Forgot to make my pick.

Week one - Mike Zahalsky

Week One: Patrick Bolton

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Starting from scratch...

Wow, glad I saw this. I didn't realize it was that time already. John Hilsabeck

I'm new to this, but am a big Survivor fan and would love to join.

Week 1 - John "JP" Hilsabeck.

Week 1 Ben Dreibergen

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

I'll invariably wind up forgetting to post and thus disqualifying myself, but here goes...

Week 1 - Mike Zahalsky

Welcome.

Two unwritten rules:

1). Wait 24 hours after the episode airs before posting spoilers. Not everyone watches live.

2). Normm wins every season, except one if memory serves

Joe Mena

I'm in for another round....

Week 1: Ben Driebergen

Katrina Radke

Do you have to change your selection each week or just pick one person to go the distance ?

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Change your pick every week.

What, no discussion yet? I'll start. We need to keep this thread at the top...

Pfew, I made it through week 1.

Interesting that Mamma 1 voted for Momma 2 and didn't use the advantage. Thought she might want her to stay around.

Mr. NFL is way too much drama (and crazy eyes!).

I do like the "Healers" team as they do work well together even though they didn't look like a physical threat.

"Hustlers" are just sad.

Discuss.

BTW where is NormM?

Yep, I thought they would have stuck together.

Oh well, I'm out already and out on the show. I only watched this year cause Momma 2 was a friend from HS days.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Oh that's too bad...

Leddy we hardly knew ya.

Interesting twist of a super immunity idol. Wonder if there will be another one later in the season when it can have an impact.

Little surprised they didn't blindside Allan. Guess strength in challenges trumps crazy in camp.

I think it would have been better that the super idol stays in play until used. Have it bounce around a few times and make it a real strategic threat. It wouldn't be too powerful since you only really get it once and then have to give it up again. (Not like Yul's idol when they first put it in)

I think that it's a bad draw that she got voted out first for the sole reason that she's an older woman. I don't know what she did in the Olympics but whatever it was she could have been better than someone else in the challenges? The "keep the tribe strong" trope needs to be retired, especially if it's three tribes and they'll shuffle soon anyway.


Then again, they didn't show her doing any alliance making either...

Week 2 - Mike Ball

'88 games in Seoul. 5th in 200 fly (2:11:xx)

I know she swam for team USA in some other stuff, pan am games

Key lesson, if they ask you to go get firewood or water be a little nervous.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Week two - Ryan Ulrich

I'm here..... just taking it all in. At the start of these things I try to be all watching and listening and not let the hamster wheel of my own thoughts interfere with me getting a feel for the people and tribes and go with strictly social intuition. ( Which is pretty hard to do on the first episode because it's a blind pick other than maybe taking a look at the pictures of the tribes and the bios ) I thought it was smart to not use that super idol. ( to early in the game. Ashly would have been out and she would have been left there to try to be on a majority alliance only being able to count on Katrina ) Chrissy would still have a target on her back and give something for the others to unify against the next time they went to tribal because she thwarted them. Plus if she is smart ( and they didn't take it away from her ) she has a helluva fake immunity idol on her hands.

You always have insight that I just can't see. All great points.

Have you ever applied to be on the show?

No... never really wanted to do it. Don't do good with sleep deprivation and starving and trying to be social. Plus having my own buisness I could not walk a way for for that period of time. I have an inkling of how truely difficult it is and no fire in the belly or compelling reason to do so. Fun to watch, fun to guess about.... If I were going to try for a reality show.... it would be Amazing Race.

Week 2: Cole Medders

 1. JP

This week : Devon Pinto

Week 2: Devon Pinto

Week Two: Desi Williams

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Starting from scratch...

week 2 Joe Mena

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

What no chatter again this week? Looks like we didn't lose anyone in our game at least.

I don't have any good insights this week, found it a little dull really....NormM how about you?

