That is an interesting article which certainly brings up some controversial points. Personally, I think the father has gone overboard here, and he is lucky if he does not have an ex-wife seeking custody, because that would be cannon fodder for any divorce lawyer. The question here is if poker is appropriate for an 8 yr old (or even 3,4, 5 yr olds since that is when she was learning). My simple answer is yes, the maths part and logical thinking and problem solving are great. I learned to play chess, stratego, miniature lead soldier campaigns, etc. at a very young age, and I learned immensely from this. However, the father is delusional here saying that she can play at the highest stakes with the best players. Even if she IS that good (which I doubt), an 8 yr old can have no idea what the value of money is. How can she? What is the difference between a $5, $50, and $500 blind to someone so young? She has no concept of what those quantities are worth, and so her father is doing a disservice putting her in any kind of competition where wagering takes place. And talking her up like he does, this is truly a recipe for disaster. I admire the logical thinking and maths skills, but couldn't this be accomplished with chess, or some other activity that does not require and 8 yr old to make bets that she can't possibly begin to fathom?
