'Survivor' Contestant Alec Merlino Thinks Mike White Can Win Season 50

"The White Lotus" mastermind Mike White might just outwit and outlast everyone on the milestone 50th season of "Survivor" -- at least according to former contestant Alec Merlino, who says Mike’s got the brains, and the game, to take it all!

Merlino -- who played alongside Mike in S37 before landing a role as hotel staffer Hutch on the HBO hit show -- says it actually took him a minute to clock just how sharp Mike’s gameplay was, 'cause his secret weapon first time around was all about letting everyone underestimate him.

Catch the clip -- Alec dives deeper into it, saying now that Mike’s a full-blown star, he’s got a new kind of edge.

For one, people will be too dazzled to recognize his strategy. And two? He’ll half-jokingly say that if anyone votes him out, they can kiss their shot at the next season of "The White Lotus" goodbye. But will he actually be joking?

Alec also hypes up just how much of a "Survivor" mastermind Mike really is -- something that made more sense later when he saw Mike running the show on "The White Lotus" set.

Mike White finished runner-up on Season 37 "Survivor: David vs. Goliath" and was just announced as a cast member for the show's milestone 50th season.

Dude was built for backstabs, blindsides, and boss moves!