"Survivor" is a lot like the game of poker. You have to be able to read people, call bluffs, and take risky bets.
And as in poker, you can be on the verge of losing and then be dealt a winning hand in the next round.
After last week's brutal tribal council, Abi is facing elimination. It's clear that nobody likes her and she'll be the next to get voted out.
But this is a game of twists and turns, and with a little help, Abi wins the immunity challenge. It's an outcome nobody expected or wanted, which throws the rest of the tribe into scramble mode.
Jonathan Penner quickly becomes the target, and despite his best persuasive efforts to sway Skupin and Lisa, he is voted out.
One returning player gone ... only Skupin remains.
Money matters
At camp, a bitter Abi complains about the comments she received at the last tribal council.
"I'm the most unliked person on this island right now," she says. Later, she tells the others, "I'm sorry if I was a bit too honest with some of you." Oh, Abi, it's not what you say; it's how you say it!
They head off to the reward challenge, which is a classic "Survivor" auction. They each get $500 to bid on items, some revealed and others hidden.
Denise is the first to lay down her entire stash of cash for a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and OJ. Skupin does the same for some wine and cheese.
Malcolm gets doughnuts, Penner gets fried chicken, and Carter deals away his baked potato spread for provisions for the whole tribe.
Almost everybody uses up his or her money, except Abi, who's able to pounce on the one item she needs most: an advantage in the game.
The advantage is not a clue to a hidden immunity idol; rather, it allows Abi to skip to the final round in the coming immunity challenge.
Ever devious, though, Abi wants to give the others the impression that she's found the hidden idol. She tells Malcolm that she's got it, though he doesn't seem to buy it.
"Abi's a bit like having a girlfriend who hasn't gotten the message and won't leave after you've broken up with her," he says. "She's bitter; she hasn't forgiven you; you're not getting the benefits of having a girlfriend around anymore. It's the worst situation possible."
