Miners play Poker

One of the great concerns about the trapped miners is their mental health, however, their love of poker should help keep their brains stimulated and healthy

On August 5th the San Jose gold and Copper mine in Chile collapsed and left 33 miners trapped with almost nothing to help them survive. Amazingly the men did survive, rationing their limited supply of food and water, and playing lots of poker. It is expected that they will have a four month wait trapped in the mine, but they should be free by Christmas and in the mean time their poker skills are sure to go vastly improve.

The news of the miraculous survival of the miners reached the world a couple of weeks ago, at the same time the world heard about their poker playing. The daughter of one of the miners, Carolina Lobos said about her father Franklin, “I’m not worried about him. I know he is happy and content down there because he is playing lots of poker and cards. It is good for his mind.”

The various members of the mental health profession who have been discussing the miners state of mind seem to agree. According to Elements Behavioural Health, a treatment centre in California, taking part in activities which you enjoy is one of the ways by which people overcome trauma. A statement on the centre’s websites says, “Whatever it is that you know your loved one generally finds enjoyment doing, make it a point to encourage this kind of activity.”

As the miners are trapped inside a very small area, they needed to find an activity that they enjoy but which doesn’t require a lot of space yet still keeps them mentally stimulated. For Lobos and many of the other 33 miners Poker provides exactly what they need. Whilst water, medicine and food are taking care of their physical well being, poker is ensure that their minds stay healthy too.

In a fairly unpleasantly ironic way, this tragedy is providing one of the main arguments for the legalisation of online poker in the United States. Like these miners, many Americans feel the need to relax in their own homes and enjoy the thrill and mental challenge of a game of poker, Franklin Lobos and his companions have provided one of the best news stories of 2010 thanks to this poker playing miracle.