LAST EDITED ON 02-09-09 AT 00:24 AM (EST)

Salutations!

...And welcome to the tenth edition of the TAR Casino Game. Otherwise known as the TAR14 Casino Game. We've been in business for ten games now, and we're still going strong. As a business, we're down somewhere around 100,000 points now. But it's all good. I make it all back from cocktail sales anyway.

This being the tenth version of the game, I'm really excited to make it the best one yet. I've got some real tricks up my sleeve this year, for all you returning veterans.

For those who have never played before, I should probably explain myself first.

The TAR Casino Game is an online game, exclusive to Reality TV World, in which players may bet points on the outcome of each leg of The Amazing Race. It's a little like making a bet on the outcome of the Kentucky Derby. Except with reality TV contestants and not horses. If the team you wager on places high, you'll gain points. If they falter, you'll lose a few. The person at the end of the season with the most points wins.

Those are the quick and easy rules. For more detailed instructions, read the rules below.

The Rules

1. Each player in Week 1 starts with 20 points. In every subsequent week, this amount decreases, so join now. Also, these are the only points you get, so don't waste them. Once you run out of points, you're out of the game.

2. Every week, you may choose to wager any or all of your points on the various teams. In previous seasons, there was a cap on the number of points you can wager. In this game, there's no limit. You can wager as many of your points as you want, on as many teams as you want.

Regulations are for the auto industry. We're going No Limit this season, folks.

3. You don't have to bet all your points. Any points you don't wager are banked, and will be carried over to the following week without risk. Don't have a good feeling about this week? Then go conservative. Got a hunch on another? All-In, baby.

4. Decimals are evil. Therefore, all wagers must be a whole number. Also, in scoring your entries, all decimal points will be rounded up. It makes the scoreboard prettier that way. No one wants to see a final score of 693.22463 to 612.1935.

5. Absenteeism sucks. If you miss three straight entries, you're eliminated from the game. If you're going to be on vacation, send me a note and I'll keep the records. I'll even take wagers in advance.

6. All entries must be entered before showtime: Sunday, February 15th, 8 PM Eastern Time. Any entries after that time will not be counted. Any edits to an existing entry after the deadline will be penalized. The clock is based on the clock on this message board.

I may change the deadline if the forums' clock gets all wonky again, like last year.

7. Your wagers will be scored based on the almighty Payout Table. The Payout Table gives a multiplier value to each ranking, and determines the return on your wagers. Each of your individual wagers are multiplied by their appropriate multipliers, and then totaled together.

For example, here's the Payout Table for Week 1.

Week 1 Payout Table
1st place - 2x
2nd place - 1.6x
3rd place - 1.4x
4th place - 1.2x
5th place - 1.1x
6th place - Break even
7th place - .9x
8th place - .8x
9th place - .6x
10th place - .4x
11th place - 0x

Example - You've got 20 points and you choose to wager them in the following manner...

Mickey/Minnie - 10 points
Donald/Daisy - 3 points
Huey/Dewey/Louie - 3 points

Bank 4 points

Now lets pretend Mickey & Minnie finished 4th, Donald & Daisy finished 10th, and Huey, Dewey, & Louie finished 1st. Your score would be...

Mickey/Minnie - 12 points * 1.2 = 14.4 points
Donald/Daisy - 3 points * .4 = 1.2 points
Huey/Dewey/Louie - 3 points * 2 = 6 points

Total - 14.4 + 1.2 + 6 = 21.6 points = 22 points (rounding)

Overall, a 2-point gain. Could've been better, could've been worse.

Here are the teams you'll be wagering on.

TAR14 Teams Remaining
Amanda/Kris
Brad/Victoria
Cara/Jaime
Christie/Jodi
Jennifer/Preston
Lakisha/Jennifer
Linda/Steve
Margie/Luke
Mark/Michael
Mel/Mike
Tammy/Victor

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. And check out the Sample Entry below. Good luck everyone! Let's make this the best round ever!

If you're wondering why I'm suddenly switching to No Limit, you'll understand in a couple weeks. It's almost mandatory for the theme this year.