American Welfare at it's finest....

Gluck tho i hope you're successful

First off GL in your endevours. I am doing the same thing...kinda. I play low limit SNG's so the money isn't going to be the greatest, but it is something. I just got out of the military and am looking for a job. I am collecting unemployment in Vegas and it is pretty sweet. I feel bad sometimes but I did serve my country for 6 years and I guess I deserve a little break. I just got a gig dealing at the Venetian for the deepstack coming up next month. I am also going to be dealing the WSOP again this year and am just gonna collect unemployment till then and grind out some SNG's. (I currently beat the 5$ DoN's for like 7%. Weak sauce I know but I am working to try to figure out my leaks. But anyway GL man hope you succeed.

 

Originally Posted by nitsuj378

First off GL in your endevours. I am doing the same thing...kinda. I play low limit SNG's so the money isn't going to be the greatest, but it is something. I just got out of the military and am looking for a job. I am collecting unemployment in Vegas and it is pretty sweet. I feel bad sometimes but I did serve my country for 6 years and I guess I deserve a little break. I just got a gig dealing at the Venetian for the deepstack coming up next month. I am also going to be dealing the WSOP again this year and am just gonna collect unemployment till then and grind out some SNG's. (I currently beat the 5$ DoN's for like 7%. Weak sauce I know but I am working to try to figure out my leaks. But anyway GL man hope you succeed.

Do you have the 09 WSOP schedule?

And here i am working a 90 hour week and paying 1400 in taxes a week to pay your unemployment so you can follow your poker dreams.. Lucky bastard. Good luck bro

 

Originally Posted by fly44

WTF is wrong with people? Quit stealing money and either: A-get a fucking job B-make poker your job.

I also like how you posted this on a different name than your own. "Hummm people might be upset that I am going to go on umployment and not try and get a job...well I still want to brag about it, I will post it on my friends name".

jealous?

 

Originally Posted by DaddyP

jealous?

No. I am angry. There are millions of people who are looking for a job and cannot find one who need the money. This guy is not going to try and get a new job, he is going to start to make money right away.

I am doing a similar thing. I am waiting to get a job and am grinding now to make money and fill the time. I am not taking money because I am making money.

Yeah, relax. The man got laid off. He's perfectly entitled to collect UI or EI or whatever the fuck it's called. Has he not been paying into this fund for the entire duration of his employment? Why should he feel guilty?

EI/UI is meant to bridge the gap until you find another job or source of income. He's taking a crack at poker as a means of earning his living, big deal. If it doesn't work, he'll find a "real" job in a few months.

 

Originally Posted by bonflizubi

 

Originally Posted by DaddyP

 

Originally Posted by fly44

WTF is wrong with people? Quit stealing money and either: A-get a fucking job B-make poker your job.

I also like how you posted this on a different name than your own. "Hummm people might be upset that I am going to go on umployment and not try and get a job...well I still want to brag about it, I will post it on my friends name".

jealous?

I agree with Fly. THere's a middle ground here.

When my job ended I spent 4-5 hours a say seriously networking, interviiewng etc looking for a job. I played poker all in the evenings too - hoping I might hit a lotto. Or make a couple thou if i won a small tourney. I collected unemployment - I couldn't remotely make enough playing poker as a job to even come close to my unemployment check.

I think you can do both if you aren't making nosebleed bank playing poker. (or more than a fraction of what your job used to pay.) and as long as you are looking for a job at the same time. If you aren't looking for a job then yeah, it's stealing money. If you are at least looking seriously at the same time I think it is OK.

I did hit lotto -- and decided to stop taking unemployment for the rest of the year (last few months). Now I'm taking unemployment again as I'm not making a living at it and I am spending more than enough time each week job-hunting to feel comfortable about it.

Net: Don't take the check unless you make a serious effort at looking for a real job even if you are spending a ton of time playing poker. It's not right.

WOW!
You win 75k!!!!!11 and then start taking unemployment again!
WTF is that gonna look like on your taxes.
Even if you haven't won jack since then...it still averages out WAY above the average US salary

 

Originally Posted by Duffy08

WOW!
You win 75k!!!!!11 and then start taking unemployment again!
WTF is that gonna look like on your taxes.
Even if you haven't won jack since then...it still averages out WAY above the average US salary

It's actually a tax question. For one I stopped taking unemployment untill 2009. Also, if you are filing as a hobbyist...and were also looking for work full-time, I don't see any problem. I spend more than enough time looking for a job in my field.

And I was earning 6+figures - though I don't think the win size is relevant.

What if you are unemployed and looking for a job, play the sunday million one time and score the win. That shouldn't stop you from getting unemployment. Poker wasn't your job.

Now if I filed my taxes with poker as my profession (or was spending all my time playing) then it'd be a problem for taking unemployment *while I was doing it*

Unemployment is supposed to pay you while you are actively looking for work. WHat you do in your spare time is up to you.

Hope that made the difference clear....

edit. P.s. If you won the megabucks lottery for $200 Million and were unemplyed, and looking for work full time, you would still be qualified for unemployment money. No different then getting lucky and binking 1 big score.

So fucking lame that my tax dollars go towards this. Typical lazy ass who wants something for nothing. I hope you fail.

Unemployment is supposed to be for those who need it. Yeah, I know you didn't set the system up, but you're still a scumbag for abusing it.

 

Originally Posted by Cactus Jack 44

I don't know why all the hate on this topic. Don't you people know that "The Savior" has come? "The Beacon of Hope" has been sworn in and he's gonna SAVE YOU!

Remember, change doesn't come FROM Washington...Change comes TO Washington. Don't worry about the economy or jobs or cash b/c The Chosen One is here and he will make things right again.

