What's the most unpopular benign opinion you hold?

[arbboy]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

The tax man would compare your window cleaner to other window cleaners on similar estates.  How does he compare sam trickett to me?

Is that what actually happens? Does HMRC look at a window cleaner who claims he earned £10,000 a year and question it based on local averages?

I'm not saying a live pro player isn't near impossible to track, but it's no different to anyone else who deals in cash. Very hard to police of course, but that's not a reason not to insist on it.

a live window cleaner in sheffield would be much more predictable what he earns than a live 1/2 player at genting sheffield over  a year.

Agree I'm asking if HMRC question earnings as you suggested based on the earnings of similar people in the same field (genuinely asking, never heard that before).

They don't question earnings they sit in their office and compare professions amongst the self employed especially cash businesses from my experience as a chartered accountant 20 years ago dealing with them.   If something stands out on their legal accounts they will investigate further, put some random checks into the business to see how busy it really is and move on from there.  How are you going to check 'how busy' trigg is at genting sheffield playing 2/5 cash to understand how profitable he was in 2018 for example?  You can't put standard business profit ratios onto poker players or gamblers like you can taxi businesses and kebab shops.  It just doesn't work.  They have expenses and costs of sale which have to have invoices (and are VAT able).  Pro gamblers literally have no bookable expenses the tax man can look at to justify if they are making a living (to cover these exs) or not.  

[DaveShoelace]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

The tax man would compare your window cleaner to other window cleaners on similar estates.  How does he compare sam trickett to me?

Is that what actually happens? Does HMRC look at a window cleaner who claims he earned £10,000 a year and question it based on local averages?

I'm not saying a live pro player isn't near impossible to track, but it's no different to anyone else who deals in cash. Very hard to police of course, but that's not a reason not to insist on it.

a live window cleaner in sheffield would be much more predictable what he earns than a live 1/2 player at genting sheffield over  a year.

Agree I'm asking if HMRC question earnings as you suggested based on the earnings of similar people in the same field (genuinely asking, never heard that before).

They don't question earnings they sit in their office and compare professions amongst the self employed especially cash businesses from my experience as a chartered accountant 20 years ago dealing with them.   If something stands out on their legal accounts they will investigate further, put some random checks into the business to see how busy it really is and move on from there.  How are you going to check 'how busy' trigg is at genting sheffield to understand how profitable he was in 2018 for example?

I'm not saying I think it would be enforceable or easy to catch people out, it would be self assessment like most other professions, but that's not a reason not to do it. Plus given most gambling is online now, that obviously is much easier to keep tabs on. Not making it law because 'bah we'd never get them anyway' is not a rational I can see the government making.

Most pro gamblers would lie on their returns is what I presume you think would happen?

[nirvana]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

[arbboy]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

The tax man would compare your window cleaner to other window cleaners on similar estates.  How does he compare sam trickett to me?

Is that what actually happens? Does HMRC look at a window cleaner who claims he earned £10,000 a year and question it based on local averages?

I'm not saying a live pro player isn't near impossible to track, but it's no different to anyone else who deals in cash. Very hard to police of course, but that's not a reason not to insist on it.

a live window cleaner in sheffield would be much more predictable what he earns than a live 1/2 player at genting sheffield over  a year.

Agree I'm asking if HMRC question earnings as you suggested based on the earnings of similar people in the same field (genuinely asking, never heard that before).

They don't question earnings they sit in their office and compare professions amongst the self employed especially cash businesses from my experience as a chartered accountant 20 years ago dealing with them.   If something stands out on their legal accounts they will investigate further, put some random checks into the business to see how busy it really is and move on from there.  How are you going to check 'how busy' trigg is at genting sheffield to understand how profitable he was in 2018 for example?

I'm not saying I think it would be enforceable or easy to catch people out, it would be self assessment like most other professions, but that's not a reason not to do it. Plus given most gambling is online now, that obviously is much easier to keep tabs on. Not making it law because 'bah we'd never get them anyway' is not a rational I can see the government making.

Most pro gamblers would lie on their returns is what I presume you think would happen?

There are so many ways around it it isn't worth it.  The government is already over the moon what it gets out of gambling anyway.  Live cash for example every £1000 that goes into the rake box £500 goes to the govt so its really tough to say to poker players they don't pay tax when they play live cash for a living.  If the tax take wasn't so high the rake would drop as the casino wouldn't have to take as much out of every pot.  The government is smart and gets the tax at source from the service provider which is much more reliable in general than chasing cash playing individuals.  This is true both live and online.  If you were a huge online cash player you could just dump £100k to a big loser and avoid tax.  It literally would be that easy and the government couldn't say a thing about it.

[DaveShoelace]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

Sheffield, he'll clip your whippets nails and give you a pork pie for an extra quid n'all

[nirvana]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

Sheffield, he'll clip your whippets nails and give you a pork pie for an extra quid n'all

Haha, I'm gonna move up that way one day -I've always liked Rotherham

[Karabiner]

I don't have a problem with athletes who dope

defo wanna hear more on this!

