This set has been in my sights since catching glimpses of it from time to time on here. I was born and raised in Louisiana. But more over, my mother is from Lafayette and we spent months every year there. Odds are pretty high that I was in Lafayette during a few of the events. Even better that I knew some of the people involved as it was a smaller town back in the 1980’s.
As for the history of these chips, I would love for others to chime in with bits of knowledge. It was an illegal game that took place in Lafayette, Louisiana back in the 1980’s. To my knowledge, only the $1, $5, and $25 chips were made for the set.
For the frac’s, I chose Arc Yellow starbursts that I will have milled and get @Gear and @Wifey to make labels for. I have 92 original $1’s and hope to find more to complete the rack (or two). My OCD wouldn’t let me stray from the 4D14 on the $5 and $25’s. I like a white $100 to lighten the set. I like the Cousin Jacks I found and plan to over label them.
I know there are several PCFer’s that have Cajun Cup sets. Ones I have seen post are @LowerBama1714 , @Windwalker , @H|Q . I hope that any others will share photos of their sets here too. @Okku and @ssanel54 both also shared stories.
See below the photos a story I copied from a link that @shorticus posted.
The story below comes from the link:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cajun-cup-clay-poker-chip-obsolete-516199185
I post it here for duplicity.
Cajun Cup $5 Poker Chip Obsolete Illegal Clay Paulson Hat & Cane This is no ordinary poker chip as it has some interesting history. Some of poker's greatest players have actually handled this chip. This is a $5 poker chip used for the cash games during the Cajun Cup Poker Tournament. The Cajun Cup was considered the "World Series of Poker of the South." It was held a the Holiday Inn in Opelousas, Louisiana in 1986, at the Holiday Inn in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1987 and the Hilton in Lafayette from 1988-1989. The tournament was raided in 1989 for operating illegally and closed in the middle of the Seven Card Stud tournament. Everyone was told they had 24 hours to get out of town or they would be arrested. I purchased the only remaining chips and all the rest were confiscated by the state police. The tournament was organized by Eldon Elias and Kenny Pyle. Eldon, a poker professional, won the 1995 Hall of Fame Classic Limit Holdem Tournament, cashed twice in the World Series of Poker, and won a title form the 1989 Caesar's Super Challenge. The Cajun Cup was once the South's most popular and prestigious poker tournaments. Anthony Holden mentions the tournament in his book "Big Deal." Howard Lederer wrote to the RGP (recreational: gambling: poker) newsgroup that he played in the tournament twice, enjoyed the tournament and it had a lot of local flavor. Men "The Master' won a title at the Cajun Cup and T. J. Cloutier won an Omaha title. This chip was also used at Bellucci's House of Poker in Santa Cruz, California. This poker room was open from 1992-1993. The chips were purchased from Eldon for use at this poker room in 1992. David Bellucci along with his poker partner Howard "Tahoe" Andrew are mentioned in Holden's book. Holden ran into them while playing a tournament held in the Mamounia hotel in Marrakesh, Morocco. David ironically busted Holden at the 1989 World Series of Poker at Binion's that ended the book "Big Deal, One Year as a Professional Poker Player." Phil Helmuth wond the tournament main event that year at the age of 24, the youngest player at the time to win the WSOP.Holden mentions in his book, "All year from Malta to Las Vegas, California to Morocco, I had been told that one absolute 'must' on the poker circuit is the Cajun Cup, held each Easter weekend in a small town two hours west of New Orleans. The food was apparently great, the scenery stunning, and the action terrific - the more so because it was illegal."Some of the tournaments offered were $500 Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em and Omaha, as well as the main event $1500 No Limit Hold'em freeze out that was dedicated to the memory of Jack Straus in its final year. In addition the side games provided a lot of action for the pros to profit from. To ward off complaints the tournament hired local police to act as security and a donation was made to the local church. Right in the middle of the seven card stud tournament the district attorney put a halt to the Cajun Cup and just when Holden arrived from England the state police were in the act of closing down the games. The players and organizers were told they had 24 hours to leave town or they would be arrested. The reason given for it being illegal was the organizers were profiting and the dealers were being tipped. It was thought that the church filed a complaint that led to the DA making the bust.I have rarely seen this chip for sale as I think I own the majority of the chips in circulation. I bought all the chips from from Bellucci's daughter around the year 2000. I'm only starting to sell them because I'm selling all my possessions to retire and travel around the world. I've not seen this chip available on eBay since I sold some about 10 years ago. If you Google Cajun Cup Poker chip there is a few mentions of it on some chip forums and they are indeed rare. I can also besides an illegal chip be a California obsolete since it was used at a poker room there and is no longer in business. From what I've read the reason for the poker room closing is Bellucci was murdered in hi...
