Across the Lines

We made another discovery while working on our taxes this past week. It relates to poker directly - and it comes with a confessional.

We live in Kentucky - a state with no poker rooms, as far as we know. It's famous for "the sport of kings" (horse racing), but not pocket Kings. We cross rivers into Ohio and Indiana to play poker. And while filling out an Ohio state income tax form for another reason, we found out we must pay income tax on our Cincinnati casino winnings.

That led to a guilt cloud, then a check of Indiana's income tax rules. Sure enough - we have to pay that state as well on our casino winnings in Lawrenceburg, even though we've never lived there.

To be honest, we should have thought of this before. We'd heard stories of professional athletes being ordered to pay such out-of-state taxes, when their team goes on road trips. After all, they're working in the state of the team they're trying to beat.

But we never thought of applying this to us. And we crossed state lines to win at poker, well before moving to our current area. We're not sure if the statute of limitations has run out for those states - but we apologize to the states we may have stiffed. (Don't expect casinos to tell you about this; they never have with us.)

Why are we so concerned about this? In part, because of these words...

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.... "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" - Matthew 22:15, 17

This was a question to Jesus, whom some people thought had come to start a rebellion against the Roman leadership. What better way to do it than with a tax protest - right? Well, keep reading....

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Some me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" - Matthew 22:18-20

We don't think the words "In God we trust" was on that coin. But we've heard people try to argue against paying taxes, based on the government being "un-Christian" or other such things. Yet what did Jesus say to the crowd?

"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard him, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. - Mathew 22:21-22

Jesus never told anyone not to pay their taxes. For one thing, you'd be breaking the law in the U.S. if you did that. For another thing, Jesus had a disciple pay a "temple tax" earlier in His ministry (17:24-28). To us, it's about obedience....

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. - I Peter 2:17

That "king" has a small king, indicating a human leader. God puts those leaders in charge (Romans 13:1, KJV) - so if you say you fear God and not them, what does that say about you?

W and L

We're taking a short pause from live poker right now. There are several reasons for this, including the one very important project - filling out tax returns.

Poker players filling out U.S. federal returns may notice one big change this year. You still have to report "gambling winnings" as income. But it's harder to deduct the losses, because the threshold for itemizing deductions has increased sharply. Unless your deductions top $12,000, it doesn't pay to itemize them at all.

That means the wins stand out more on your tax form - and while that might cost you money, it also might make you feel a bit better. Don't you wish everything worked this way?

But they don't always work this way. In fact, you could be losing and not realizing it....

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? - Luke 9:25

You could grind away at cash games for hours, hoping to strike it rich. But in exchange, you could actually lose a lot of money. You might even lose your family or a sense of empathy toward other people, by becoming addicted or detached.

The better approach is a balance between the "work" of poker with its physical gains and something higher - something ultimately better:

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. - Luke 9:24

The "me" here is Jesus Christ. He said these words. And He wants you to change your focus away from big wins at the table, to a focus on Him. Put another way....

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:25

Few poker players love to lose. For that matter, few of anybody loves to lose. Yet trading your priorities for a relationship with Jesus can win you eternal life in the kingdom He soon will bring. In fact, your "won-lost record" in terms of sin can be changed completely:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.... not counting men's sins against them.... - II Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus was a big winner, by living a sinless life and overcoming the devil. He wants to help you win the game of life as well.

The First Part

A recent post noted a tax lien placed on professional poker player Phil Laak, because he owed back taxes in California.  We checked news websites this morning, and there's no update on whether he paid off or not.

But we noted a statement of Jesus that people should "give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matthew 22:21).  What should poker players (and, for that matter, everyone else) give to God?

Jesus was talking in Matthew 22 about money -- and the Bible challenges readers to give some of that to God:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10

Some poker players put together or compete in charitable tournaments, and there's nothing wrong with that.  But God expects a tithe to go to him -- a donation of ten percent.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.  But you ask, "How do we rob you?"  In tithes and offerings. - Malachi 3:8

God's talking tough here -- saying if you don't pay Him a tithe, you're robbing Him.  Yet He also says you're robbing yourself of blessings.

So where is this storehouse where the tithe should go?  In ancient days, the "house of our God" had storerooms for grain and other offerings (Nehemiah 13:4-5, 12).  Since there's no main house for worship in our world today, we think it's acceptable to pay the tithe to the place where you're worshiping.

