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 million) in poker games - with one person losing at least $1.8 million.

The scheme, described as reminiscent of a Hollywood movie by US prosecutors, 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 coach Chauncey Billups, and former 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.

The underground poker operation, which allegedly started in 2019, was said to be run by notorious mafia families, with profits reportedly funneled into their criminal enterprises.

Former professional athletes, referred to as face cards, were hired to lure victims into playing high-stakes underground poker games

Each game, during which sophisticated technology like X-ray tables was employed to read cards and track players, would leave victims losing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The manipulation included rigged shuffling machines and covert communication channels that facilitated the deception.

Authorities revealed that not only were players cheated, but the funds from this scheme were laundered through various methods, including cryptocurrency and shell companies.

This scandal not only highlights the intricate intersections of crime, technology, and celebrity culture but also underscores the need for vigilance among participants in high-stakes gambling.

In a statement to the press, the Portland Trail Blazers acknowledged the allegations against coach Billups and expressed their intention to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations.