Day Eight
Sponsorship
The winner of today’s sponsorship vote is…Amanda Gregornik of District 11!
Amanda Gregornik, D11 Female
Congrats Amanda, you get a free attribute point added to your lowest attribute (Cunning).
Day Eight
The official recap of yesterday’s events in the arena fades to black as the spiders begin cocooning the woman from 1’s corpse in silk. I shut the TV off with a sigh, frustrated at re-watching my pick to win this year die. Oh well. Time to pick a new favorite.
I flip open my laptop and head to the live feeds, where anyone can watch the remaining tributes in real-time from a variety of camera angles, as well as view each tribute’s betting odds for those who like to gamble on the Games. I start at the top of the list, with the male tribute from 1.
Jordan Strong, D1 Male
The male from 1 started off as the weakest out of the Career tributes, despite being one of the stronger tributes in the beginning of the Games. Now that the weaker tributes have mostly been eliminated, he’s slipping towards the bottom of the pack. Losing two allies, especially his district partner, made his odds of winning take a huge dip. Plus he’s taken a few injuries and spent his time in the Games running from conflicts. Still, he’s a Career, and Careers usually make it to the end.
BETTING ODDS – 3:4
Maurice Bokanga, D2 Male
I thought that the male from 2 was going to be a lot more interesting than he’s turned out to be. Playing dad to his overextended alliance hasn’t brought much entertainment, and he hasn’t really been in much danger of dying since he entered the arena. He’s too stoic for my liking. I’ll bet he dies completely silent, with zero expression on his face. That’s assuming he dies though. Boring as he might be, his skill can’t be denied.
BETTING ODDS – 4:3
Carmeanna Eberly, D2 Female
It really does seem like the woman from 2 is just waiting for her alliance to fall apart before she really starts playing the game. She’s not doing much, just like her partner, but I sense that she’s more cunning and calculated in her decision to lay low. Looking at her now, you’d almost forget that she’s just as skilled as her district partner. She definitely won’t be outsmarted in the Games. Maybe she’s who I should put my money on to win the whole thing.
BETTING ODDS – 4:3
Julia Cody, D3 Female
I probably should like the female from 3. I mean, she’s one of only two people in her alliance that’ve actually killed someone in the Games so far. And I don’t doubt she could do it again. But I feel like the second someone dodges one of her arrows, she’s done. The bookmakers apparently don’t know how they feel about her either. I don’t see hew picking up any close-range skills in the next few days though.
BETTING ODDS – 1:1
Luke Vander Ploeg, D4 Male
Most of my friends are obsessed with the weird cultist male from 4, in the same way that people become obsessed with hot serial killers. Yes, he’s attractive, but there’s no way you’d actually want to be anywhere near him. I’ll give him props for the way he murdered the male from 12, but I think that despite all his skill, he’s just as likely to kill himself to appease whatever goddess he’s been praying to than he is to kill another tribute.
BETTING ODDS – 4:3
Taylor Lindell, D4 Female
I don’t want to root for the female from 4, mostly because no one likes rooting for the obvious winner. People are only going to get excited when it looks like she might die, like yesterday. She’s the furthest thing from an underdog, but then again, so was Caris. Maybe I’ll start to like her more if she ever shows some sort of weakness.
BETTING ODDS – 2:1
Eileen Armes, D5 Female
Speaking of underdogs, the female from 5 is still sticking around. It’s not even a question that she’d be dead without her alliance backing her up, and she’s definitely the most well-liked by her group. But I very much doubt she’ll be the last member of her alliance standing, considering her already-low odds take into account the fact that she even has an alliance. Oh well. Maybe she’ll surprise me.
BETTING ODDS – 2:3
Edwin Chung, D6 Male
The male from 6 started out with an above-average training score, but has been wounded again and again since the Games started. He’s not worth considering for a win in my opinion. He’s just biding his time. I really don’t understand why he has a following who send him gifts every so often into the arena. He’s my pick for the next tribute to die.
BETTING ODDS – 1:2
Maureen Lynch, D7 Female
The female from 7 has escaped death the most out of any tributes still in the Games. For that, she’s garnered a small following. People want to see her finally light one of her Molotov cocktails too. She’s managed to catch the female from 4’s favor, which puts her in a good spot to make it near the end of the Games. But I haven’t seen her actually use a weapon yet. She’s an anomaly, for sure.
BETTING ODDS – 3:4
Kyle Johnson, D10 Male
What can I say about the male from 10? Well, he can run fast, I guess. That’s about all he’s done since the Games started. His partner from 9 never stood a chance, but I was surprised to see the male from 11 go down yesterday instead of him. His odds are the same as the male from 6, but he’s alone. Self-reliance hasn’t worked well for the tributes who’ve chosen to go at it alone so far. Maybe the third time will be the charm. Probably not, but maybe.
BETTING ODDS – 1:2
Kylie Marble, D10 Female
None of my friends can get a read on the woman from 10. Is she genuinely as friendly as she seems? Or is her almost permanent smile calculated and decisively chosen? She’s got plenty of skill with a bow, but, like her ally from 3, little in in the way of close-combat skills. It’s probably why they have the same betting odds. I’d like her more if she were on her own, I think.
BETTING ODDS – 1:1
Amanda Gregornik, D11 Female
The woman from 11 is growing in popularity as the Games have progressed, mainly because it really seems like she’s getting stronger with each passing day. Most of my friends had her dying on the first day in their brackets, but she’s here eight days in with barely a scratch. She’s the dark horse in many people’s eyes, but I’m not so sure. Her luck might run out soon.
BETTING ODDS – 3:4
Jess Edelblut, D12 Female
Last but not least is the female from 12, arguably the strongest non-Career tribute left in the Games. She’s done everything right so far. No injuries, one kill, and still somehow riding under the radar of her fellow tributes. District 12 usually does so poorly in the Games that it’s a distinct possibility that many of the other tributes have simply forgotten that she’s alive. If she’s not in the final 4, I’ll be surprised.
BETTING ODDS – 4:3
I finally make my decision, dropping a decent sum of money on the female from 2 to take the crown. Here’s hoping she doesn’t disappoint me like my last pick did.
Statistics
Strongest Tribute: Luke Vander Ploeg (D4 M)
Most Agile Tribute: Jess Edelblut (D12 F)
Most Cunning Tribute: Carmeanna Eberly (D2 F)
Most Charming Tribute: Taylor Lindell (D4 F)
Strongest Overall Tribute: Taylor Lindell (D4 F)
Attribute scores have been altered due to today’s events. Please note the changes on their respective pages.
The benchmark for Day Nine has been posted on the home page!
Wheaton Hunger Games 
