Playing Casino Blackjack in Costa Rica

Hi all -

Im going to be traveling shortly ( in June ) to Costa Rica for a belated honeymoon and the resort Im staying at has a casino with blackjack.

What type of playing conditions should I expect? Similar to Vegas and Atlantic City?

If anyone can give me a breakdown on rules in Costa Rica that would be great - for example ( decks in shoe , standing on 17's , doubling down , splitting, etc.

I am going specifically to the Barcelo Playa Tambor Resort and Casino in Tambor, Costa Rica.

Any help will be very much appreciated - Please email this list or email me personally at djspurlz@swfla.rr.com

Thanks for any help

Michael

Not sure about the tambor, but I was in San Jose a couple of weeks ago and posted the game conditions (see non-USA section). There is only one casino that deals true BJ: it's called the Horseshoe near the hotel Del Rey downtown. 6 decks awful penetration (3 decks!!!). You can "haggle" for a deeper cut if there are 4 players or more at the table.
All the other games are called Rummy, which is what you are likely to find at the Tambor. Usually 4 decks with excellent pen, BJ 1:1, 3 of a kind or a suited sequence on the first 3 cards pays 3:1, with 3-7"s 5:1. RSA, and you can take additional cards when you split aces, S17, DAS, early surrender. But all these good rules will not make up for the brutal 1:1 on BJ. My advice: play craps at a slight disadvantage, and have fun with the girls at the Del Rey.
If you want something unusual, go to the Park hotel downtown San Jose. The bar closes the doors around 10PM, and it's really wild!!!
Nick

I submitted a report to bjrnet.com a while back on Costa Rica. You can see it there.

Robbie

They smile because . . . :-)

We're not allowed to talk about the other kind of BJ here.

It's on bjrnet.com under message boards and then under Central America. It's also in a back issue of blackjack forum, if you subscribe to it.

They were cutting off 1.5 decks out of 4 decks in Puntarenos.