Two Asian Americans are odds-on favorites to win 'Survivor 47'

SCREENSHOT / SURVIVOR

Andy Rueda, left, and Rachel LaMont strategize for the final episodes of "Survivor 47."

If you're a fan of Survivor, the reality show, you're in for a rare treat with two Asian Americans poised to be among the finalists for the $1 million dollar prize.

Andy Rueda and Rachel Mont, a Filipino American and Thai American respectively, are among the final six contestants in the reality show.

It is not the first time an Asian American has been among the finalists, but it is the first time that there are two Asian Americans in position to win Survivor, one of the most popular of the reality show genre, currently in its 47th season.

Oddsmakers say the two Asian Americans contestants are the two most likely winners of Survivor 47.

According to the betting odds in the days before the finale aired Wednesday, LaMont is the most likely to win. According to Bet Carolina, LaMont had a 38.5% chance of winning Survivor 47. Right behind her is Rueda, who has a 26.7% chance.

Despite having partly grown up in Dexter, Michigan, LaMont was actually born in Thailand and spent her first few years in that country. As she explained to Entertainment Weekly, she feels her ability to “assimilate” gave her a leg up on Survivor:

“I was born in Thailand and lived there until I was seven, but I never spoke Thai. Then I moved to the US and didn’t understand American culture. I was the youngest in my family by nine years. I’ve always been forced to understand social dynamics to assimilate from a young age, and I think I’m pretty good at it as a result.”

Though the graphic designer of Southfield, Michigan was nearly voted out she was saved by another Asian American player, Sol Yi, who awarded her immunity. The episode included a brief snippet when Yi and LaMont discussed their Asian upbringing. She has been able to not only recover but has been able to ally herself to an alliance of underdogs to put herself in great standing among the final six.

In last week's episode, despite losing a key ally, Caroline Vidmar, Rachel enters the Final Six with a Block-a-Vote advantage that she must use at the next Tribal Council. Knowing how savvy Rachel has been with advantages, it's safe to say she would use it to help take out one of the two threats left, Genivieve Mushaluk or Sam Phalen. From there, she has an idol no one knows she has, which she can play at the Final Five. Next, LaMont  would probably be the odds-on favorite to win immunity at the Final Four, given she's won it the most of anyone left.

LaMont is well liked, hasn't burned anybody or betrayed any confidences putting her in a strong position for the final three grilling where the last three survivors try to convince the jury, made up of ousted players, why they deserve to chosen as the final survivor, 

FYI: The two-hour Survivor 47 finale will be aired on CBS, 8 p.m. EST.

Aside from LaMont, Survivor 47 has another remaining player that the betting odds say also is likely to win the season. According to Bet Carolina, Filipino American  Rueda, of Buffalo, NY, had a 26.7% chance of winning Survivor 47.

After coming up with an intricate plan, "Operation Italy," conceived during an Italian meal prize with Genevieve Mushaluk and Sam Phalen. As a result of Andy's intricate plan working to perfection, the three underdogs were able to vote out a member of a bigger alliance.

Despite his successful plan weakening the larger alliance, Rueda's impressive move may come too late in the game. In the past, Survivor players have spoken about how hard it can be to change the jury members' initial perception of a player late in the game. If that is the case with Survivor 47's jury, they may be influenced by Ruda's apparent emotional breakdown in episode one when he felt he was being dismissed by the other players on his tribe and practically begged to be voted out.

(He was right to be hurt. Maybe a bit of racism came to the fore when his tribemates cheered on a white player broke open a coconut. When Rueda did the same thing, the reaction was "meh.")

While he was able to survive that first vote, (because his rivals didn't see him as a threat) it seemed like his tribemates didn't take Andy seriously during the first several episodes of the season. However, lo and behold, Andy was routinely shown talking about how he was secretly manipulating the game during his confessional interviews. Is Rueda  just a great actor and a secret genius strategist? We'll find out tomorrow.

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