The Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards will entertain guests at the Tropicana Express on Jan. 19. For more than 33 years, Edwards, one of the last surviving members of The Legendary group The Temptations, has been making music. Tickets are $25 for the 8 p.m. show and $39.95 for VIP.

Born Feb. 3 in Birmingham, Ala., to Reverend and Mrs. Dennis Edwards Sr., he began singing at two years old in his father's church. By 1961, he had organized his own group Dennis Edwards and the Fireballs. Five Years later, he joined the recording group The Contours. His Temptations career began in 1968 when he was selected as the replacement for lead singer Mr. David Ruffin.

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, called "Instant Crowd Favorites" by the San Francisco Blues Festival will take center stage at Harrah's Fiesta showroom, Jan. 5-9 and 12-16. They will perform at 7 p.m. and also at 9 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets are $17.95, $22.95 and $27.95.

Lucky raised near Detroit started playing piano at age 8 and was playing and singing professionally by age 13. He founded and led the six-piece Blue Front Persuaders through the '80s, playing swing, jump-blues, and '40s and '50s R & B, while living in Ann Arbor and attending the University of Michigan. Their novel sound and wild show was a big draw on the Midwest college circuit, earning them a spot on Star Search.

In 1987, Lucky moved to New York City to play keyboards for Grammy award-winning guitarist and vocalist Johnny Clyde Copeland. Sticking to his musical roots, Lucky formed his own band in New York City working the nightclubs and touring throughout Europe. In 1993, he moved to San Francisco and started the Rhumba Bums as a quintet, but admits the band really took shape in '94 with the addition of Miss Carmen Getit on vocals and guitar.

In 1998, Getit recorded a critically acclaimed release with the Rhumba Bums, Come Out Swingin'!, earning four stars in both Downbeat and Blues Access Magazines. The band is rounded out with some incredible musicians.

Lucky is a knowledgeable music historian with a degree in anthropology. He conducts performance-lectures on the history of boogie-woogie and its significance to the evolution of American popular music.

Texas 7 Poker is the all-new easy-to-learn table game that offers players a twist on their favorite Texas Hold 'em game. The fast-paced card game gives participants the opportunity to win payouts totaling more than 50 to 1. What separates Texas 7 Poker from other table games is that it is played in the casino pit, rather than the poker room, and is just the first of many exclusive games the management at Edgewater and Colorado Belle plan to offer.

Texas 7 Poker players compete against the house dealer using their two hole cards and five community cards. In addition to "Ante" and "Play" bets, players have the option to place a bonus "Twenty Plus" bet, a separate bet based on the player's first two hole cards.

Texas 7 Poker is just one of the many cutting edge products for players at the two resorts. The company's long-standing relationships with gaming vendors have given them the opportunity to provide players with the most exciting, entertaining gaming experience possible. Throughout the casino floors of both properties, players will discover an abundance of interactive video reel machines available in all denominations from one cent to $10. There is also a variety of video poker machines with more than 100-percent payback.

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The Golden Nugget's front parking lot will host the "Back-to-Back World Qualifier Chili Cook-offs" on Jan. 5 and 6. The ICS-sanctioned cook-offs: red chili, green chili and salsa categories will take place each day along with live music, food booths and chili sampling.

The Saturday "Laughlin Regional Cook-off" will start cooking at 10 a.m. and the Sunday "Nevada State Cook-off" will begin at 9 a.m. There are $1,000 first place prizes for red chilies. For entry information, call 775-727-9790.

The Comedy Shop at the River Palms continues to rotate a noteworthy lineup of three stand-up comics weekly. Tickets for the 8 p.m. shows, Monday through Saturday, are $14.95 and $19.95. Scheduled for Dec. 26-31 are Carlos Oscar, Dennis Blair and Marc Patrick as host.

Carlos Oscar, who is known for his charming, witty and energetic stage persona, fully acts out his jokes by telling stories and metamorphosing into various characters and voices. He jokes most often about the humorous side of family, pop-culture and everyday mishaps.

Carlos was born in Manhattan, N.Y., on the 4th of July in Bellevue Hospital. After high school, Carlos enlisted in the U.S Air Force, and after that, he returned to Los Angeles and attended UCLA for an acting class. It was during this class that he came to realize that comedy was his gift.

Dennis Blair's act combines music, standup and topical observation, and can be tailored to the tastes of any audience he works with. As a result, he is equally at home in comedy clubs, corporate venues, cruise ships and concert halls. He has performed on The Tonight Show and HBO, and has co-hosted the Stephanie Miller Radio Show with Elayne Boosler.

Out on the casino floor on New Year's Eve, Harrah's guests will be showered by a brilliant whirl of color as balloons drop at the stroke of midnight. Minutes prior to midnight, guests will receive party hats, horns, noisemakers and serpentines to help kick off the celebration.

The celebration continues with special New Year's Day menus at the Range Steakhouse and the Fresh Market Square Buffet. A special New Years Day Brunch will be offered at the Range Steakhouse. For information, call 702-298-4600.

On Dec. 31, partygoers will experience twice the fun with a multitude of dining options at the Edgewater and Colorado Belle, as well as a variety of live entertainment.

Guests will have the opportunity to celebrate in the city's only Micro-Brewery, the Boiler Room at the Colorado Belle, as DJ Bambu spins a mix of hits from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and there is no cover charge. Another option is visiting the Edgewater to hear today's favorites and yesterday's classics by the crowd-pleasing band, Common Ground. The group will perform in Kokopelli's Showroom from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. There is a cover charge of $20 per person and it includes a champagne toast and party favors.

Each of the two casinos will provide a celebratory atmosphere with DJs spinning the hits from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at both properties.

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