Brings back memories, Lowell. I helped pay my college tuition pushing football cards in the dorms. Got paid cash for selling whatever I had to sell. Or I could take X number of paid up cards and take my chance on winning. I always took the cash because I paid off very few winners - VERY few. The guys that set the spreads really knew what they were doing.

I have friend down here who had $96,000 of W2-G income last year. I asked what his losses were. He said - "not $96,000." I believe him, except he was probably shading his winnings on the low side; he takes a couple of employees with him to the Indian casinos across the line in OK and I saw him win $8500 one night and he had one of his guys [[in a MUCH lower tax bracket) claim the cash and take the W2-G.