Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty, Gets $5M Poker Bond
NBA star and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups made headlines this week as he appeared in court to deny charges related to a high-stakes poker scandal. Billups, known to fans as “Mr. Big Shot,” pleaded not guilty on Monday to allegations involving an underground gambling ring.
The case, which federal investigators refer to as Operation Royal Flush, alleges that Billups served as a “celebrity face” to lure wealthy players to rigged games. Prosecutors allege these games were tied to organized crime and used high-tech tools – like hidden cameras and special shuffling machines – to cheat people out of millions of dollars.
Later on Monday, U.S. District Judge Ramon E. Reyes released Billups on a $5 million bond. To secure his release, the NBA coach used his family home in Greenwood Village, Colorado, as collateral. His wife, Piper, and daughter, Cydney, also appeared in court to co-sign the bond documents.
As part of his release, Billups must follow several strict rules:
No Gambling: He is strictly prohibited from any form of gambling.
No Contact: He must refrain from associating with any members of organized crime, co-defendants, or alleged victims.
Travel Rules: He had to surrender his passport and is only allowed to travel within certain states, including Oregon and New York.
Money Monitoring: He must report any financial transactions over $25,000 to the court.
Plea Deals Coming?
The indictment has rocked both the sports and gambling worlds as more than two dozen defendants are accused of taking part in a high-stakes, high-tech poker cheating ring tied to the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families.
Prosecutors allege that big-name athletes, including Chauncey Billups, were used to lure victims to the games, which took place across the U.S. in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. One victim was allegedly cheated out of $1.8 million in just a few sessions in New York City in 2023.
The games were supposedly cheated using a variety of high-tech methods, including rigged shuffling machines , poker chip tray analyzers, and x-ray tables. Prosecutors say this technology was provided by Tony Goodson of Georgia, Curtis “Curt” Meeks of Texas, Shane “Sugar” Hennen of Pennsylvania, and Robert “Black Rob” Stroud of Kentucky.
Billups’ 30 co-defendants are also scheduled to appear in court on Monday, including fellow former basketball pro Damon Jones and alleged game runners Ammar Awawdeh, Saul Becher, John Gallo, Zhen Hu, and Seth Trustman.
Could Plea Deals Be Next?
The sports and gambling worlds are still shaking after the massive “Operation Royal Flush” crackdown. Over 30 people, including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and former pro Damon Jones, face charges for a high-tech poker cheating ring with ties to major crime families like the Bonannos, Gambinos, and Genoveses.
Prosecutors say famous “Face Cards” like Billups were used to lure wealthy “fish” (unsuspecting players) into rigged games in luxury spots like the Hamptons, Las Vegas, and Miami. In one shocking case, a single victim lost $1.8 million in just a few nights!
#BREAKING: Portland Trail Blazers coach, former Detroit Pistons great and basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups appeared in a New York court to face charges he profited from rigged poker games involving several Mafia figures and at least one other former NBA player.
He… pic.twitter.com/v1p67Ylbl1
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) November 24, 2025
High-Tech Cheating Tools
This wasn’t your average home game. The group allegedly used futuristic tech to ensure the house always won, including:
- Rigged Shuffling Machines: Secretly scanned cards to predict winners.
- X-Ray Tables & Chip Trays: Hidden cameras built into the furniture to spy on hands.
- Marked Cards: Visible only to team members wearing special contact lenses or sunglasses.
While Billups and Jones have pleaded not guilty, the court recently revealed that plea deal discussions have already begun for several other defendants. With a mountain of evidence to review, the judge has set a tentative trial date for September 2026.
Plea Deals and Coaching Changes
Recent court filings show that “several defendants” in the Chauncey Billups case are already discussing plea deals.
The 49-year-old coach has been on leave from the Portland Trail Blazers since the indictment. In the meantime, Tiago Splitter has taken over as interim head coach.
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