Survivor 51 Adds $1 Million Coin Flip With A Brutal Catch

Survivor Season 51 comes with a new twist that could change the show’s cash payout forever, and it came directly from Jeff Probst. Read on for all the details.

A New ‘Open Era’ Change

The Hollywood Reporter explained that host and exec producer, Probst, said there’s a new “Open Era” twist, and at some stage in the season, a contestant will get a chance to participate in a coin flip.

If they call the coin flip correctly, another $1 million is added to that season’s final prize pot, instantly doubling it to $2 million. However, there’s a big downside as well, which isn’t unusual in Survivor.

Call it wrong and you get shown the door. Ouch!

An Ongoing Rule

Probst said, “If they land it, the prize pool will be $2 million for 51. If they don’t land it, that million dollars will go into Survivor 52 and somebody will flip a $2 million coin making the prize money $3 million.”

Well, it doesn’t end there. He added, “And if that doesn’t land, it’ll go into 53. It will go until it pays off and then it’ll start again.”

In his opinion, it’s probably “the most innovative twist in prize money in the history of unscripted television, because that million dollars is a living, breathing thing.”

He also told the outlet, “Imagine where it could go. It could pay off every season and suddenly it’s $2 million every season. It could not pay off for three or four seasons and suddenly somebody’s flipping a coin for three or $4 million.”

Changing Concepts

USA Today reminded readers that the show’s unpredictable “Open Era” means old twists can return and new concepts can be introduced.

Meanwhile, E! News noted that Probst and his fellow executive producers felt “enormous pressure” to deliver after such a massive season, so they decided to “put a twist” on the coin toss for Season 51.

The outlet was talking about Season 50 when “Survivor implemented a twist courtesy of MrBeast where contestant Rick Devens correctly guessed a coin toss and doubled the $1 million prize, which ultimately went to winner Aubry Bracco.”

Will Players Go For It?

While folks might question whether anyone would take the coin flip, human nature being what it is, there’s very likely to be someone tempted by the offer.

Probst mentioned that folks can’t “play to not lose.” The upcoming season will be a big test for the cast. Fans can well imagine that a coin toss brings a real random element into a game that’s usually built on a lot of strategy.

If a player calls it right and expands the pot, then a lot of people might have to swallow their talk about production meddling and celebrate a massive payday.

But if they fail and get eliminated, then you can bet that everything they do will get a lot of scrutiny from CBS fans.

The Premiere

Probst also made it clear that the controversial “Change History” hourglass twist won’t be coming back.

The season premieres with a two-hour episode on CBS tonight, September 23, and it features 21 new players stranded in Fiji, with 11 women and 10 men.

What are your thoughts on the prize money rollover and the random coin flip? Join the discussion below, and then come back here for more Survivor news and updates.