Staying in San Jose for a night with a bunch of friends, then a 3 bedroom penthouse in Jaco for the next week or so (brag). Any 2+2ers want to hang out, shoot the **** and grab some beers with a bunch of chill guys and girls?

Headed to Joca in mid August for a bachelor party. Please share anything you learn casino or poker wise on Joca. I'm interested in the poker piece but my degenerate friends are not all poker players

It is great to do research first.
A number of years ago I went and played poker in a small room inside a casino. After getting my head handed to me I made friends with one of the players and found out that 7 of the 9 players lived their and played nightly together the room was owned by Alex Brenes, and that earlier that year 15 players from Costa Rica chartered a plane to Vegas for the WSOP, this was pre 2005. Still hurt losing my money, but felt a little better on who I lost it to. They just sit around and wait for rich tourists to come in and feed of them.

Seriously contemplating the option of Costa Rica for grinding next winter. Saw a few different posts on rake being 5 0r 10%, capped and uncapped... Which one is it? Big difference, as uncap, I would find another destination...

Seems like the games are 1-2 and 2-5 deepstack, still the case? And is it possible to store your money at the casino? Thx

Can anyone update this forum? I'm headed down in May, need to know if any games are going in the beach towns, current action in San Jose. Thanks!

Anybody here who currently lives in Costa Rica? I'm considering moving there to play. I'd like to meet and hang out with some other players for a few days and check out the scene.

Dubnjoy, are you in Costa Rica now or have you been?

Nope, am in Vietnam and never ended up going to grind a winter there (but was briefly in Costa Rica in 2002 though...). I believe you might get more answers in the other Costa Rica threads :

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/92...-rica-1587886/

GL

Does Dewey still own a casino there?

Been meaning to update this since my trip last summer. When I was there the inner city Tico game was at the Taormina. Cash game was 500/1000 (essentially $1/$2). Tourneys ran nightly and were mostly under 100 buy-ins. Me and the two people I came down with finished in top ten in tourney we played in with 100 in field. Mostly a Spanish speaking game and angle shots and talk about hands in Spanish while three handed was rampant. Still came out ahead in cash there. Good cultural experience for sure. Game at Del Ray was never running week I was there. Game at Casino Fiesta limping along with 4 players one night, otherwise wasn't running. The suburb game is still at the Sheraton and was running a few tables each night. They play with dollar chips. 1/3 main game, sometimes they get a 2/5 off and at the time they were getting a 5/5 PLO game going every Tuesday night that sounded pretty good. Only other game I played was the 2/5 at Casino Cocal in Jaco Beach. That game has a base of NYC old timers that buy in for $1000 and will rebuy until game breaks. Best part of that game are the guys staying at Cocal on sex vacations looking to chip up to score more hookers. My roommate and I cleaned up on that game.

sounds fun! My spanish is getting pretty solid maybe I should go down and check out that PLO!

Any poker in Tamarindo these days? I'll be there for a week at the end of this month and would like to play a little. Thanks.

Ryan1584 nailed the poker scene. He left out Sheraton Escazu just on outskirts of San Jose. More locals no Gringos.

The Hotel/Casino Del Ray has a fast game going every night 7pm -3am plus or minus. Wealthy Costa Rican's (by there standards) come to Del Rey to pick off Gringos looking for Hookers (200 walking around inside casino!!!) this s legal in CR.
If you play ABC poker you can come out ahead. Take taxi at night - seedy neighborhood.

The Taormorina just 2 blocks away has a spicier game with 1000+ deep stacks. It's juicy but solid players. Too fast for me...

The cocal casino hotel in Jaco is my favorite. Beach, beers, and a pretty soft game. Half local gringo nits and half drunk womanizing gringos don't mind losing $300 to try to make $600!! O yea...and fabulous 20 year old chicas to talk too.

Good fun.

Could anyone explain the Visa/long stay situation for a couple European guys looking to move out to Costa Rica? Is it a simple case of staying for 90 days and then taking a short trip across the border or are things a little stricter than this? Thanks if you're able to shed some light on this.

You need to leave for country for 3 days. Take Tico bus to Nicargua or Panama! Then re-enter.