In my opinion, in a day and age when salary is intrinsically linked to performance, it makes sense for sportsman to push every edge they can get in order to maximise their results. If they are willing to take the consequences that come with getting caught then fair play to them. It's a short career for most and in order to set themselves up for a life post sport, I don't have an issue with those who want to push the boundaries (cheat).

It's admirable for those who don't and still reach the world class level but the guys who are dope by are still doing the same training and still pushing  their bodies to the max. It's basically the ultimate calculated gamble (and we all love gambling!) - risk career, reputation and health but reap the rewards if undetected. There are plenty undetected too.

Young, vulernable kids will be forced into doping by managers, trainers and agents in order for their financial gain.

Who knows what long term risks they will be taking with their health.

Yep. Youngsters' health being put at risk for others personal gain and public entertainment. Basically a sporting reality to contest with physical health replacing mental health.

Youth doping is happening already in a number of sports. I know anecdotally of a few youth rugby players on doping programs in order to get themselves a physique to compete for a first team spot from age 18. 'Natural' youngsters being left behind and not getting contracts. Cycling, basketball, tennis also have youth doping issues.

Is cheating in all forms, in all sports OK for financial gain? Or just drug cheating?

Actively encouraged for me. Aside from golf, obv.

Poker?

[Doobs]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

We don't all own castles ffs

[RED-DOG]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

Sheffield, he'll clip your whippets nails and give you a pork pie for an extra quid n'all

Haha, I'm gonna move up that way one day -I've always liked Rotherham

Ah, Rotherham. My old stamping ground. I could tell you a tale or two....

[neeko]

I don't have a problem with athletes who dope

defo wanna hear more on this!

In my opinion, in a day and age when salary is intrinsically linked to performance, it makes sense for sportsman to push every edge they can get in order to maximise their results. If they are willing to take the consequences that come with getting caught then fair play to them. It's a short career for most and in order to set themselves up for a life post sport, I don't have an issue with those who want to push the boundaries (cheat).

It's admirable for those who don't and still reach the world class level but the guys who are dope by are still doing the same training and still pushing  their bodies to the max. It's basically the ultimate calculated gamble (and we all love gambling!) - risk career, reputation and health but reap the rewards if undetected. There are plenty undetected too.

Young, vulernable kids will be forced into doping by managers, trainers and agents in order for their financial gain.

Who knows what long term risks they will be taking with their health.

Yep. Youngsters' health being put at risk for others personal gain and public entertainment. Basically a sporting reality to contest with physical health replacing mental health.

Youth doping is happening already in a number of sports. I know anecdotally of a few youth rugby players on doping programs in order to get themselves a physique to compete for a first team spot from age 18. 'Natural' youngsters being left behind and not getting contracts. Cycling, basketball, tennis also have youth doping issues.

Is cheating in all forms, in all sports OK for financial gain? Or just drug cheating?

It's seen as normal for parents to get tutors for there children prior to taking the 11 plus, the manipulation of children to get what adults want is normal.

[nirvana]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

Sheffield, he'll clip your whippets nails and give you a pork pie for an extra quid n'all

Haha, I'm gonna move up that way one day -I've always liked Rotherham

Ah, Rotherham. My old stamping ground. I could tell you a tale or two....

I went there a couple of years running in around  1982, 1983 for a football tournament. I played for a team in London called Latin American Newsletter mainly made up of exiled Chileans. At that time, Rotherham had one of the biggest Chilean communities outside of London (in the UK). 8 teams participated and the teams that travelled were put up on the floor of a working mens club, fed and watered too.

Fond memories of the welcome and the care we received from the (weird to us) Northerners  - was great and beer was cheap too.

[nirvana]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

We don't all own castles ffs

I wish, just a standard 6 up, 6 down:-)

[Marky147]

how do you prove how much i have made a year in a live cash game ?  When i change all my chips into notes with other players rather than the cash desk?  Just for a start.

How does my window cleaner when I hand him a fiver once a month?

Where is this - £16 'ere in 'emel ffs

We don't all own castles ffs

I wish, just a standard 6 up, 6 down:-)

[4KSuited]

Lol at the idea that the casino cardroom manager empties the rake box each morning and goes "That's one for the casino, and one for Mr Taxman. That's another for the casino, and another for Mr Taxman." And repeat...

[arbboy]

Lol at the idea that the casino cardroom manager empties the rake box each morning and goes "That's one for the casino, and one for Mr Taxman. That's another for the casino, and another for Mr Taxman." And repeat...

that is what happens in reality.  Live poker pros don't pay tax though!  If the tax was 10% the gamees that are capped at £5 would be capped at £3.  Thats the reality.  the casino would make the same.  Therefore the players are being taxed £2 a pot.    The government gets the money this way because it is easier and more reliable and incurs less hassle collecting it.  Professional gamblers do pay tax they just don't pay income tax.