Enjoy the benefits of Socialism.

This proud post brought to you by another butthurt conservative.

 

Originally Posted by Rev.K

 

Originally Posted by Cactus Jack 44

I don't know why all the hate on this topic. Don't you people know that "The Savior" has come? "The Beacon of Hope" has been sworn in and he's gonna SAVE YOU!

Remember, change doesn't come FROM Washington...Change comes TO Washington. Don't worry about the economy or jobs or cash b/c The Chosen One is here and he will make things right again.

Enjoy the benefits of Socialism.

This proud post brought to you by another butthurt conservative.

This gay reply brought to you by a Prop 8 fighter who'd rather eat male anatomy and play the "victim" vs accepting responsibility for your deficiency and as a result, condemn American Society to weakness.

Put the drugs down and get to work on that paper, son. Don't piss away mommy and daddy's tuition $$$ then complain to everyone within earshot that "The System" doesn't work and that "The System isn't fair."

 

Originally Posted by bonflizubi

 

Originally Posted by Duffy08

WOW!
You win 75k!!!!!11 and then start taking unemployment again!
WTF is that gonna look like on your taxes.
Even if you haven't won jack since then...it still averages out WAY above the average US salary

It's actually a tax question. For one I stopped taking unemployment untill 2009. Also, if you are filing as a hobbyist...and were also looking for work full-time, I don't see any problem. I spend more than enough time looking for a job in my field.

And I was earning 6+figures - though I don't think the win size is relevant.

What if you are unemployed and looking for a job, play the sunday million one time and score the win. That shouldn't stop you from getting unemployment. Poker wasn't your job.

Now if I filed my taxes with poker as my profession (or was spending all my time playing) then it'd be a problem for taking unemployment *while I was doing it*

Unemployment is supposed to pay you while you are actively looking for work. WHat you do in your spare time is up to you.

Hope that made the difference clear....

edit. P.s. If you won the megabucks lottery for $200 Million and were unemplyed, and looking for work full time, you would still be qualified for unemployment money. No different then getting lucky and binking 1 big score.

aight makes sense. I obv no very little about unemployment, but still seems weird getting that $ when you really don't need it.

so in your case of previously working a job that paid 6 figs...unemployment pays you way more than say a factory worker? or is it all a set amount for everyone?

if it's a set amount don't see hwo it helps u much cus you're obv ballin if you come form a job having made 6 figs a year and then win 50k+ in poker too(whatever u ended up with after that 75k score)
grats

 

Originally Posted by Duffy08

aight makes sense. I obv no very little about unemployment, but still seems weird getting that $ when you really don't need it.

so in your case of previously working a job that paid 6 figs...unemployment pays you way more than say a factory worker? or is it all a set amount for everyone?

if it's a set amount don't see hwo it helps u much cus you're obv ballin if you come form a job having made 6 figs a year and then win 50k+ in poker too(whatever u ended up with after that 75k score)
grats

TY.. Unfortunately it's not as sweet a deal as you might think. Here's a brief explanation on how it works...

First off, unemploment - certainly in my case - comes nowhere near covering the monthly nut - Add up Health insurance, rent in Boston $$$, car insurance, etc.. and it's big enough to run through the bank account quickly. Also, you have to pay state and federal income taxes on the unemployment money jut like any other money you make. After paying tax on unemployment that basically covers only my rent and utilities. Everything else in a life comes out of the bank.

THe good news is I binked 75k.
The bad news is it jacks up my tax bracket so the taxes are pretty steep on everything for me when they would have been a much lower % otherwise.

THe bad news is I'm unemployed at the time.
THe good news is that the score is paying my bills.

THe bad news is it could get blown paying my bills until I land the right job....which would keep me from being homeless but be a crying shame of a squandering. (Think unemployed since May)

Anyway- here's how unemployment workd: Unemployment pays based on a function of how much you were making over some trailing period of time. The formula will vary by state but basically yhe more you made the more you get. Different states pay much differently though. THe max here in Mass is $600 a week, while in other states it is less then half that for someone that made the same amount.

Why does this differ? It's because of the way it is paid for. It's paid for by a tax that emploers pay on your paycheck. THey pay a % of your earnings as unemployment tax to the state.... and the rates vary widely by state. Obv the tax is much higher here in Mass than the cheaper paying states.

And why do emplyers pay this tax? Because the system is designed to pay people for losing their jobs where it's the employers choice to get rid of you. (If yo uwere caught stealing from the company say.. then they fire you for cdause and you don't qualify for the unemployment assuming they want to fight to kep you from getting it.) Also, the more people a company gets rid of that collect unemployme, the higher their tax rate goes. Their is an incentive then for them to NOT be getting rid of people. In a nutshell, its a tax on employers to make them make as feww unneeeded or bad hires as possible, and to help you out when they get rid of you for no fault of your own.

ANyway, thats a brief description of how it works. Their may be a technical error in there but it is close enough. It's only a sweet deal if you don't pay rent, have no debt, and are making money under the table otherwise. Trust me, you'd rather not be on it if you have to pay all your own bills.

Hope that helps ya understand dufff...

/old fart explaining shit ;)

 

Originally Posted by lind0

Yeah, relax. The man got laid off. He's perfectly entitled to collect UI or EI or whatever the fuck it's called. Has he not been paying into this fund for the entire duration of his employment? Why should he feel guilty?

EI/UI is meant to bridge the gap until you find another job or source of income. He's taking a crack at poker as a means of earning his living, big deal. If it doesn't work, he'll find a "real" job in a few months.

agree wit this. and im not saying this because I get EI.