or giving BJs between shuffles. They just want a fair game with logical rules that moves along with the least amount of BS.

2. Having a topless dealer, or a girl sitting next to you, is merely a distraction and adds very little value for the player. It's good for the casino (like giving away free drinks) but it doesn't help the player's game.

3. Having unresponsive management is a good way to destroy ANY business. Where people are wagering it is even more highened. And what exactly did you expect them to say???

4. NO ONE WHO HAS ANY CLUE ABOUT BLACKJACK WILL PLAY ON A TABLE WITH A CONTINUOUS SHUFFLER. Now if your Shuffle Master machines are only used as automatic shuffles and the cards are not constantly being put back into the shuffler before the cut card has been reached, then that is a different story.

5. The cut is one of the methods that will keep the game moving. Some casinos put a slot in the back of the shoe. The cut card goes there so it's always the same. In a 6-deck shoe, cutting off 1 1/2 decks is plenty. In an 8-deck shoe 2 decks would be standard.

6. There are plenty of CRT members here who have casino experience on both sides of the tables. I would suggest you talk to them and not the locals who for the most part have never had a clue.

Of course you could continue to operate as any other "Muy Tico" business. Up to you.

First of all : The more the cut in the deck the less penetration. Less penetration = better house odds. This is a fact. Better odds for the house by percentage. . Even in a single deck game you as a player want the least cut going all the way thru the deck as close to the end as possible. Max Rubin knows this and if you are in the business you should know it as well . Shuffle Masters are the best thing the house has going and the worst for the serious player. You wasted 100 k for your size casino. More hands per hour and more of a random deal gives the casino a clear house edge by percentage. . Are you in the casino business or the distraction business. They do not mix. Even Benny Binion said he did not want his players distracted when they were " working " . Ask Max he will tell you it is a fact. Your thoughts and efforts will fail. Go back to Orlando where you know what you are doing.Those dollars you skimmed out of there to put in the Horseshoe in Costa Rica were = to a wasted bad business plan with no / poor due diligence. Just an opinion from a veteran casino player. Bob Stupak you are not.

I'm not sure what is is "I just don't get"

First of all it you read Bobs first sentence.

"I went over Tuesday afternoon to play some blackjack and look for this "supposed" nude dealer blackjack on the 3rd floor".
So obviously he was looking for a "distraction". That's what I was refering to.

Our Shuffle masters "ARE NOT" continuous shufflers. They shuffle the decks and they go in the shoe.

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The all new Horsehoe Casino Downtown SJO!

He wanted to check it out but I've known Bob for over 5 years and I can guarantee you if the game sucks, whether it be from bad rules or incompetence, he won't be playing. And no one else should either.

Thanks for the update on the shufflers but as ccharlie said, you wasted your money. I hope for your $100K they also included a full-time technician to keep them working. With such a small operation you better shoot for better than 50% satisfaction or you're going to be losing more money.

Charlie, thanks for your response. Now to clear up a few misconceptions about blackjack and casinos in general.
A. Less penetration has NOTHING to do with house odds, unless you are a professional blackjack player. Most savvy casino operators have a shallow penetration because it means that they’ll get our more hands, which means they will win more money over the long run. Less penetration is better for the pro because they can make better betting and playing decisions and thus gain a mathematical advantage over the house.
B. A single deck is better than a double deck and a double deck is better than an eight deck shoe for the player. The explanation takes too long for this forum, but trust me, those are the facts.
C. ShuffleMasters are good for the house because they reduce downtime lost by shuffling and create more decisions, which in turn are generally better for the house. You are 100% correct in that they are not the SERIOUS player’s friend, IF and only IF you mean that the serious player is someone with enough blackjack chops to have an advantage against the house.
D. All casinos are in the “distraction business.” Hence the nearly naked waitresses serving free drinks and tobacco in a room with loud music and flashy lights to people who are trying to concentrate on their cards.
E. What Benny actually said about distractions was that he didn’t want musician “blowing my profits out of the end of his horn while he distracts my players.” Benny may have been the most distractive operator of all time when you factor in that he was the first operator in Vegas to havegirls with big tits automatically serving free double cocktails, even to slot players in a room which had hideous carpets and flashing lights over the pits. He also was the first casino owner to live by the philosophy that “no one ever goes home hungry.” His business model was to offer all of the above and have the loosest rules in the world, which he could offer because he had the sharpest bosses in the world and if they caught you violating them, they’d take you down into the basement and break your bones.
F. If you are a bona fide SERIOUS blackjack player trying to make a decent living off of casinos (which I have done for decades), there isn’t a single casino in all of Costa Rica that will support anything more than a hand-to-mouth lifestyle. If you’re serious about making a living at the game, I suggest that you visit California, Nevada, Mississippi and especially Missouri.
G. The business model at the Horseshoe is quite simple. Deal a decent game, monitored by (hopefully) sociable managers, provide loose comps and then throw in some drinks and uniquely sexy situations into the mix so that recreational gamblers and party animals who visit Costa Rica (which make up 99.9% of ‘em all) go home with some vivid and pleasant memories of the Horseshoe and they don’t have to spend a fortune doing it.
H. You’re right in that Lubeman is no Bob Stupak. Stupak was nothing more than a brilliant snake oil salesman who told his suckers, er...guests, that he “lost money on every roll and made up for it on volume.” At the time he ran the Stratosphere (into the ground, by the way), they had the worst blackjack and dice rules in the world (Double Exposure Blackjack and Crapless Craps.....Google them and you’ll see what I mean) and he was skewered by the press as having been the perpetrator of the biggest and most fraudulent marketing scheme in gambling history.
I. Gambling, Whiskey and Bare Naked Titties are a magic trail mix. The Horseshoe is the only casino in the world where you can get all three in the same room.

