In the Cards

Will knowing how to poker land you a successful Big Johnson?

Comments (0) By Dave Faries Thursday, Dec 15 2005

It takes more than just guts to stare down gambling's finest in front of a national TV audience. In the common vernacular, it takes brass cojones or perhaps a Big Johnson. Derick "Tex" Barch must think so, anyway. While the veteran poker star was finishing third this summer in the prestigious World Series of Poker, raking in a cool couple of mil, he also concerned himself with Big Johnson's Beer Garden, tucked in the far North Dallas space once occupied by The Reservoir. They're still tweaking the décor, but the beer flows, there's a bikini contest every Thursday (shades of Vegas, no?) and the kitchen dishes out some impressive fare. Big Johnson's menu offers everything from chicken-fried steak to seared ahi tuna, along with a selection of burgers made with Kobe beef. Clearly Barch has enough cash to spend on good ingredients, but isn't bar ownership a bit of a risk? Well, he and his partners are reasonably secure as long as he keeps playing cards, and they seem in no hurry to pull in the suburban version of the fickle 500. After all, Barch never flinched with $21 million in chips on the table in the middle of a 14-hour poker marathon. And if cards teach you anything about business--and Johnsons--it's that you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. Oh, and know when to reinvest those winnings.

Location Info

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Big Johnson's Beer Garden

3920 Rosemeade Parkway
Dallas, TX 75287

Category: Restaurant > American

Region: Carrollton/ Farmers Branch

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