How Does the "Block a Vote" Feature Work for 'Survivor' Competitors? Here's the Scoop

Every now and then, a Survivor player gets really lucky. Whether they stumble into the right alliance or find the right combination of advantages, they get a leg up on their competition and find themselves in a favorable position. For Survivor Season 47, that lucky person was Rachel.

Not only did Rachel have a hidden immunity idol that no one knew about, but she also gained a "Block a Vote" advantage, which was decidedly less secret. Rachel's clever schemes led fans to wonder how exactly the Block a Vote advantage would work, and how she would be able to utilize it. Here's what we know about this particular advantage, along with several other major ones to keep track of when watching Survivor.

So how exactly does a Survivor player use their "Block a Vote" superpower? First, they have to let the producers know ahead of time. That is, before Tribal Council.

And if you're curious about whether or not the other players will know who used the vote, no. The "your vote is blocked" message only appears to the player who has had their vote blocked when they get up to cast it. And it doesn't inform them of who blocked their vote. Although a little deductive reasoning may let them work it out.

"Block a Vote" isn't the only special advantage at the fingertips of lucky competitors, however. The show offers many advantages to players, with varying degrees of efficacy in affecting the show's outcome.

One well-known advantage, also possessed by the aforementioned Season 47's Rachel, is the Hidden Immunity Idol. This eliminates votes cast against the idol-holder in Tribal Council. This means that the player with the next highest number of votes gets the ax instead.

There's also the Challenge Disadvantage. Instead of granting an advantage to one player in a challenge, it does the opposite. The chosen player will be placed at a disadvantage, giving the advantage-holder a leg up on that player. On the flip side is the Challenge Advantage, which gives the advantage holder a little bit of a boost going into a challenge.

The Extra Vote advantage is exactly what it sounds like. Players who hold this advantage are granted one extra vote at any Tribal Council. Up until a certain point in the game, anyway.

And that's the case for most advantages. After a certain point in the game, usually when there are six players left, certain advantages can no longer be used.

Survivor is most definitely not a game for the faint of heart. Whether you're playing your heart out, scheming with or against fellow competitors, or angling to get advantages, it requires cunning, focus, and determination.

And of course, it really doesn't hurt to have the "Block a Vote" advantage.