Seafood La’Tasha from Chef Greg Hargrow @ Sam’s Town Tunica

Jul 7, 2016 | Gaming News

Tips: Poker and All That Razz

Jul 7, 2016 | Gaming News

The object of Seven-Card Stud Low, or Razz, is to make the worst hand possible! Razz is dealt just like basic Seven-Card Stud, but the object, oddly enough, is to make the lowest hand. In Razz, flushes and straights donâ??t count against you (that is, they have no value). But pairs and trips are bad (because it is harder to make a five-card low hand with them). Aces are considered low. In Razz, the best possible low hand is 5-4-3-2-A, which is called a wheel. The second-best possible low hand is a six perfect, or 6-4-3-2-A. The chart below shows a list of the best possible low hands in order.

You will eventually figure out that it isnâ??t that hard to discern which low hand is best in close cases. A seven-five low (7-5-x-x-x) is lower than a seven-six low (7-6-x-x-x). A seven-six-five-three low (7-6-5-3-x) is lower than a seven-six-five-four low (7-6-5-4-x). Figuring out the best low hand is just a matter of reading the low hand from the highest card to the lowest card and seeing which hand goes lower first. I once lost a $15,000 pot to the legendary Seymour Liebowitz in a low-ball event at the World Series of Poker when his 9-7-5-4-2 beat my 9-7-5-4-3 low. It came down to the fifth and final card in this case! We both had a 9-7-5-4 in our hands, but his deuce â??pippedâ? my three (edged it out by one point in value).

Right now Razz is something of a fringe game in the poker world. If fact, most poker rooms donâ??t even spread a Razz game these days. Although we have a Razz World Championship each year, it is among the lowest-attended events at the WSOP. Still, Razz is an important game that is played for high stakes on a daily basis in Los Angeles at the Commerce Casino. Razz is also often included in high-stakes games at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, sometimes dealt as a part of a rotation of games like HORSE (Holdâ??em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and Stud Eight or Better). By the way, sometimes while playing HORSE, the players will not notice that the game has changed â?? for instance, when the game goes from one variation of Stud to the next â?? and they lose a large pot because of this! It happens to everyone, including me, more than once.

Even though many top professional players feel that Razz involves more luck and requires less skill than most other poker games, I feel that Razz demands a lot of skill. In Razz, reading your opponents well is crucial to begin a great player. If youâ??re reading your opponents well, you can make some calls or folds that other players cannot make. The reading part comes when your opponent hits what appears to be a perfect low card for him. If you read that it was, indeed, perfect for him, then youâ??ll need to fold your hand (depending on what you caught). If you read that the card in fact paired him, then youâ??ll be able to continue playing your hand. For example he might hit a three, for a board of (x-x) 2-3, but there is a decent chance that the card paired him, because, presumably, he is starting with all low in his hand.

Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an 11-time World Series of Poker Champion leading all poker players in the world. He has two New York Times best-seller books, â??Play Poker Like the Prosâ? and â??Bad Beats and Lucky Draws.â? Both books can be found at Amazon.com. Philâ??s books, blog, tips and more can also be found at PhilHellmuth.com. Learn about his new cell phone game at HellmuthHoldem.com.

Chef Shawn Mac – Greektown Casino Hotel

Jul 5, 2016 | Gaming News

Seared Mangalitsa Pork Rack Chop

Chef Shawn Mac at Prism at Greektown Casino Hotel

About this dish: Prism’s newest dish utilizes fresh, locally-sourced produce including bing cherries, morel mushrooms, and wild ramps. The main feature of this dish is Mangalitsa pork, paying homage to the hard-working Michigan and Midwest farms that brought back this breed from the brink of extinction. Mangalitsa has one of the best flavor profiles and is often considered the ‘the Kobe beef of pork’.

Farro ingredients:

• 3/4 cups Farro
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Farro directions: 

1. Measure 3/4 cups Farro into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2. Transfer to a medium-sized pot that has a lid.
3. Add 2 cups chicken stock and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, until it is softened but still chewy.
6. If there is liquid remaining in the pot, drain it off.
7. Use a fork to gently fluff in the butter.

