2002-2004 Archived Santo Domingo Reports

[Almotu]

To All,

I am currently in SD, staying at Hotel Palacio in Zona Colonial. I have been getting around by using a taxi driver/guide. I have been here since Sunday night, right now it's Wednesday night and he has taken me to Casa Azul, Mona Lisa and Casa Michelle (I think it is the same as Spa Michelle).

If any mongers are in town and want to hit some places please PM me. This guide that I am using is steering me to certain places and I think I am paying a premium. Casa Azul (2,500 for 3 hours at my hotel but the girl left after only 1 hour) Mona Lisa (2,500 for FS massage <1.5 hours) and Casa Michelle (3,000 for 1hour FS) Am I overpaying? I would like to hang with someone who knows the ropes.

Almotu

[RearWindow]

There's a keno horror story thread there that will make your jaw drop. Someone got torched for about 12grrr. due to having to use credit cards as security. I just avoid casinos altogether. I find enough things to waste my money on while i'm in the DR.

[Ford]

To Dorman,

I don't want to continue going "off-topic" on this board or make you continue to relive your pain, but I just read your Keno story and I was amazed. I'm sorry for your losses but I want to thank you for throwing the information up here for the rest of us to read. I always heard Keno was a scam but I never heard a first-person account.

It sounds like a "pyramid" game rigged to draw in patsy's. What was the bottom line number on your losses, if you don't mind saying?

[Dorman]

Thanks Pollo, no offence taken, that's just the info I needed, I'm glad I've cleared that up.

Ok then everybody we've been warned stay clear of Keno, spend your money on more enjoyable things.

Good luck

[Reality]

I have never had a customs official ask me for anything, in fact they always wave me past the xray machine in SDQ.Maybe I look SO gringo that they don't bother with me.

That happened to me in Puerto Plata, i think my mistake was showing them that i knew spanish which they insisted i give them a tip, thinking that if i did i could go through customs quickly i foolishly gave them 3 dollars, the girl still checked my bag and sent me to the supervisor when she couldnt figure out what my laptop was even though i had explained it to her. Next time i will pretend that i do not speak spanish and refuse to tip.

[Grand Pollo]

Thanks JD, I knew I would get good advice in this forum, I really appreciate it. I can see that it is madness to play this game but what about my situation? I was only one point short, I had already put out so much, if I wasn't reliant on a credit card and could afford the loss was the dealer correct, should I have gone on?

Whatever the answer, your advice is sound stay away from this table folks.

No. That game is rigged and is aimed at idiots, no insult intended. There are several reported cases of losses in the $10,000 and up range from losers who thought the same way you did. Wrongly.

[Smile1974]

Tabu:

These girls were rob you all very low class...good for starting the night as they will be all over you for the chance you will take them home you can get 1000 or 1500 TLN (I personnaly was robbed inthe club a few years ago a few 100 dollars and recently the girl in my hotel robbed me for 600 dollars.....I was warned by a local domincan guy before entering that this mah happen but i thought he is the competition from next door...

Lapsus:

Decent girls all asking like 2300 to 2600 TLN never took out a girl from there and wondering how they are ... The girls dont stay over at night there they may give you their phone number (watching the boss should not see) where you may get them cheaper.

Aurora:

The girls sit outside so when you pass by you see them never saw any attractive girls there..The owner quote me 900 TLN.

Bar at the Juragua:

Usually slow and 4000 for 2 hours

Bar venezia right next to the Napolitano:

Not sure would like info on it

Remington:

Big selection, set price of 2000 TLN not taking advantge of gringos etc. girls are mostly GFE

Modelos:
Can someone provide info on them?

TERESA:

Very good looking girls BUT a total rip off got quoted 8900 for TLN and i told them i keep on coming to the capittal they will have repeat buissnes they went to 8500 (what a joke) went once again and they asked for 7500 ..Stay away if you want your moneys worth...

AZUL:

Small selection when I was there also overpriced.