Wait...I do have one comment. Cole really screwed up when he helped Joe find the idol. He could have just mislead him as to what that symbol was, but was just too honest. I hope I would have had the quick mind to do the same and nabbed the idol for myself. He's cute, but not very strategic...

The casting is getting very formulaic. Do they even take tapes from people that send in or do they go directly to a casting agency for the cast

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

Typical second episode. nothing much happens. Someone finds an idol. Someone that should not have been there goes home.

Did like Chrissy comment that she has an idol to show later on in the game. Only she knows it worthless.

She is as smart as normm.

I don't know if its the players' tactics evolving, or if it is editing getting worse, but the first few episodes are hard to get invested in. Part of the issue is too many players, they can't give them all equal airtime, and if they narrow the focus too much it gives away what may happen. Because of that, the first few weeks of picks are pretty much just random guesses.

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Starting from scratch...

Week 3 - Patrick Boulton

Week 3 - Chrissy Hofbeck

I love Survivor, I really don't get how they end up with some of the contestants they have on the show. It's good to have a variety, but some really odd choices. It's almost like they are struggling to find people to appear on the show.

 Yeah it was a very ho hum episode. I don't think Cole had it in him to be that conniving. Joe does. He would have had to realize what the picture was and convincingly play dumb then go look for it later without getting caught or raising Joes suspicions. Either way... Joe is going to be suspicious of him because Cole knows he has the idol. Only time will tell how this ends up turning out for Cole. His bigger problem may be for him and Jessica is that they may be seen as a "power couple".

I was gone for a long weekend. Saw Steve Martin and Martin Short in Chicago. Great show! : ) But I do think we should lift the don't post for 24 hour ban for the discussion. You tend to want to talk about the episode right after it happens... then on to the next thing.

Instead, if people are in agreement just don't go to the thread until you have seen the episode if you don't want any spoilers? I'm certainly open to that if Davec and the other players are.

  But I do think we should lift the don't post for 24 hour ban for the discussion. You tend to want to talk about the episode right after it happens... then on to the next thing.

Instead, if people are in agreement just don't go to the thread until you have seen the episode if you don't want any spoilers? I'm certainly open to that if Davec and the other players are.[/quote]
I have no problem with removing the ban. I usually don’t watch until Thursday and just avoid the thread until I do.

I have no problem with removing the ban. I usually don’t watch until Thursday and just avoid the thread until I do.[/quote]
I'm good with that.

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Starting from scratch...

Sorry didn't mean to cause any issue here... I just find the rest of the forum isn't keeping me as engaged as it used to, and need something to read on Friday mornings. I won't push it.

I meant the collective "you" not you specifically. I want to talk about it right away too. Should have written "One wants to... " I think it's human nature.

No offence taken. I'll do whatever the "collective" wants to do.

Week 3: Ben Driebergen

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 3 Patrick Bolton

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

Week 3: Desiree "Desi" Williams

Week Three: JP Hilsabeck

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Starting from scratch...

I almost never get to watch live but I have no problems with people posting about the show. It can drive me crazy seeing that there are posts in this thread and I havent watched yet. :)

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

Wow we lost two players of our game on that episode!

With a tribe shake up next week it will be a blind pick.

Yeah... that always throws a monkey wrench in the selection process. With 15 people left I'm still thinking it will be three tribes of 5... It will be a crap shoot trying to pick someone.

Good pick... I actually went against my strategey and went with a risky pick with Joe... i just didn't think they would go to tribial... Patrick is one of the people i wouldn't go near with a 10 foot pole. : )

Fuck all you fucking fucks fucked me.

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

Dude, rough ( can't remember for certain but didn't you have an early knock out before? )......what possessed you to pick Patrick?

Or two tribes of 7 and Exile Island (or some other form of banishment, maybe with another guest appearance by Cochrane)?

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Starting from scratch...

I could never make the final because I would run out of people almost before I picked a loser,so these last two times I have used a different strategy. Every week I would try to pick 5 people who I thought could win and 3 or 4 that had no chance to win. I was trying to pick people that would eventually get voted out but use them before they were out. I knew Patrick had no shot of making the top half so I wanted to use him. Terrible strategy and my comment is just a dumb thing we would say when competing among friends.

