SURVIVOR Super Fan

A blog to document my passion and ongoing efforts to be cast on Survivor

Category Archives: Strategy


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Who is Rob Folz??? Equal parts, Penner, Tyson and Laura M.

So winner Survivor takes more than physical ability…more than scheming and mental toughness…more than social skills…Winning Survivor also requires a certain amount of luck.  I think being cast on Survivor takes a bit of luck as well (tho I believe you need to put yourself in position to get lucky – you can’t just wait for luck).  They could love an applicant, but not have the needed spot for a given season.  Maybe they have too many people from California (almost a given in my opinion), too many bimbos/mimbos (less now than they used too), too many people with life experience (old people – tho age is trending higher in recent years).

One thing I enjoy (and I believe Jeff enjoys) is quick witted folks.  Not only are they quick to speak and usually with humor, but they tend to speak before thinking.  Think Tyson getting up to hug Katie in Blood vs. Water and instead telling her where her seat on the jury awaits.  Jonathan Penner was very quick to verbalize in an intelligent way how he viewed a situation.  I feel i share this “gift” or better to call it a trait, as it can be quick to bite you in the ass.  I am not on the level of Mr. John Cochran, but I tip my cap to him as maybe the best orator to date.

Where does Laura M fit in?  After rewatching Blood vs. Water, she was a challenge beast!  While winning most competitions, she wasn’t afraid to make impulsive decisions to help determine the 2nd place winner in the duals.  I see myself doing exactly that.  It angered Vitas to no end, but I personally would have butted heads with Vitas from day one and would have worked to get his ass out too.

So I can cover the New England requirement (while at my true core I am always a New Yorker).  Successful, father, mature in age (less so in behavior), SuperFan, athletic and competitive, sarcastic, but above all else, I play to win.  As some necker race car driver once said, 2nd place is just the first loser.

penner, apostol, morett

 


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Less is more….A small lesson from this seasons winner

This season, this outstanding season brought us returning players.  Not only had they played once before, but many have waiting years for another chance.  That is a lot of time to study the game, think and rethink decisions, and prepare for their 2nd chance.  There is so much to take away from the season and we may find the game has had yet another evolution.  One of the biggest messages to me is “less is more” and by this I mean less talking.  By withholding the pending birth of his son, Jeremy was able to drop the news at the final tribal council cementing his victory.  By not revealing two idols to others he was able to keep the target off his back and play them at times of his choosing.  I can only imagine how difficult it would be to be trapped with the same people with so many hours to fill in the day and not divulge the new baby announcement.  I believe if he did leak it, it would have reminded players to not let the “good guy” get to the end.  This would go doubly for a season when the Jury is made up primarily of his peers and not Spencer’s peers.  Sorry Tasha, but I don’t think you had a chance.  Personally, I feel if you have to get “saved” while in the water, you are ineligible to win the title of Survivor failing the “Outlast” portion in a big way.    I am happy for Jeremy and his family (which is why you don’t let him get that far in the game).  It is too easy to give money to someone that likable.  I wonder if this will be a reminder not to bring the family guy to the end…Rob & Amber put targets on all future couples…has Jeremy done the same for the good family man?  What I do know if to hold the title of Sole Survivor, you MUST be able to hold your tongue!  I welcome your comments fellow Survivor geeks.  Opine below!


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Survivor Auction – Sometimes less is more

Here is a plea from me to Probst.  Let’s see a throwback auction in an upcoming season.  No advantages, no love letters, nothing but food.  While re-watching Season 2 Australia with my daughters this week (I re-watch all the Seasons to share with my youngest who is now addicted, but also to study the game) I enjoyed the simple food auction.  All the players were able to pool their money allowing alliances to be revealed, new connections to be made, and something as simple as peanut butter and chocolate that brought Elizabeth Hasselbeck to tears.  Producers would have to make it clear prior to the start that it is food and only food.  The simple joy of watching Erik Reichenbach pay $40 to lick Cirie Field’s  fingers….Priceless!

Reichenbach

 

 

 


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Mirror, mirror on the wall…who’s your favorite Rob of all???

You can do a lot of research to prepare for Survivor, but many have said, ”you are who you are”. They even say you are an intensified version of yourself.  So going in, an advantage is to have some skills, some traits that are already you. You should go in recognizing skills that you already have, and attempt to bring them into your game play.  As a sales person, something that has always come naturally to me is: “Mirror & Match”. This is when you behave in a manner that helps listeners feel comfortable, and focus on the subject matter of the message without any distraction.  Think of it more like attempting to speak somebody’s native language, or observing local customs when visiting a foreign country.  Mirror and matching is extending a courtesy, by acting in a way that the listener wants you to act.