I have a few questions:

1) My driver took me with his little english to the "poor area" (in his words) of SD there is many clubs there with tons of girls and i have seen some very nice ones did not take anything ..any idea price, saftey ?

2) Alos does anyonne know if there is a place that you can pick up a girl during the day for TLN in SD and what would be the price for them?

3) Can you take the girls of the Massage parlors like mona lisa, michele out for TLN, and what would be the price?

4) I was told that at the university if you come with a car and a few beers girls would just hop in not P4P how true is that can anyone confirm? Also i would love to get a nice girl for the weekend to an all inclusive not p4p just for fun dance food yada yada can anyone recomand whats the best wayto go about it?

Thanks in Advance

David

Stephen Gibson. . . . .In santo Domingo, which is a large city, the action is both spread out and concentrated.

There are a LOT of places in Santo Domingo. Some are spread out all over the city, but in the Gazcue area there is a high concentration of places all within walking distance.

Off the top of my head walking distance from gazcue:

Elegante
Cisne
Mona Lisa
Michele
Stefani
OMI
Princessa
52
Suenos real
a new place that I don't know the name of

plus at night

tabu
lapsus
aurora
and for freelancers the merengue bar at the juragua
plus bar venezia right next to the Napolitano

Remington and modelos are both short cab rides away

teresa and azul a bit further but not very far

further yet in the west:

Penthouse
Geisha
Shalimar
Divas De Placer
Tabu II

on the other side of the bridge:

Dblanca
patio oriental
la sama
ejecutivo
Alibi
fuentes de mano
Pacos out near the airport

plus strip clubs:
sutra
jazzys
ciudad de angeles

[Dorman]

Thanks JD, I knew I would get good advice in this forum, I really appreciate it. I can see that it is madness to play this game but what about my situation? I was only one point short, I had already put out so much, if I wasn't reliant on a credit card and could afford the loss was the dealer correct, should I have gone on?

Whatever the answer, your advice is sound stay away from this table folks.

[JD de Moca]

This is about something that happened to me on a trip to Santo Domingo last May, it's something that bothered me at the time, and I realise that this forum would be the sort of place I could get some truthful information, sorry if it's a bit off topic but as many mongers indulge in other vices when they travel it might be helpful for some other people here.

I I just got a feeling that I was being taken for a fool.

The guy in charge of the table was a very personable American chap, and I couldn't make up my mind whether he was the real deal or a master con artist. He said that I could leave the table as it was for 24 hours to think about it and when I came back the house would continue the game, it all seemed so convenient. I asked him straight what he would do, he said that he could not advise me but if he were in my situation a loaded gun to his head wouldn't stop him playing on, not after I had gone so far. Well obviously he would say that wouldn't he, but then he again he had a point, I had laid out so much money why stop now?

My question is this, assuming that the Melia is an upfront honest operation and the draw is not fixed, though I wasn't entirely convinced on that issue at the time (I think for the sake of argument we accept that they run a clean operation), was the dealer right? Should I have continued to the end? Or should I have done what every teaching since childhood told me - cut your losses, don't throw good money after bad, a fool and his money is soon parted - and quit?

It is not something that caused me a great deal of pain but I would love to know from more experienced gamblers what the score is on this game.

The game is rigged to seperate you from your money. There are stories on DR1 about people who got ripped off as well for several thousand dollars.

Your teaching is correct, cut your losses.

Next time stick to BlackJack. At least the house's edge is only about 1%
playing Basic Strategy.

JD

[RearWindow]

The immigration officials are the ones who take and stamp your passport and tourist card. After the luggage area are customs officials who have been known (say, 99.9% of the time) to ask for money.

I avoid them totally , thus getting rid of the threat and the hassle. Stand your ground, don't let on you speak Spanish (and from what I read here that won't be a challenge for seemingly all of people who are going there) and ask for a receipt to turn over to your governmet for tax reasons. That one always makes them change their tune.

I have never had a customs official ask me for anything, in fact they always wave me past the xray machine in SDQ.Maybe I look SO gringo that they don't bother with me.