Good luck

Max Rubin

First let me say that my intention isn't,nor has it ever been my intention to get into a pissing contest about the horseshoe Casino. I have the utmost respect for Max Rubin as a player and casino consultant. I am told that he no longer is associated with the Horseshoe. Policies were initiated there when he was involved that made the BJ game fair for the "recreational" player and the "serious" player. Max initiated a system of notching the shoe at a 2 deck cut which is fair for everyone without giving the "serious player a distinct advantage. My complaint was that the dealer was cutting closer to 3 decks and the managers had a shitty attitude when I asked about it. I guess you could call me a serious player,but with the limits the way they are,no one is going to win a lot of money there.

To Lubeman..... It is your casino and you are certainly entitled to operate it in any manner you see fit. Other than that I post on a website,my opinions are just that...my opinions. I would like to respond to some inaccuracies in this discussion. When I had my incident (not my first) I went to BOTH play blackjack AND check out the supposed topless dealers because guys were asking about what was going on and I live here so it is easy for my to drop by to confirm what is being written. I wasn't LOOKING for a distraction. When I play BJ I play BJ.When I look for chicas...I look for or at chicas.I don't do both at the same time.
Next let me clear up some other misconception you have about CSMs. (continuous shuffle machines) Personally,as was stated here previously,the purpose of the CSMs,which I am told you have just installed is totally to the House's advantage and has no advantage to the "serious" or "recreational" player. A "serious" player such as myself won't play with them since it negates ANY chance to bring the game to an even chance. So why play. The "recreational player is guaranteed to lose his money faster if for no other reason that the hands/per/hour is significantly increased and thus the money goes faster. Most players know they are going to lose,but they want to at least make their money last for a while so a shoe game is preferable.
Lastly my biggest complaint was the "attitude" of the management. On a prior attempt to play I was told that I could ONLY play at a nearly full table and they couldn't open a second BJ table.This came from a manager who was bust playing Tute with 2 other casino employees.They were too busy to get another table opened for a cash customer. So I left and didn't return for several Months until this latest attempt. I see your "host" requently and he was always asking me why I don't come in to play.So I decided to play and check the "naked" situation to report back to this website. The ATTITUDE I got when I tried to point out to management that the house rule was supposed to be a 2 deck cut and the dealer was cutting closer to 3 decks was the final straw for me.
Please give me a reason to play there.

Bob, Can you tell me what day this was and the approx. time? Who were the other 2 people playing cards with the Manager. We want to pull the tapes so we can see the entire situation.
All I can say is I appologize. We want everyone to be happy. Infact, that's why we bought the shuffle machines. We had a lot of complaints the shuffle took too long. It had nothing to do with a house advantage.
I'm actually surprised to hear people don't like them because it speeds the game up due to eliminating the time to shuffle. When I go to a casino to play, if I have the option of a table with a shuffler and one being shuffled by hand, I will take the table with the machine any everytime. i personally hate sitting there for 5 mnutes while they shuffle.
We had a great response when we first introduced the first shufflers.

Max is absoluty involved. He posted last night. Max put slots in the shoe so the cut would be consistant. Why they aren't using the slot is beyond me. We have had the complaint before, we addressed it, the dealer was warned and until now, we thought the dealers were following procedure and using the slot in the shoe to cut the deck.
We will rectify the problem. The dealer will be warned when we see who it is. We will also talk with the supervsors and manager that was on duty.
I am friends with Tom of CRTS and want all of you to be happy. That's why we hosted the party this year. We are offered suggestios all the time and we make changes constantly from these suggestions.
Anyone that deals with employees understands, sometimes they are the toughest part of being in business.
I hope you decide to come back. If not, I do understand. My heart is in the place and things like this make me sick to my stomach. All you can do is try to do a better job moving forward.
Please give me the info of when this happened so I can address the right person! Thanky you again!

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The all new Horsehoe Casino Downtown SJO!

Lubeman...... I believe we met when Max and Mike brought you out to the blackjack tourney at the Fiesta Casino in Alajuella. The last thing I want to do is get involved with issues between employees and the owner of a casino. It's not my place to "rat out" employees with a shitty attitude or aren't following directions. You have had several other posters here who have expressed similar experiences so perhaps it's something you should investigate.

As far as the shuffling machines are concerned,it's certainly your call as to what is best for your business. My suggestion (for what it's worth) is that you have both machines and shoe games available and let the customer decide what he likes better. This way,no one walks out because of their preference. This is done in most other casinos in CR that have the CSMs available. For example,in the past I have seen many customers leave the Colonial casino because either BJ wasn't available (only rummy) or that both games were only availble with CSMs. Their solution was to at least have rummy available with or without the machines. I'm sure it increased business. As you know,the last thing you want to have happen is for customers to walk out because their game of choice isn't available. My experience is that lots of players don't "trust" machines. In the last few days,I have had players come to the Colonial while I was playing,and play bj after leaving the Horseshoe because a shoe game wasn't available.

The Horseshoe casino has the potential to be a fun and fair place to play. I would like to wait some time to see the possible changes,then try once again to play there.

What days of the week and times of the day are topless BJ tables available?

I would like to go and be distracted

It is open Thursday thru Sunday from 7 pm to ?? at least 2am. We started last Thursday and every night every seat was full. So far we are having a great response! We may be expanding this concept to other areas of the casino. Apperently there are a lot of guys out there looking for this sort of distraction!

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The all new Horsehoe Casino Downtown SJO!