Mud
As for the history of these chips, I would love for others to chime in with bits of knowledge. It was an illegal game that took place in Lafayette, Louisiana back in the 1980’s. To my knowledge, only the $1, $5, and $25 chips were made for the set.
For the frac’s, I chose Arc Yellow starbursts that I will have milled and get @Gear and @Wifey to make labels for. I have 92 original $1’s and hope to find more to complete the rack (or two). My OCD wouldn’t let me stray from the 4D14 on the $5 and $25’s. I like a white $100 to lighten the set. I like the Cousin Jacks I found and plan to over label them.
I know there are several PCFer’s that have Cajun Cup sets. Ones I have seen post are @LowerBama1714 , @Windwalker , @H|Q . I hope that any others will share photos of their sets here too. @Okku and @ssanel54 both also shared stories.
See below the photos a story I copied from a link that @shorticus posted.
The story below comes from the link:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cajun-cup-clay-poker-chip-obsolete-516199185
I post it here for duplicity.
Cajun Cup $5 Poker Chip Obsolete Illegal Clay Paulson Hat & Cane This is no ordinary poker chip as it has some interesting history. Some of poker's greatest players have actually handled this chip. This is a $5 poker chip used for the cash games during the Cajun Cup Poker Tournament. The Cajun Cup was considered the "World Series of Poker of the South." It was held a the Holiday Inn in Opelousas, Louisiana in 1986, at the Holiday Inn in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1987 and the Hilton in Lafayette from 1988-1989. The tournament was raided in 1989 for operating illegally and closed in the middle of the Seven Card Stud tournament. Everyone was told they had 24 hours to get out of town or they would be arrested. I purchased the only remaining chips and all the rest were confiscated by the state police. The tournament was organized by Eldon Elias and Kenny Pyle. Eldon, a poker professional, won the 1995 Hall of Fame Classic Limit Holdem Tournament, cashed twice in the World Series of Poker, and won a title form the 1989 Caesar's Super Challenge. The Cajun Cup was once the South's most popular and prestigious poker tournaments. Anthony Holden mentions the tournament in his book "Big Deal." Howard Lederer wrote to the RGP (recreational: gambling: poker) newsgroup that he played in the tournament twice, enjoyed the tournament and it had a lot of local flavor. Men "The Master' won a title at the Cajun Cup and T. J. Cloutier won an Omaha title. This chip was also used at Bellucci's House of Poker in Santa Cruz, California. This poker room was open from 1992-1993. The chips were purchased from Eldon for use at this poker room in 1992. David Bellucci along with his poker partner Howard "Tahoe" Andrew are mentioned in Holden's book. Holden ran into them while playing a tournament held in the Mamounia hotel in Marrakesh, Morocco. David ironically busted Holden at the 1989 World Series of Poker at Binion's that ended the book "Big Deal, One Year as a Professional Poker Player." Phil Helmuth wond the tournament main event that year at the age of 24, the youngest player at the time to win the WSOP.Holden mentions in his book, "All year from Malta to Las Vegas, California to Morocco, I had been told that one absolute 'must' on the poker circuit is the Cajun Cup, held each Easter weekend in a small town two hours west of New Orleans. The food was apparently great, the scenery stunning, and the action terrific - the more so because it was illegal."Some of the tournaments offered were $500 Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em and Omaha, as well as the main event $1500 No Limit Hold'em freeze out that was dedicated to the memory of Jack Straus in its final year. In addition the side games provided a lot of action for the pros to profit from. To ward off complaints the tournament hired local police to act as security and a donation was made to the local church. Right in the middle of the seven card stud tournament the district attorney put a halt to the Cajun Cup and just when Holden arrived from England the state police were in the act of closing down the games. The players and organizers were told they had 24 hours to leave town or they would be arrested. The reason given for it being illegal was the organizers were profiting and the dealers were being tipped. It was thought that the church filed a complaint that led to the DA making the bust.I have rarely seen this chip for sale as I think I own the majority of the chips in circulation. I bought all the chips from from Bellucci's daughter around the year 2000. I'm only starting to sell them because I'm selling all my possessions to retire and travel around the world. I've not seen this chip available on eBay since I sold some about 10 years ago. If you Google Cajun Cup Poker chip there is a few mentions of it on some chip forums and they are indeed rare. I can also besides an illegal chip be a California obsolete since it was used at a poker room there and is no longer in business. From what I've read the reason for the poker room closing is Bellucci was murdered in hi...
Mud
