$5M is a lot unless you have a crippling gambling addiction.

It’s not so much the absolute amount as the comparative one.

Just extorting Chauncey Billips seems like a better ROI than the whole caper if you’ve got some hold on him.

Extortion risks exposing you in a way that quietly taking their money through cheating at cards does not. It’s also strikes me as a far more serious crime but I could be wrong.

I was replying to the premise that his involvement was under duress for gambling debts. If so it’s extortionate either way.