[SonnyJay]

While I think the college savings idea is a good one, the bigger issue is whether a 9 year old should be playing this much poker, or if he should be playing any at all.

I didn't play with any frequency until my freshman year of college, and my parents were still concerned about it then. Basically, you and your wife know your kid better than anyone. Make sure he has other interests and this isn't cutting into school/social/athletic/other interests. If you feel that it is then be willing to step in.

I'd recommend setting limits on how much to play each week. You don't even need to tell him, just if he's playing a lot come up with something else to do. As he gets older, you can loosen up the restrictions a little more. I think your wife's concerns are valid though, I've seen people much older than that get carried away with this stuff.

I'll mention that I'm only about ten years older than your son and (hopefully) far away from the parenting world. However, having been that age fairly recently it's my two cents.

-SonnyJay