LAST EDITED ON 03-10-10 AT 09:57 PM (EST)

Poor Germany

Germany should really hate The Amazing Race by now. Every time the show goes there, they always go for some crazy drinking challenge. This time, the producers decided to throw in some sauerkraut for good measure.

Of course, they've done vodka in Russia too, so maybe the show is being equal-opportunity here. The show is just like the movie "Sideways", except in no way like the movie.

Jeff & Jordan finished last but they weren't eliminated. They would never eliminate someone on Oscar night anyway.

Week 4 Results
1st place - Louie/Michael (2x)
2nd place - Steve/Allie (1.4x)
3rd place - Joe/Heidi (1.3x)
4th place - Jet/Cord (1.2x)
5th place - Carol/Brandy (1.1x)
6th place - Dan/Jordan (even)
7th place - Brent/Caite (.1x)
8th place - Jordan/Jeff (0x)

Cowboys, No!

The cowboys were in the top spot after leaving the Intersection but they slowly slid down to 4th place, disappointing the whole betting community. Louie & Michael's 1st place finish allowed for some sneaky good bets this week.

The Greatest Gainer Award goes to both Belle Book, for climbing 9 ranks to #17 overall. Very nicely done.

The Perfect Bet Award goes to IanQuentin, who was the lone All-In bettor on Louie & Michael. Congratulations!

Also, go check out featherfish81's thread about which Detour you'd choose as well as Estee's Claps/Slaps thread. And ARNutz posted the weekly Lvoe List.

Leaderboard
1. KwietOne(+1) - 138
2. Yogi(+1) - 122
3. michel(+1) - 121
4. flipxcyd(+1) - 104
5. MaxZ(+1) - 98
6. CTgirl(+1) - 96
7. MzTee(+1) - 95
8. vince3(+1) - 92
9. louislam(+1) - 89
10. ARNutz(+1) - 88
11. esquire(+1) - 84
12. Jims02(+1) - 80
13. Starshine(+1) - 78
14. Ontheroadagain(+1) - 74
15. kidflash212(+1) - 73
16. Element King(+1) - 72
17. Belle Book(+1) - 69
18. sarah1234(+1) - 66
19. beau_30(+1) - 64
20. qwertypie(+1) - 62
21. taffnic(+1) - 62
22. Road Kill(+1) - 61
23. Corvis(+1) - 61
24. chiubakka(+1) - 59
25. vennui(+1) - 58
26. Snidget(+1) - 58
27. bbenzenberg(+1) - 54
28. kduck(+1) - 54
29. dragonflies(+1) - 50
30. Silver03(+1) - 48
31. Nessie(+1) - 47
32. Molaholic(+1) - 42
33. HauntedOne(+1) - 36
34. tribephyl(+1) - 29
35. Wallflower66(+1) - 29
36. jbenz(+1) - 29
37. AddieRacer(+1) - 28
38. Weez(+1) - 24
39. mia rules18(+1) - 24
40. FFantasyFX(+1) - 22
41. IanQuentin(+1) - 18
42. Deshawnator22(+1) - 13
43. mikey(+1) - 3
44. Max Headroom(+1) - 2
45. popeave(+1) - 2
46. VisionQuest(+1) - 1

(+1)

You're probably wondering what's with the (+1) after everyone's name. Well, that's this year's gimmick. This season, players can earn +1 chips that can be used to increase the payouts on their bets.

For making it this far, everyone has earned a single (+1) chip. No more freebies after the first one, though.

How do they work?

A (+1) chip can be placed next to one of your wagers on a single team. If that team finishes in 1st place that week, the payout will be bumped up +1 from 2x to 3x, and you'll score more points.

Each (+1) chip can only be used on one team. If you have only one (+1) chip, you may not use it on both your Louie/Michael and Steve/Allie bets. You'd have to pick one or the other. By doing this, you're saying that you're confident the team is going to finish 1st this week.

Make sure, if you play a (+1) chip, you designate which wager it's for. For example,

20 points - Louie/Michael (+1)
10 points - Steve/Allie
5 points - Joe/Heidi

...Would be an acceptable use. If Louie/Michael finish 1st, then you'd get 60 points (3x) instead of 40 points (2x). If they don't finish 1st, then you get whatever payout the Payout Table originally says, and you've wasted the chip. Once you use a chip on a wager, it disappears.

You do not have to use your chip this week if you don't want to. You can bank it and use it at a better time if you'd like.

So, you might be wondering, how do I get more (+1) chips? Well, you have to answer the weekly Bonus Question correctly, posted right below the Payout Table.

Week 5 Payout Table
1st place - 2x
2nd place - 1.6x
3rd place - 1.4x
4th place - 1.2x
5th place - .8x
6th place - .6x
7th place - .4x
8th place - 0x

Max Individual Bet - 60 points

Bonus Question
Episode 5's title is "I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?" Is this quote given by a man or a woman?

So, if you answer this question correctly, you will get another (+1) for next week. There's no penalty for getting the bonus question wrong, so you may as well guess. I'll keep track of how many (+1)s you have accumulated and post the amount next to your name.

There is also no limit to how many (+1) chips you can use in a specific week. So, if you accumulate a bunch of (+1)s throughout the season and save them up, you can drop a (+5) or something on a wager later on. A 7x payout could be huge later on, if you win the bet. But don't wait around too much or you could fall far behind in points! Use (+1) chips responsibly.

(+1) chips are usable for any week except the Finale, since the final week is always No-Limit. All (+1) chips will have to be used before then.

TAR16 Teams Remaining
Brent/Caite
Carol/Brandy
Dan/Jordan
Jet/Cord
Joe/Heidi
Jordan/Jeff
Louie/Michael
Steve/Allie

If you have any questions about the (+1)s, please ask! Since I bogged you down with new rules this week, we'll start the other bonus games next week!