CHAUNCEY BILLUPS WAS seated at the center table of the ceremonial courtroom inside the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn. Wearing a gray suit, Billups entered his not guilty plea Nov. 24 on federal charges connected to a rigged poker game that had enveloped the attention of the NBA and the rest of the sports world. He's facing money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, both of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. In front of the 30 other defendants, Billups, mostly expressionless, sat front and center for more than three hours as Judge Ramon E. Reyes heard arguments over all sorts of procedural and logistical issues, casting Billups as the face of a trial that includes violent criminals with long rap sheets, mobsters and members of the criminal underworld, as prosecutors allege he was a "face card" in the rigged poker games, someone whose fame lured victims to the table. Billups' wife, Piper, and three daughters were seated two rows behind him.…