Celebrities, professional sports stars and wealthy gamblers sat at a table hoping to win big in a game of Texas Hold 'Em.
But they didn't know it was nearly impossible. They were fishes allegedly being targeted by the mafia in an elaborate poker gambling scheme that included X-ray card tables, secret cameras, analysers in chip trays and sunglasses and contact lenses that could read their hand.
In what sounds like an Ocean's Eleven film plot, prosecutors say these unwitting victims were cheated out of at least $7 million (£5.25) in poker games - with one person losing at least $1.8 million.
The scheme, described as reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, was dismantled in a sprawling federal investigation that led to more than 30 arrests, including members of La Costra Nostra crime families, Portland Trail Blazers basketball coach Chauncey Billups and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Damon Jones.
FBI director Kash Patel called it a mind-boggling fraud scheme that cheated victims in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and other US cities.
Arrests in the scheme were announced alongside those in an alleged basketball betting plot, where professional NBA players are accused of faking injuries to influence betting odds.
The underground poker scheme started as early as 2019, allegedly operated by mafia members from notorious crime families, including Bonnano, Gambino, Luchesse, and Genovese. A cut of the profits helped fund their criminal enterprise.
Former professional athletes, dubbed face cards by prosecutors, were enlisted to attract victims into playing.
Victims were lured into illegal underground games with the appeal of playing alongside a celebrity like Billups or Jones, with the stakes running in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Unknown to these unsuspecting players, everyone else involved was part of the elaborate ruse, from fellow players to dealers and even technology designed to shuffle cards and count chips.
Sophisticated wireless technology was employed to mislead players, particularly in Texas Hold 'Em.
Technological manipulation included an X-ray table that revealed face-down cards, chip tray analysers, a rigged shuffling machine, and pre-marked cards that allowed players with special eyewear to see others' hands.
Secret cameras, integrated into tables and fixtures, relayed crucial information to conspirators.
Operators secretly signalled information to a quarterback player at the table, ensuring victims were consistently outmatched.
Authorities estimated that victims lost thousands or even millions per game, and that the profits were laundered through various means, including cryptocurrency and shell companies.
FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia stated, This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families. Billups was arrested in Portland and has been placed on leave by the NBA, while the Portland Trail Blazers are co-operating with the investigation. Jones faces multiple charges related to fraud and money laundering.
