The Jaragua Casino in SD...things to beware

Larry · #1 04-22-2006, 05:41 PM

What prompted me to create this thread is the growing number of people I see complaing about the exchange rate they get when changing money in the Jaragua Casino. DO NOT change money in this casino. They will shortchange you about 10% on whatever the going rate is. They can do this because they deal with a lot of tourists who either are unaware of the actual rate or simply do not care as they are on vacation and want the convienence of changing money there.

Another thing to beware is that this casino is crawling with theives. Many of the girls hanging around the tables are prostitutes and are looking to either pickpocket you or steal your chips. They are bold and will steal your chips directly off the table if you are not looking. The security cameras turn a blind eye to this activity as do the dealers. I am not completely sure why although I suspect that security and staff are in cahoots with the theives and recieve kickbacks from money stolen off patrons. I can't come up with any other logical explaination.

Lastly and least important is the general lack of professionalism and general incompetence of those working at the casino. I am mainly speaking of the table dealers and wait staff. The table dealers do a poor job and frequently make mistakes and the waitresses are unfriendly and service is poor.

I live 2 blocks from the Jaragua and I occasionally wander in there as it is so close to home and convienent for me but I always leave annoyed. For a much better, cleaner, more professional casino in the area I recommend the casino at the Hilton on the Malecon just past Maximo Gomez.

Larry

Mirador · #2 04-22-2006, 06:04 PM

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

(Lyrics by Kenny Rogers)

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RHM · #3 04-22-2006, 07:18 PM

I have to agree with Larry. I used to play a great deal of Black Jack at the Jaragua (a few years ago) but got extremely turned off. They let anybody in...non-players sit at the tables...people are loud, obnoxious and disrespectful. The staff is poorly trained.

Avoid at all costs...go to the Hilton in the new Malecon Center. It is cleaner, nicer and the staff is excellent.

Scandall

laurapasinifan · #4 04-22-2006, 08:30 PM

hmmm. thnaks for the tip Larry. since me and my gf like to go to the casino for fun, we try to stop in if there is one in the town we are staying in.

the Gran Almirante is one I go to the most and I see that the waitstaff seldom if ever has a smile. they are not rude, they are professional and polite. But they just dont smile! Same goes for a lot of the dealers. we have to prod them to smile once in a while!...they know how to do it..maybe they never get people that want to talk nice to them, and only complain when they open theri mouth. It is just amazing how if you payed attention to all the people that work there how LITTLE any of them smile.

I will say that the dealers( at least on the roulette tables) are really on the ball. They move people off the table just sitting there watching if someone looks like they want to play. At the jack Tar casino in playa dorado they are very strict there it seemed on the few time sI went there....they would let a guy wear a hat in there, and they told a guy to button up his shirt as well.

there are a few really nice looking girls who wait at the Al mirante in santiago.

and while i see a few women who may be ladies of the night.. they all seem to be there to GAMBLE, not work the patrons...

How many casinos in Santo Domingo?.. and is it that most of you will only recomend the one already mentioned?

Bob

Larry · #5 04-22-2006, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurapasinifan

How many casinos in Santo Domingo?.. and is it that most of you will only recomend the one already mentioned?

Bob

Bob,

I have only been inside 3 casinos here in SD. The above 2 I mentioned and the one ine Hotel Naco. The only one I recommend is the one in the Hilton. I used to go to Hotel Naco casino to play poker but the players were all Dominican and had absolutely no concept of table etiquette. They would all smack the table, yell, throw cards disrespectfully towards the dealer.....things that would surely get you thrown out of a casino in USA and strong words of reprimand from other players at the table leading up to your eviction. These are obviously Dominicans with money too as they were all well dressed and there was a decent amount of money on the table. I refuse to play with people who act like that at a poker table and I was embarrased to be sitting there with them. The only poker table I have found in this country where I will sit at is Breezes in cabetere. It also dosen't hurt that that table at Breexes has been very good to my wallet

.

Larry

badpiece33 · #6 04-23-2006, 07:37 AM

Amen Larry how come you waited so long to let us know about this place??? You could have told me before they threw me out of there in Febuary for arguing with a dealer who 4 times couldn't count and tried to take my money when i beat her all 4 times!!!! I dont think they do it intentionally, they just cant count

Badpiece

Musicqueen · #7 04-23-2006, 12:05 PM

If you guys want to gamble...why don't you just GO TO LAS VEGAS???

I think only fools would go into a casino in DR of all places!!! Of course the dealers will **** you off...they DON'T know how to count...or don't you know that the majority of Dominicans have very little education? DO you THINK the people that work in those casinos are any better??? Come on...you should know better!!!

As for the wait staff...anywhere...(oh, maybe except in some AI's) they are not trained at all on customer service...they could care less if you leave them a tip or not...they don't know that the tip goes according to the way they treat you!!!

Guys...come on...there are MUCH BETTER things to do in DR than going to a place where you KNOW they WILL STEAL your money!!!

They have your permission, basically...you are just handing it over to them...right there on the tables...

MQ

laurapasinifan · #8 04-23-2006, 12:38 PM

MQ, I doubt anyone goes to the DR to gamble it just a side attraction thats RIGHT there for the taking. And i bet for the most part its just certain casinos where there are issues. In the Gran Almirante, I have never heard a commotion over at the black jack tables, and they are always full! I have walked around while my gf plays roulette and have watched the Black jack tables at times. I never have seen a problem so far. I think the dealers are pretty sharp there. Only once have I seen where the dealer might have messed up. that was in Puerto Plata and the girl said she had some chips on a spot in roulette. i told her just demand to see the video. the guy thought she was lying. They brought the floor boss over and in about 20 mminutes they came back and admited she had won. they cleared the table, put her chips on the number put the ball in the number on the wheel spun the wheel, and paid her!!!!!!!! I had heard some casinos where bad down in the DR, with corruption you knw it has to happen. But the big houses know they dont have to do that to make maoney. they just need to make people keep coming back. and you do that by not pizzing the customers off

bob

Larry · #9 04-23-2006, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicqueen

Guys...come on...there are MUCH BETTER things to do in DR than going to a place where you KNOW they WILL STEAL your money!!!

They have your permission, basically..

MQ

I dont know what you are talking about. I started the thread to warn people. Tourists do not "know they will steal your money" here as you stated. On the contrary, any tourist would expect that a place as nice as the Jaragua would be run properly, be safe and completely legitimate. I have been in casinos on cruise ships where the dealers and wait staff were completely professional and competent AND the vast majority of them were from 3rd world countries. So, arguing that I should expect casino staff to be incompetent because that casino is located in a third world country is rediculous.

And no they do not "have my permission" to steal my money as you say. That statement is rediculous. The casino in the Hilton is a 10 minute walk from the Jaragua and the staff is excellent there and the casino security does not let the riff raff you find in the Jaragua into the Hilton. So don't tell me to go to Vegas MQ...go back to your sankie threads where you have some insight to add.

Larry

RHM · #10 04-23-2006, 05:09 PM

The only correction I would make is that the Jaragua is NOT a nice place, but it used to be. They have lost a lot of their business because it has sunk pretty low. They let anyone wander in from the street. Prostitutes and scumbags outnumber customers.

Go to the new Hilton. It is far superior to the Jaragua in every category.

Scandall