Five examples are listed below:

1: Physiology – Match their posture and physical mannerisms

2: Speech Rate – Speak at a similar speed and tempo

3: Volume – Speak as loudly, or as softly as them

4: Tonality & Pitch – Make your voice sound like their voice

5: Phrase backtracking – Restate their favorite words back to them

Now the above can be done by studying this concept before you hit the island, but it could come off as fake, or robotic.  But as a natural skill that I possess, I don’t think about it…it just happens.  The fun part is to imagine how I would do this with a slow talking Southerner, or someone from NYC.  I would not try to pull off all 5 with say… Fabio the surfer dude (winner of Survivor Nicaragua), but bits and pieces could go a long way.

It is a way to develop relationships by allowing the other person to have some source of comfort with you. On an island without your typical sources of comfort, people will take whatever little bit they can get. So employing this technique makes yourself someone that is easy to talk to, and most importantly… relatable.

 

 


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“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

The title of the post comes from J.K. Rowling, or should I say from Albus Dumbledore…This season, and recent seasons of Survivor, they continue to highlight choices.  Do I try to get an Immunity Idol during a challenge in front of everyone or  do I choose the puzzle with less pieces, but higher degree of difficulty.  The choices make for interesting events and variety in the game.  It highlights the differences in contestants and often creates tension and conflict.  It was tremendous television waiting to see if Kelley would make the choice and go for the idol at the immunity challenge. Just imagine Kelley got caught going for the idol!

So why do I dedicate a post to choices?  I think there are a myriad of choices made throughout the game and I think this is where the game can be won or lost..and I think I make good choices!  It is not that I think I always choose right and others choose wrong.  It is that I approach problems differently and don’t limit myself to the choices offered.  If offered A or B, I often identify C as a viable alternative.  Call it thinking outside the box, not caring if there is a box, or as I’ve been told – I simply don’t think the rules apply to me.  I tend to think of “rules” as “guidelines”.  I tend to step over the line in pursuit of options that meet my needs.

The title quote is known to millions of Harry Potter fans around the world.  Maybe after I play Survivor, the world will know my quote just as well…”You don’t know where the line is until you step over it and take a tiny step back.”

 


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Liar, Liar, no more fire! – Tips and tricks to tell if someone is lying

Put 20 people from various backgrounds on an island competing for 1 million dollars almost guarantees 18 of them will be lying contently.  So aside from making fire from bamboo, I believe one of the next most important skills revolves around lying.

 

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(SurvivorSuperFan Rob as Pinocchio and his girlfriend as Jasmine – Halloween 2014)

Tips for detecting a lie are as follows:

1. Behavioral pause or delay – If you ask a question and notice a delay before they reply, they may be trying to lie to you.

2. Verbal/non-verbal disconnect – A verbal “no” while nodding up and down shows their answer is false.

3. Hiding the mouth or eyes – This is the one I see most often when watching Survivor.  A hand over the liars mouth, or covering their eyes…they are “hiding” the truth.

4. Throat-clearing or swallowing – If done before answering, this indicates they are likely fibbing bigtime!  Though if done after the statement, it may not mean anything.

5. Hand-to-face activity – Biting of the lip, tugging on their lips, fiddling with their ears, tucking hair behind their ears…..Lies!

6. Grooming gestures – Fiddling with their buff, clothes, jewelry, hair….don’t believe what they are telling you to keep your game going.

 

So, to be a successful liar, learn to control the above, but a few more tips are listed here:

1. Keep it short, plausible and to the point.

2. Be Calm and confident

3. Include half-truths in your lie when possible.

4. Maintain physical closeness throughout – hand on the shoulder.

5. If accused, admit to something else to throw off the interrogator

6. Practice envisioning the “reality” of your lie.  I call this the Costanza Rule….”It’s not a lie if your truly believe it!”

 

 


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Creating Fake Idols

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Joe-Anglim-fake-Idol
I think last weeks episode showing Joe Anglim creating a fake idol offered some great ideas on material. It also gives us a great opportunity to scrutinize strategy surrounding making, and playing fake idols. Ultimately, you never know what is going to happen in this game, so having a fake idol to throw around doesn’t hurt. The forethought of scavenging materials throughout the first couple of weeks – material from a torch, clothing, a crate, etc…- was perfect. I believe his strategy would have worked better, had he not chose to use it on the one player that was in possession of an authentic idol. I would love to try this idea – being the one to find the real idol and also create a fake one to use for strategy. Can you gain someones trust and allegiance by giving them the fake idol? Can you give it to a target so maybe they scramble and plot less and it is easier to blindside them? Jeff Probst & Lynne Spillman click here for private thoughts – Password is eric’s call sign : https://survivorsuperfan.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=50&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2