But of course, this assumes you are worshiping God.  If you're not.... well, you're robbing God there as well.

But the Lord, who bought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship.  To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.... and do not worship other gods. - II Kings 17:36, 38

Why worship God?  Because without Him giving you life, health and a working mind, you can't play poker in the first place.

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.... - Deuteronomy 8:18

Note also God expects an offering over and above the tithe.  The amount of that is up to you -- but ask yourself: how much has God done for you?  How much has He blessed you in poker, and other areas?

One fringe benefit of paying tithes and offerings is that in the U.S. (and perhaps other countries), many ministries allow you to deduct the gifts at tax time.  It's too late to make such gifts for your 2013 taxes -- but it's not too late to give God His share of your poker success.

Laaking In Something?

Top poker players are ethical, right?  They don't take shortcuts or cheat, right?

Wellll.... tell that to the state of California.  One website reports Phil "Unabomber" Laak owes two years of back taxes there, for almost $25,000.

We don't know from that short story whether the state is right, or Laak has some explanation for this. (His Twitter feed seems to be as much about dining as poker these days.) But we know the ultimate right answer....

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.... "Tell us, then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" - Matthew 22:15, 17

This was a potential trap for Jesus, since He claimed to be the Son of God.  Would such a Son of God consider Himself higher than laws of the land?

Jesus responded to this by asking for a Roman coin....

....And he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"  "Caesar's," they replied.  Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." - Matthew 22:20-21

Jesus advised us to pay taxes to the government -- whether you like the rulers or not.  Sadly, some Christians spread ideas from time to time about ways to get out of paying them.  If they read their Bibles carefully, they shouldn't.

Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. - Romans 13:7

As the end of 2013 approaches, consider this a friendly reminder to get your "poker math" in order.  Money you've won probably is taxable, at least at the U.S. federal level.

But oh yes -- did you notice what else Jesus said?  About giving "to God what is God's?"  There's something God expects as well.  Do you know what that is?  Comment if you'd like, and we'll discuss that in a future post.

Them vs. Him Part 2

In Part 1 of this chat from an online poker game, we told a player he should trust in the true God, not the "card gods." The discussion continued to seeking Jesus in prayer, and the thoughts overlap a bit....

stingray74: now im gonna ask jesus for help
Me: Always a good idea.
stingray74: he loves to gamble
Me: Whether it works at a poker table.... open to debate.
Dealer: flopblogger wins Main Pot ($270)
Me: I think when He came to earth, it was a sure thing.

The part we meant as "open to debate" is seeking Jesus's help in a poker tournament. We're open to discussion on this, but we think there are bigger things to pray about than poker.

"You do not have, because you do not ask God," says James 4:2-3. But then James adds, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

There's one for some soul-searching and self-examining. How do you plan to use any poker winnings you get? To buy "buckets of beer" at the bar, to drink the night away? Or for something beyond yourself (the King James Version says "your lusts") -- maybe giving some to do the work of God?

Is God a gambler -- and was He, when He sent Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins? We did a Bible study on this several years ago, in relation to another casino game. Click this link to read and consider it.

The religious chat didn't end there....

stingray74: oh c**p now jesus wants 10 of my earnings
Me: It's only 10%. the feds take much more.
stingray74: lol so true
Me: And you may be able to deduct the 10% as a charitable donation.

The idea of tithing goes all the way back to the book of Genesis. After Abram won a major battle, he met "Melchizedek king of Salem" and gave him "a tenth of everything." (Gen. 14:18-20) Many Bible experts believe Melchizedek actually was a figure of Christ, encountering Abram long before entering the world as Jesus.

And as for that last line: donations to charities such as religious groups can be tax-deductible in the U.S., especially if you have a high income. Check Schedule A -- and don't forget to pay taxes on your poker winnings.

You call this gambling?

A South Dakota tax preparation specialist was on National Public Radio a few minutes ago, sharing a strange story of last-minute filers.

A man walked into his office on April 15 and said he had $25,000 in poker winnings to declare. But he couldn't afford to pay the taxes on them.

Why? He invested the winnings, in a company which went bankrupt.

How bizarre, how bizarre. Moral of the story: Money can come and money can go -- whether you have a flush on the flop or stock certificates.

Don't hold on tightly to poker winnings. Hold onto Someone you can't really grasp physically -- a God who can guide you to even better treasures someday.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." -- Matthew 6:21