 Morel Mushroom Recipe:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil blend
• 8 ounces morel mushroom, cleaned, trimmed, and split in half lengthwise
• 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs such as chives, chervil, or parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Morel Mushroom directions:

1. Heat oil in a stainless steel pan over high heat until shimmering.
2. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well-browned, about 4 minutes total.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add shallots and garlic.
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
5. Add butter, chicken stock and cook, swirling pan, until liquid reduces and morels are coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pickled Cherries Recipe:

• 1/2 pound bing cherries
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 Strip orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3/4 teaspoons coriander seeds

Pickled Cherries directions:

1. Pit each cherry, cut in half and put them in a container.
2. Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, orange zest, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and coriander seeds in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat so the liquid simmers, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the liquid over the cherries.
6. When the cherries are completely cool, cover the cherries, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sweet & Spicy Red Pepper Glaze ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 red bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and diced
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Bragg’s cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Sweet & Spicy Red Pepper Glaze directions:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the bell peppers and garlic and sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the vinegar, maple syrup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pepper mixture from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the pepper mixture to a blender and process until smooth.
6. Store in refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Warm the glaze over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and prior to using it to baste meat during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Warm Farro Salad ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 4 ounces ramp greens and ramp bulbs, rinsed, chopped and separated
• 3 cups farro, cooked
• 3 ounces morels, cooked
• 1 cup corn, charred
• 4 ounces asparagus, cut on a bias, blanched
• 4 ounces cherry wood bacon, rendered
• to taste kosher salt & black pepper

Warm Farro Salad directions:

1.  Heat a non-stick sauté pan on medium heat
2.  Add bacon fat and ramp bulbs to the hot pan and saute a few minutes to develop a base for the salad.
3. Then add farro, morels, corn, asparagus, and bacon.
4. Sauté until hot 2-3 minutes.
5. Finish the warm salad with adjusting the seasoning of salt & black pepper.

Seared Mangalitsa Pork Rack Chop ingredients:

• (4) bone-in, Mangalitsa pork rack chops
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive blend

Seared Mangalitsa Pork Rack Chop directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat oil until lightly smoking in a large sauté pan big enough to hold all the pork chops.
3. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and then sear well on high heat, pressing down on them when you put them in the pan with tongs to ensure an even, golden sear.
4. When the chops are golden brown, flip them over to sear the other side, then place chops in the oven until they are 130 degrees
5. The most important part is the resting phase.
6. While the pork chops are resting, they should be about medium by this time.
7. Plating the final dish on a preheated dinner plate, scoop on the plate warm farro salad with morel mushrooms, ramps, corn, asparagus, and bacon.
8. Nestle the pork chop on the warm salad and spread some of the red pepper glaze on the pork chop, garnish with pickled cherries and micro purple radish greens and serve immediately.

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Chef Deandre Frost – Boomtown Casino Biloxi

Jul 5, 2016 | Gaming News

Lobster Truffle Mac-N-Cheese

Chef Deandre Frost from BT Steakhouse Bistro at Boomtown Casino Biloxi 

About this dish: I chose to put a unique twist on an American favorite because, let’s be honest, who truly does not like mac and cheese? The touch of the truffle oil and the addition of the scrumptious lobster…. the word heavenly will soon come to mind.

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Chef Debbie Dear – Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica

Jul 5, 2016 | Gaming News

Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail

Chef Debbie Dear from Twain’s Steakhouse at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica

About this dish: I wanted to highlight a dish that would appeal to all seafood lovers, and I chose one that had great success in Twain’s steakhouse. Not only is this dish sure to impress with its savory taste, but it is also surprising simple to prepare. This dish allows for fine dining right in the comfort of your own home.

Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail Ingredients (Serves 4 Guests):

• 4 -10 to12 oz. Lobster tails
• Crab cake mixture
• 10 oz. Jumbo lump crab
• 1 oz. Red & green bell peppers
• 2 oz. Red onions
• 6 oz. Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp. Lemon juice
• 1 Egg
• 4 oz. Bread crumbs
• 20 oz. Drawn butter
• 20 oz. Potatoes
• 24 Asparagus

Sam’s Town Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the whipped potatoes to your preference, and set aside to keep hot.
3. Cut lobster tail from the bottom to the top, halfway through the tail and pull the lobster out of the shell, leaving the bottom in place.
4. To prepare crab stuffing, add the following into a bowl and mix well:
   -Jumbo lump crab
   -Red & green bell peppers
   -Red onions
   -Mayonnaise
   -Dijon mustard
   -Tabasco sauce
   -Worcestershire sauce
   -Old Bay seasoning
   -Lemon juice
   -Egg
   -Bread crumbs
   
5. Season lobster tails with Old bay seasoning and butter.
6. Place lobster tails in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, cook halfway, and remove from oven.
7. Add crab stuffing, and place back into the oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cut asparagus into 5” long pieces and sauté to your preference.
9. Plate lobster tails, potatoes, asparagus, and butter.
10. Garnish with half a lemon.
    

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