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.

Hey now. That’s the strategy I am using also. May explain why my best finish is second and I am usually one of the first ones out.

Maybe I should just wait for Normm to make his pick and follow suit. Guarantees a tie for first.

Yeah I meant it was rough that you got knocked out so soon. Thought your interjection was funny. I strayed once from my stratagey and it didn't go well. I went a little off the reservation with my last pick. Someone picked my first choice and for no logical reason I decide to switch and take more of a risk and picked Joe. Thier team has not lost immunity yet and he had the idol. I thought those reasons mitigated the risk enough to do that. Not planning on pushing my luck any more though.

Yeah they could really play around with how they mix the tribes.

Well, there I go. He was the right choice for the tribe but I'm out early.

So sorry you are out, but I'm with NormM....stayed away from Patrick with 10ft pole. My strategy is pretty random, but if I have any sense someone is not in favour, I stay away. Patrick just didn't fit in, and he never would.

That said, now that he's gone, I think Lauren will show that she can be a team player. She will just need to try hard to connect with the others.

Merge will be interesting, but as said before, next week's pick is blind.

A valid strategy....;)

But no, I'm not using that.

Week 4 - Joe Mena

Hope he doesn’t go home with an idol in his pocket.

Week 4 - Joe Mena

Hope he doesn’t go home with an idol in his pocket.








Ha ha... that's just what I was thinking when I picked him last week. : )

Week 4: JP Hilsabeck

Was tempted to try for Alan Ball this week with a tribes shake up, but that guy is a loose cannon...

Week 4: Ashley Nolan

Week Four: Devon Pinto

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Starting from scratch...

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

That was a good episode... lots of twists and what if's.

Yes, I had a hard time keeping up with the possible outcomes...

Two of the people I picked already were in the possible mix for being voted off... would have been nice to see one of them go for this game but going forward unless something really changed I don't think I would have picked Alan unless I was down to one or two picks left.
Not sad to see Alan go and wouldn't have been sad to see Joe go but I like Devon glad that he didn't get voted out.

Whew! Don’t like Joe but glad he played his idol.

The secret advantage changes the game. What other new tricks will be introduced this season?

I liked the positive one because it managed to forge a relationship that might not otherwise have started out that way.

No one is going to fess up to the negative one, and even though everyone on the tribe knows who it is, it only serves to hurt that person later in the game.

Week 5: Mike Zahalsky

Week 5 - Lauren Rimmer

Week Five: Roark Luskin

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Starting from scratch...

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 5: Mike Zahalski

We lost another one last night. Thought Chrissy would go instead.

Otherwise a pretty meh episode.

Yes, not a super interesting episode this week. They are certainly setting Cole up as the next irritating one that has to go. I don't think I'd like someone eating with his fingers and licking everything either! Aside from brawn, he isn't contributing too much in any case.

Yeah average episode, except for skinny.... nail biter that didn't end well. Glad I got my Cole pick done after seeing the previews for next week. . Thought it was still relatively safe. Yawa had a strong tribe for challenges plus he was part of the three healers on his tribe.

I figured I was in trouble as soon as I saw how much screen time she was getting this episode, after barely showing up at all previously.

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Starting from scratch...

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 6: Desi Williams

Week 5: Ryan Ulrich

Week 6 - Ashley Nolan

Finally one of my previous picks got voted off...

I feel your pain. None of my picks have been voted off. I’m going to be out of picks in a few more episodes if that doesn’t Change.

Another nothing episode except for the vote.

Hopefully the merge will inspire some action.

I also will run out of picks...

Hope we will have something interesting next week with the merge.

Week 7 - Devin Pinto

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

I mistakenly put Ryan as week 5 last week...

Week 7: Chrissy Hofbeck
This may be risky....

