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Great Examples Of The Amazing Race Strategy

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themikko95:
I admire Pam/Winnie with regards to flights. They always check all the airlines or something and don't always rely on counters or travel agencies which is why they always manage to get on the best flights......and screw their lead by getting lost.  :lol3:

ryanmissing27:
Strategy is one of the many facets that can help a team win the amazing race (along with brute strength, intellect, personability and luck)

The purpose of this thread is to discuss/analyse/honour the greatest strategists to have run the race.

Personally I would classify a strategists as someone who is successfully able to employ a strategy on more than one occasion, although I am certain that there are great one off strategical moments from ordinary teams and I'm equally certain that they'll slip into conversation and belong there.

I'll list a few examples of what I mean but you'll probably notice that they are mainly from season 12 onwards (the seasons I have committedly watched) and the teams are typically 6th place or higher.

Terence and Sarah
Especially Sarah, she first amazed me when she was yelling at a Cambodian boatman to go faster in Khmer (I couldn't for the life of me figure out how she would know such a relatively obscure language). Reading interviews back in the day by this team I found out that she was quizzing people on the flights they were taking to pick up useful phrases and information. This would be a linguistic strategy, do you think it gave them an edge on the competition?

Dan and Jordan
I would argue that they won the race on strategy and luck. Their aim becomes clear from a moment in France in TAR16, I think it's they cowboys who speed past them at a task or on the way to the pit stop and one of the brothers quips "we'll pass them when it matters" or something to that effect. Dan and Jordan laid low for most of their race; they flew underneath the radar and were personable with most of the other teams (except I think the cowboys) in a season where u-turns were handed out based on personality. their other moment of strategical genius is infamous probably through the grudge it began, I don't even think I have to mention it *cough*first-class*cough* I think it's another perfect example of how they used their personality to get ahead and how they reserved their racing for when it mattered and it indeed worked for them.

Nary and Jamie
Although I liked this team their performances were somewhat mediocre. Their strategy was to lie about their professions to be underestimated by the other teams. The most glaring example of this was by Maria and Tiffany in season 15 however I mention Nary and Jamie because of what they did after being suspected by Art and JJ: they maintained the lie. It made so much sense to me, why give them the satisfaction? Reserve perfect honesty for the perfectly honorable (which Art and JJ were not). Although I don't think it really helped them I thought it was a smart move, why boost the morale of an antagonistic opponent?

Ryan and Abbie/Brent and Josh
I don't know which one of these teams decided it would be best to work together after being delayed so many hours but I think it's genius. Where teams would usually duke it out and try to survive themselves these two teams admitted that there was no chance of both of them making it and only little chance of one of them making it: the result, they capitalise on this minimal chance by working together. in the end it worked, one of the trailing teams caught up with the pack and the rest is history, they were back in the race and they went on to win. if the two teams hadnt worked together, this might not have been possible

Natalie and Nadiya
they cracked the double u turn in a move so clever im surprised it hasnt been seen since, this leads me to think it's actually been outlawed by the rules...

I hope this makes sense (I'm pretty tired)
I'm sure I'm forgetting some so help me out!  :)

Jobby:
I think the first ever strategy wise goes to Rob for convincing other teams to quit the Roadblock with him. Not only does he not have to eat the 2kg worth of meat, but also have teams who will help him avoid elimination. That was a move I hated, but you gotta not love him for that.

Another one I can remember is Dustin and Kandace paying Cha Chas to Yield Eric and Daniel because they lack/have little money. Again, not a move I love to watch, but you gotta applaud they can even think of something like that.

Margie and Luke's U-TURN on Amanda and Kris was completely strategic as well. It was one of the highlight of the season and to be honest, I wouldn't have U-TURNed anybody else too. They were the most competitive team then in terms of placement.. haven't won a leg, but young, fit, really charming.. I would have felt threatened by their presence in the race too.

Dan and Jordan doesn't really strike me as strategist.. but they did it at the most important point of the leg - The finale. That's good enough lol.

Ernie and Cindy and Nicole and Travis both U-TURNed a team in second place who were vying with them for first place, that could be considered as purely strategic as well.

Mirna is a great strategist when it comes to flights. I've never meet anyone half as good as her yet. Come back to look at Season 5... half the epic flight moments were thanks to her crazy intervention at airport counters. Gotta applaud her for that honestly.

Platrium:
I once read Trexi's interview, and Lexi said that they would ask people who can speak in the language of the country they're going to how to say the basic stuff like getting a taxi, telling their cab driver to go faster, etc... ;)

Air:
I posted a thread like this somewhere I think.

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