Survivor: Thailand - Advice to the Remaining 10

It's time once again for the Survivor Advisor to pass out fresh bits of advice to try and help each individual progress in the game and ultimately win it. The game is approaching the traditional merge time, and the next few votes will be critical for the long term. A merge at five members from each tribe sets up another Survivor 2 situation, but is it in the best interests of each tribe to stick together and vote along tribal lines - or form new pacts and deals once the tribes are placed together.

Everybody. This is the mid-game, and what happens at the next tribal council could determine the game. You are facing a mix of Survivors 2 (Australia) and 4 (Marqueses), with an even merge and cracks in each tribe. For the most part, it's better for the tribes to pull together for at least a few votes. After that, it's the Marqueses theory of the game - ally with people you don't know much about or even like once it becomes apparent your part of your alliance won't carry you until the end. The key mistake Amber made in Survivor 2 was stupidly voting with her Ogakor tribe (who she was down and out with), and Rodger and Elizabeth compounded that stupidity by actually trying to vote her out instead of recruiting her before it was too late for all of them. Three or four votes from now the game is going to shift again, and people in the minority part of the majority alliance need to reconsider their options.

Of course, that is long-range planning, but it's not too late to start thinking about that. Remember, even if you get to the final two, you still have to win over a jury of your peers.

A final note: if you do merge and need to select a campsite, go with Sook Jai. Those three mile water runs are not offset by the caves.

Chuay Gahn.

Ted. I'm worried for you. If you merge, Sook Jai might just target you because you're a tough competitor and kicking you off sooner or later will benefit them the most. The trick will be to either get immunity or an alliance on your side to target the others. If you can overcome the first vote or two, your golf buddy trio might get you to the final three.

Clay. I don't know what rules are in place in case of a tie, but if the old vote rule is in effect, hide your sandbag votes. You can pull it off by hiding behind the stronger members of your tribe and decoying the heat off yourself.

Brian. You seem to have it together; you're likeable, allied, and neither the strongest member of your tribe nor the one with sandbag votes (just in case). It's time to let your alliance do its thing and pick off a Sook Jai member first. The golf club trio is your ticket to progressing in the game.

Jan. Nice job in getting past the tough part of the game (at least for you, being an older woman). Now is the time to fly under the radar and let a tribal alliance carry you for several votes. Long term, you need Helen as your ally and need to figure out the right time to leverage this partnership into a strategic vote against your male tribesmen. This is strategy at its most basic form, figuring out the right time to turn the tables.

Helen. What goes for Jan goes for you. Your problem is that you aren't in the majority position of the tribe. Clay, Ted, and Brian are all strong together, but they are not stronger (politically) than every other person in a merged tribe. You need to find the right time to pounce, and it might even be when Sook Jai finds themselves down to two members.

Sook Jai Tribe.

Jake. You put the team together, and it served you well. It's time to pull them together as a tribe facing a merge. Put aside any squabbling and bickering and hold a united front. It's hard to tell where Penny and Erin are in the game, but they've consistently voted as a unit. You might want to solidify your friendships with Ken and Shii Ann into something more formal.

Shii Ann. I don't know all the politics within your tribe, but it's time to cement those relationships with Erin and Penny. You can never trust anybody completely in this game, but the five remaining members of Sook Jai have consistently voted together, and that is the basis of any alliance. If nothing else, don't alienate them; they carry votes, and you have all the sandbags right now.

Ken. Your biggest problem is surviving the next vote. You are one of the strongest members of Sook Jai, and that might make you a target come tribal council. You need to firmly cement your relationship with your tribe, and target Chuay Gahn's biggest threat (be it political or physical). You've got the basis of a winning hand here; go out and play your cards correctly.

Penny and Erin. I have no idea if you have issues with Shii Ann or if that is just a delusion on her part, but you must consider that she's been a staunch member of your alliance of five, works hard, and has the respect of Jake (which is turning out, Thai-like, into a respect of the tribal elders). You need the alliance to progress in the game, but if you feel that Ken, Shii Ann, and Jake are a little too tight for comfort, be prepared to jump ship at some point and make a deal with the other players.

Robb. What went wrong? In short, one night didn't make up for your behavior in the days and nights before them. You allied with the wrong group, did your own thing, and it all caught up to you. Don't say I didn't warn you, because I did. You hung with Jed and Stephanie until their torches were snuffed. You tried to fit in later, both with your campfire chats and being a hero at the reward challenge - but the vote was set in stone already.

Jeffrey Clinard lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his kittens, Lam and Princess. He can be reached at jclinard@earthlink.net.

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