I think they are going to merge tonight.... if so it's going to be another crapshoot episode for making a pick. There are 4 Heros 3 Hustlers and 5 Healers left.

Week 7: Chrissy Hofbeck

Wow! Nail biter for you and JMac650c.

Yeah... as soon as they showed her at the start saying how comfortable she was I knew it coukd be bad!

EXACTLY what I thought!

Yes a nail biter.... I can't imagine what it was like to be her in that moment.

Good to have picked her though now. Now I need them to start voting off the alpha males I've already picked!

Good episode.

Don’t know if Joe is a genius or an idiot.

None of my picks have been voted off. I only have a few picks left.

First rule of being a good strategist: don't tell people you're a good strategist. Also: the "show that you have an idol before the vote" move only works if you don't play it. He would have been better off just playing it like he did the first time, or showing it after the votes to read everyone's reactions and then play/don't play depending on the reaction.

Yeah, I got lucky again. Second week in a row one of my previous picks got voted out.

For being such a great strategist, Joe definitely got out-strategised by Chrissy. He looked just as blindsided by the votes as the person voted out. It will be interesting to see if he keeps playing the hyper-aggresive role, or if that sets him back for a day or too. That seems to be the first time that they have shown him mis-reading his opponents plan, and it was a massive mis-read.

It will also be interesting to see how long Chrissy can stay in her position before her own alliance starts to fear her power.

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Starting from scratch...

 Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

Week 8 Ashley Nolan

I have 5 left. Hoping for another previously picked one tomorrow.

Week 8: Lauren Rimmer

Total last minute pick...no research...
Joe

Another week and we didn’t lose anyone.

I think we may have set a record for the number of people who have survived this far into a season.

I only have two picks left: Ben and Cole. Thought about going with Cole this week but thought he was a target.

Good episode... was hoping that Joe was the one to go. ( Had picked him already ) Desi was one of the ones I had not picked. I have Chrissy, Ryan, Ben and Lauren left.

Bit stressful for me again, but squeaked through.

Not sure who I have left to pick from. Winging it this time round.

We finally got some good strategy before tribal this week. Lauren's advantage mixed things up, but it seems no one noticed the lack of one vote. I would have thought someone would have added up the votes and noticed one was missing...

They kept showing Joe during tribal and it looked like he was counting the votes. Maybe he finally smartened up and will keep his mouth shut for once,

Yes Jeff pulled a fast one over most of them by smoothly saying "one vote left" that nonone noticed or said anything when there should have been two. With 11 left and votes going 1Ben, 1 Lauren, 4 Joe, 4 Desi you would have thought Joe or Desi would have questioned the missing vote. I would have ! The revote didnt matter as Desi got 5/8 rather than 5/9 people thought were cast. Hope this is explained later or in the live show.

Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

Week 8 Ashley Nolan

Week 9 Lauren Rimmer.

Week 9: Lauren Rimmer

Week 9: Ashley

Uh oh, looks like we lost one this week.

Yeah, I only had Ben and Cole left and I hoped for a Cole immunity win.

Good luck everyone. CanÂ’t have many picks left.

Not an interesting episode. Group of seven makes for boring watching. Someone in the seven needs to make a move. Just comes a week to late for me.

Totally agree. In general not finding this season well played.

I'd really like to know what JP does in between tribal and challenges...he's never involved in any conversations or hanging out. Is he doing that on purpose, or are they specifically editing him out? Can't see why they would do that since he's so easy on the eyes.

Bummer... It was an ok episode. ( good idol challenge ) From our game...it was great to see my pick win the immunity challenge then one of my previous picks get voted out. I think Survivor has gotten better over the years in mixing up the types of challenges they do to make it harder for one person to dominate as much. I'm down to three left.

I too have liked some of the new challenges this year, as well as the new "advantages", some of which have not actually been advantageous. Throws some new wrinkles into things, but also makes it harder to do a pool like this because it can make things a lot more unpredictable.

I think Mike played tribal great. He definitely seemed to set some doubt in peoples minds, and coming from him instead of Joe made the message seem more powerful. I don't think the seven survives another episode.

