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Looking for a Casino near Sosua... Any ideas
Playa Chiquita is our favorite. Lots of locals, Expats and some tourists. Table stakes are also lower. A relaxed atmosphere
The one at the beach entrance (across from the old Sosua Bay hotel) is newer, flashier, much higher stakes and does not feel comfortable for me.
Both have no problem taking your money
Bob K
The one at the beach entrance (across from the old Sosua Bay hotel) is newer, flashier, much higher stakes and does not feel comfortable for me.
Both have no problem taking your money
Bob K
Watch your drinks and read about the progressive games. Casinos in the DR don't work by the same rules in Vegas and people can be extorted for a lot of money if they aren't careful.
I knew an ex-pat who made a living playing Texas Hold-em. He did well since he only had to be in the top three of ten to break even and most of the folks he played weren't that experienced. I think first place got half the pot, second place got 25%, third broke even, and the house got 15%.
I knew an ex-pat who made a living playing Texas Hold-em. He did well since he only had to be in the top three of ten to break even and most of the folks he played weren't that experienced. I think first place got half the pot, second place got 25%, third broke even, and the house got 15%.
I have played a lot of poker in the area, but not in the last year, so if things have changed it has been in that time period. The poker table at the Sosua Bay casino increased the buy in beyond my comfort level, to about $250. I prefer about a $100 buy in. I played once at Playa Chiquita two years ago in their Friday night tournament(and won.) The buy in was about $60, with re-buys the first hour or so. There were 30-40 entrants.
Most of my poker playing has been in the Playa Dorada area, one inside the gate to the left, and the other on the main road by the Iberostar resort. Both have had good cash games and a full table. They have offered tournaments at times in the past.
The most important thing to be aware of is the scam game of Dominican Roulette, or whatever they call it. They are smooth operators and will suck you dry of your bank account. It is usually an elevated area near the entrance, with an attractive gal and slick English speaking guy running it. They pull numbered balls out of a hopper, and you are always 1 point away from a gajillion dollar payout. The cost to bet doubles every time. Don't get suckered into it.
All of the above casinos offer blackjack. I have no experience in them, but have heard complaints of perceived cheating by the house.
Most of my poker playing has been in the Playa Dorada area, one inside the gate to the left, and the other on the main road by the Iberostar resort. Both have had good cash games and a full table. They have offered tournaments at times in the past.
The most important thing to be aware of is the scam game of Dominican Roulette, or whatever they call it. They are smooth operators and will suck you dry of your bank account. It is usually an elevated area near the entrance, with an attractive gal and slick English speaking guy running it. They pull numbered balls out of a hopper, and you are always 1 point away from a gajillion dollar payout. The cost to bet doubles every time. Don't get suckered into it.
All of the above casinos offer blackjack. I have no experience in them, but have heard complaints of perceived cheating by the house.
A good rule of thumb is to be careful of anyone who speaks perfect English and wants to "help you." With the Blackjack, I hear the rules for the house to hit isn't the same as in the US and elsewhere.
Do they still do Texas Hold 'em at Rocky's once a week?
Do they still do Texas Hold 'em at Rocky's once a week?
Many people usually imagine house cheating in Blackjack - including me. The usual complain is that there may be (face) cards missing from the deck. But they don't usually bother with these, they make enough money with the house edge.
What I have seen is that they cut the deck short sometime if they are suspecting of card counters on the table. Then again that doesn't bother me, I don't count. For a effective card counting you need about 75% cards in play (in 6+ decks), they cut it around half, so effectively making card counting useless.
However, I recently noticed something a bit odd, and that was the dealer put his first card down, then picked and moved the second card hovering over the first, then on various occasions flip the first or sometime flip the second. Now usually dealers have a habit of turning the first or second, but rarely change this. From what I heard most casinos have no rule for this, so they can do either, but why changing it every so often during a shoe !
So then I had a better look around the place where they keep the chips, there is a shiny metal bar around that area, I was thinking you can easily see the reflection of a face card on there (no need for detail just if it is or isn't) - may be that's why the dealer turning over face cards so often sometimes !!?!?
Anyway, simply my imagination, as always ....
Why the hell couldn't you have told me about that guy two years ago? He cleaned me out of $300 before I knew what hit me.
Hell, man, you got off cheap. I talked to a Canadian guy who had lost $17,000 the week before. Over on Tripadvisor there are dozens of people with losses of $1000+. Still, 300 bucks down a rathole is just that. Theoretically the game is against the law, whatever that means in the DR. I talked to the guy running the Ocean World casino. He had been approached by several operators of this game, with promises of a 90+% return. He refused all.
I was in the casino in Playa Dorada playing poker when I saw a young couple getting sucked into that game. The script was being played out, and they stepped away to figure out how to get more cash and chase the big payout. I walked over to them and told them it was a scam. Of course, they didn't believe me, because who you gonna believe, a drunk old tourist, or Mr. Shiny with all the money? My friend the poker manager told me to be aware that the interested parties would surely take note of my intervention, and it was very easy to arrange an "accident" for me.
BTW, back to the OP's question, I didn't mention the Ocean World casino. When I went there two years ago, they would pay the taxi fare(from Puerto Plata) there and back if you went out there. It's the closest to a Vegas type casino, but small, like 3000 sq. ft. And they guy running the place is from my home town of Kansas City. Dead ringer for old David Crosby.
I was in the casino in Playa Dorada playing poker when I saw a young couple getting sucked into that game. The script was being played out, and they stepped away to figure out how to get more cash and chase the big payout. I walked over to them and told them it was a scam. Of course, they didn't believe me, because who you gonna believe, a drunk old tourist, or Mr. Shiny with all the money? My friend the poker manager told me to be aware that the interested parties would surely take note of my intervention, and it was very easy to arrange an "accident" for me.
BTW, back to the OP's question, I didn't mention the Ocean World casino. When I went there two years ago, they would pay the taxi fare(from Puerto Plata) there and back if you went out there. It's the closest to a Vegas type casino, but small, like 3000 sq. ft. And they guy running the place is from my home town of Kansas City. Dead ringer for old David Crosby.
Yes, at recommended above, STAY AWAY from that game with the balls that an American usually runs. It's fixed and you will lose your butt.
Read some of the old threads on this, the stories are awful.
Read some of the old threads on this, the stories are awful.