[Grand Pollo]

I will be ariving in SDQ for the 1st time-I have heard about greedy Immigration Officials-any worries about getting thru?

Thanks!

The immigration officials are the ones who take and stamp your passport and tourist card. After the luggage area are customs officials who have been known (say, 99.9% of the time) to ask for money.

I avoid them totally , thus getting rid of the threat and the hassle. Stand your ground, don't let on you speak Spanish (and from what I read here that won't be a challenge for seemingly all of people who are going there) and ask for a receipt to turn over to your governmet for tax reasons. That one always makes them change their tune.

[JimmyDR]

To All,

I will be going to SD for the first time in December. Any recommendations on using
credit cards versus pesos? If using pesos, where can I get the best exchange rates?

Is there a Citibank ATM in SD? (like in Sao Paulo & Rio de Janiero in Brazil)

Thanks a bunch,

Almotu

I use a mix of both.

[JimmyDR]

I will be ariving in SDQ for the 1st time-I have heard about greedy Immigration Officials-any worries about getting thru?

Thanks!

No just smile and hand them your bags to look at.

[Dorman]

This is about something that happened to me on a trip to Santo Domingo last May, it's something that bothered me at the time, and I realise that this forum would be the sort of place I could get some truthful information, sorry if it's a bit off topic but as many mongers indulge in other vices when they travel it might be helpful for some other people here.

I was staying at the Jaragua casino and being fed up with the same girls hitting on me I decided to check out the Melia next door. As I entered I was approached by a hostess who offered me a free $10 bet on the Keno table which is situated to the right as you come in the door. This game consists of drawing balls from a drum in order to win prizes, you win prizes ultimately by accumulating points, you must place a stake to draw each ball and whilst the potential prize pot increases so does your stake for each ball. Forgive me if I do not go into the details of the game, it would take a while to explain and anyway I hope that the information I am looking for will be provided by someone already familiar with the game.

Anyway my situation was that initially I started off well accumulating alot of points, but then I slacked off and was paying out alot of money and not getting the points. By this time the potential pot was $175 000 but each new ball was costing me $2 000, I was 7 points short of the winning margin when I got a ball worth 6 points, leaving me only one point short of winning, but remember this winning ball was the first winner in the previous ten draws and all the time my stake money was getting bigger and bigger. I hope I'm making myself clear here because it can sound a bit complicated trying to explain.

Well a couple of factors came into play now, the absolute key was that I was betting using my credit card, which at this point was getting damn near the max, and if it all went wrong I could find myself stuck in a godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere with no access to cash. But what was really bothering me was the idea that the whole thing was a scam and I was the patsy. It all seemed so easy; I get suckered in with a free bet, I start off well, but soon I'm incurring big debts and the only way to get out is to plough on. When I could have finally scooped the pot I find myself cruelly short of only one point so I must go on. I just got a feeling that I was being taken for a fool.

The guy in charge of the table was a very personable American chap, and I couldn't make up my mind whether he was the real deal or a master con artist. He said that I could leave the table as it was for 24 hours to think about it and when I came back the house would continue the game, it all seemed so convenient. I asked him straight what he would do, he said that he could not advise me but if he were in my situation a loaded gun to his head wouldn't stop him playing on, not after I had gone so far. Well obviously he would say that wouldn't he, but then he again he had a point, I had laid out so much money why stop now?

My question is this, assuming that the Melia is an upfront honest operation and the draw is not fixed, though I wasn't entirely convinced on that issue at the time (I think for the sake of argument we accept that they run a clean operation), was the dealer right? Should I have continued to the end? Or should I have done what every teaching since childhood told me - cut your losses, don't throw good money after bad, a fool and his money is soon parted - and quit?

It is not something that caused me a great deal of pain but I would love to know from more experienced gamblers what the score is on this game.

[Zous]

Has anyone in Santo Domingo in the last week or two and knows if the Casa houses have come down or not? I am going again in Jan. and with the peso so low I had hoped that the price my have droped some. Thanks for any help.