My predictions have been eliminated 11th (Kim P. in Africa), 11th (Robert in Marquesas), 2nd (Tanya in Thailand), 11th (Christy in the Amazon), 7th (Shawn in the Pearl Islands), and 4th (Rob C. in All-Stars -- although I was achingly close to choosing eventual winner Amber).
Although I haven't accurately predicted a winner, half of my picks made it past the merge and to the final six. One almost made the merge, one was voted off because he was too good a player, and one became extremely ill and was voted off mainly due to that illness.
Let's see what games the survivors love in Vanuatu, and what we can infer from those games.
The Women
- Ami Cusack (barista / model) - Pictionary, Rummy
- Dolly Neely (sheep farmer) - Sorry, Pictionary
- Eliza Orlins (pre-law student) - Scrabble, Taboo, 25 Words or Less
- Julie Berry (youth mentor) - Scrabble, Guesstures
- Leann Slaby (research assistant) - Scrabble, Yahtzee, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary
- Lisa Keiffer (real estate agent) - Backgammon
- Mia Galeotalanza (finance manager) - Monopoly, Scattergories, Life, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble
- Scout Cloud Lee (rancher / entrepreneur) - Password
- Twila Tanner (highway repair) - Checkers, Monopoly
The Men
- Brady Finta (FBI agent) - Risk, Scrabble, Pictionary
- Brook Geraghty (project manager) - Scrabble
- Chad Crittenden (teacher) - Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly
- Chris Daugherty (highway construction) - Parcheesi, Checkers, Chess
- John Kenney (mechanical bull operator / model) - Trivial Pursuit
- John Palyok (sales manager) - Risk, Monopoly, Battleship
- Lea Masters (drill sergeant) - Balderdash
- Rory Freeman (housing case manager) - Risk, Backgammon
- Travis Sampson (loss prevention) - Clue
Analysis
There are 18 contestants for this Survivor, the same number as in the All-Star edition -- but two more than in editions before that.
The contestants listed 21 different board games as favorites. Fourteen games were listed only once: 25 Words or Less, Balderdash, Battleship, Chess, Clue, Guesstures, Life, Parcheesi, Password, Rummy, Scattergories, Sorry, Taboo, and Yahtzee.
The most common favorite games were Scrabble (listed 7 times), Monopoly (4), Pictionary (4), Trivial Pursuit (4), Risk (3), Backgammon (2), and Checkers (2).
The total number of games listed (including repeats) was 39, an average of 2.17 games per contestant. Six players listed three or more games, six players listed two games, and six players listed one game.
My Prediction
Mia Galeotalanza is the only player to list five games, and they're an interesting mix of ruthless strategy (Monopoly), randomness (Life), general knowledge (Trivial Pursuit), quick thinking (Scattergories), and intellectual challenge (Scrabble). All five of those qualities are needed in a well-rounded Survivor contestant.
It does worry me that she lists perennial losers the Boston Red Sox as her favorite sports team, but she more than balances that out by listing The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Goonies among her favorite movies.
So Mia is my pick to win Survivor Vanuatu.
UPDATE: Mia was eliminated fourth. Chris Daugherty won it all.
