Hollywood-Style Poker Fraud Shocks High-Stakes Scene
In what feels more like a movie than real life, federal prosecutors have exposed a mafia-run poker operation that fleeced celebrities, athletes, and high-rollers out of more than $7 million in fixed Texas Hold’em games across the United States. One victim reportedly lost as much as $1.8 million in a single game.
According to investigators, the sophisticated setup used X-ray card tables, secret cameras hidden in tables and light fixtures, and even sunglasses and contact lenses that could read pre-marked cards. Victims thought they were sitting in on a friendly private game with big names—only to find the deck was literally stacked against them.
Inside the High-Tech Poker Hustle
The scheme, allegedly active since 2019, was orchestrated by members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families. Prosecutors say it combined old-school mafia tactics with cutting-edge technology to make it nearly impossible for outsiders to win.
Each game featured an “operator” stationed off-site, receiving live data from the poker table through hidden devices. That operator would feed the information to a player known as the “quarterback” or “driver,” who then used coded gestures—like tapping his chin, wrist, or arm, or touching a $1,000 chip—to signal which conspirator held the best hand. If the victim happened to have the strongest hand, the quarterback would instead touch his black chips to cue others.
Every detail was choreographed: rigged shufflers predicted outcomes, chip trays contained analyzers, and pre-marked decks gave conspirators a constant edge. Hidden cameras inside light fixtures transmitted additional data, ensuring the victims had no chance.
Star Power as the Perfect Trap
Former NBA players Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were allegedly enlisted as “face cards” to attract wealthy victims. The promise of rubbing elbows with sports legends drew in a steady stream of eager participants ready for high-stakes action—without realizing the entire table was working against them.
Text messages from the U.S. Department of Justice show how coordinated the scam was. In one exchange, a conspirator texted, “Guys please let him win a hand he’s in for 40k in 40 minutes,” while another replied, “Agreed.” Other evidence suggests the group swapped in new players and intentionally lost to co-conspirators to avoid suspicion and keep victims playing longer.
Millions Laundered, Mafia Financed
The FBI says the profits were laundered through cryptocurrency, cash exchanges, and shell companies before flowing back into organized crime operations. “This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia.
Damon Jones faces two counts each of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in both the poker and NBA betting cases, while Billups—arrested in Portland and placed on leave by the NBA—continues to maintain his innocence. “Billups is a man of integrity and will fight the allegations,” said his attorney Chris Heywood.
FBI Calls It “Mind-Boggling”
FBI Director Kash Patel described the case as “a mind-boggling fraud scheme that cheated victims in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and beyond.” More than 30 people have been arrested so far as the investigation continues to unravel one of the most elaborate poker cheating rings in recent memory.
What started as a game of Texas Hold’em ended as a multimillion-dollar lesson that, in this underworld version of poker, the house—and the mafia—always win.
