Recap: Episode 15

Poker Player Folds His Hand: Jean-Robert Voted Out

On night 24 at a shocking Tribal Council, 36-year-old professional poker player Jean-Robert Bellande is dealt his worst hand and is voted out of the game. After realizing James possesses two Hidden Immunity Idols, Jean-Robert’s plan to oust him backfires when the tribe turns against him and votes against old tribal lines. Jean-Robert becomes the ninth Survivor voted out and the second member of the Jury. After having his torch extinguished, he gives his final words. “I really loved the way I played this game. I pushed all in and it didn’t work out for me!”

Kept in the Dark

Returning from Tribal Council after Jaime played the wrong Hidden Immunity Idol, a relieved Jean-Robert is thankful to still be in the game. “Is this really happening? Could this possibly be that she found an individual Immunity Idol somewhere at our camp?” However, James keeps a watchful eye on his competitor as they hunker down for the night. He says, “Jean-Robert doesn't know that I have both of the Immunity Idols; we can’t tell him that. We just need to keep his dumb ass in line because we are stuck with him and need his vote. So we have to deal with it.”

State of the Union

While James sets the fishing nets, he is proud of his place in the game and assesses the tribal dynamics. He stresses the necessity and importance of the old Fei Long members sticking together in order to advance in the game. James returns to camp with two fish, and an impressed Amanda evaluates the gravedigger’s advantageous spot in the tribe: “At this moment, James is in a very good position because he has both of the Immunity Idols for sure, and he has almost guaranteed himself a top five position right now. I am kind of afraid he could win the whole thing.”

Reward Challenge: Bucket Stops Here

The tribe meets Jeff Probst, who explains the rules of the Reward Challenge. The tribe is divided into two teams of four. One member of each team will sit in a tribe boat while the opposing team will attempt to sink them using buckets of water. The person in the boat must use their hands to bail out the water to stay afloat. The first team to sink the other team’s boat two times wins Reward: a trip to a 1000-year-old city, where they will enjoy an authentic Chinese meal away from camp. They will also receive a bamboo tube with a note inside.