Entertainer Earl Turner, headlined Harrah's Laughlin, NV Fiesta Room for two consecutive contracts beginning in March 2002, and ending Dec. 31, 2003. Three $5 LE 500 chips were issued during this 21-month run. The first chip shows Turner in white shirt, second one with red coat and third one Turner at microphone.
Turner was a popular entertainer and the Laughlin patrons launched his run with Harrah's Entertainment.
When he finished his run at Laughlin, he opened a show at the Harrah's New Orleans -- which in turn issued a regular $5 chip with his image on it -- some of which can still be found on the tables in the poker room only.
I have been trying to get these three chips for some time, but every time I visited the casino no chips were to be had at the tables or the cage. I was told that Turner had most of the Limited Edition chips that he signed for special guests who attended his shows. Remember, only 500 of each design were issued. It is my understanding the LE chips were issued in three different issues -- not all at once. I can't offer any proof of that statement, but the casino staff seemed to have all the information.
Does anyone have a signed Earl Turner chip? These three chips are not in the Chip Guide, but I have submitted them for their own numbers and possibly a TCR number. The last chip shown is the common front for all three chips.
Turner also did some shows at the Rio (Las Vegas) after New Orleans, but no chips have been issued for those years that I can find.
Thanks to Ricky Puskin for the red shirt chip and Dennis Berry for the other two. Any further information about these chips would be appreciated to add to the history. Thanks for reading.