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Starting from scratch...

I'm still in.

??

No, not you....just replied to last post. We lost davec.

Just realized tonight is a two hour back to back episode. How do we want to play this? One pick to survive two eliminations or two picks... one for first elimination one for second?

Well I only have one pick left - Ryan - so I would favor the former! ;)

Week 10: Ryan My last available pick... Looks like I went with too many of the alpha males at the beginning. Played it too safe. :/

Week 10: JP

Only have one left for next week (Devon).

I vote for one pick surviving both eliminations...

Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

Week 8 Ashley Nolan

Week 9 Lauren Rimmer.

Week 10 Ryan Ulrich

Good episodes... Glad that Joe is gone. Looks like we lost JMac650c this round.

Good game play and good editing. Thought Ben was going home last night.

Yes...crap I'm out. But I was out of picks in any case. I'm really not good at this game.

Finally, they are actually playing with some strategy...it was a good tribal.

Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

Week 8 Ashley Nolan

Week 9 Lauren Rimmer.

Week 10 Ryan Ulrich

Week 11 Chrissy Hofbeck

I'm out too. Ran out of picks...

I got Chrissy and Ben left... so if she doesn't get voted out I'll make it through this episode and if Ben doesn't get voted off also I will be able to play him next week.

WTF?

Don’t use the vote advantage, give away part of an idol. What the hell is going on?

Good episode.

Does anyone have any picks left? Did NormM win again?

Some are playing the game extremely well at this point, and some are not. Knowledge is power. The more you know that others don't (like having an idol), the easier it is to stay in the game. Sharing knowledge can build trust, but I don't think trust is as valuable as information is.

It will be interesting to see how much longer Dr. Mike can stay in the game. I like how he is playing lately, he is very likeable, and if he can survive until the end, I could see him winning it all.

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Starting from scratch...

No use making the double vote since they were all voting for Ben. Giving away half of her idol made no sense at all. And they never considered whether Ben had an idol. I thought the one guy knew when he was making the fake one.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Yes... good episode. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the game unfolds. Worked out good for my game too. I picked Crissy and have Ben left. So I survive one more week and will be done next week either with Ben getting voted out or if he survives I will be out of picks for the episode after that.

I think Ben said something along the lines of don't reveal you have idols and advantages. Sage words.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Week 1 JP

Week 2 Devon Pinto

Week 3 Joe Mena

Week 4 Ali Elliott

Week 5 Cole Medders

Week 6 Jessica Johnson

Week 7 Mike Zahalsky

Week 8 Ashley Nolan

Week 9 Lauren Rimmer.

Week 10 Ryan Ulrich

Week 11 Chrissy Hofbeck

Week 12 Ben Driebergen

Good episode... had me on the edge of my seat. I didn't know if they were throwing in the idol hunting footage and possibility as a red herring because it was pretty obvious Ben was going to go home otherwise. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the game plays out.

Congratulations. You won again.

Ben must be part cat. How many lives does he have?

If Devon makes the final he has lost Ashley’s vote.

Thanks... It always makes Survivor more fun to watch when we play our game. : )

Didn't realize tonight is the season finale...

Congrats again NormM. You are a master.

Ghost Island for next season looks kind of interesting....

Thanks, Great season finale. Glad Ben won. When he lost that final challenge it looked like that was it.... they even made it seem like Devon was the "fire making" guy and would win the challenge. After he got through all that I still thought Crissy had a good chance of taking it. I'm sure she would have won if Devon was there and not Ben.

Congrats on the win. If we can get 30+ more seasons I am sure I will nail down an effective strategy to get at least a second place finish.
Glad Ben won, when There was 9 or 10 left I was cheering against him, I could not believe people were working with him as there was no way I thought anyone would beat him in the finale. But when everyone woke up to this I was definitely cheering for him.

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Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or beatings. The world ends when you're dead, until then you're due for more punishment. Stand it like a man. And give some back.