Pub Quiz perfection (see answers below)

Because it’s more than just a bunch of questions with a few pints

As far as the good ol’ pub quiz is concerned, I feel sufficiently qualified to talk at length – some may even say bore – on the subject. I’ve taken part in hundreds, won (ahem) my fair share and penned quite a few, so now seems as good a time as any to impart my expert opinion. So, if the question is how to breathe life into your trivia nights, read on…

Questions they care about – Too many people think a few University Challenge-style posers will impress the punters; this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only will a lot of them be clueless as to what the answer is, they won’t care either. A good question should elicit one of three responses: “Oooh, I know that one”; “Damn, it’s on the tip of my tongue”; “I don’t know the answer but I’d like to.”

Go easy on true or false/multiple choice – Nothing wrong with these, but keep them to a minimum. Too many and it can turn things into into a guessing game, which quickly devalues the event and subsequently lowers the interest levels. They’re legitimate in their own right, but who wants a pub quiz hinging on multiple choice?

A question of sport – There’s plenty of women out there who’d be happy to admit that they know little about sport and care even less. Much the same as men when it comes to celebrity gossip, and you wouldn’t revolve a quiz around Kim and Kanye, would you? Therefore, unless you know your audience inside out, it’s probably best not to make sport too dominant a category.

Beware of being subject-specific – Picture the scene. Four middle-aged blokes, doing okay two rounds in. Suddenly, out of nowhere, come those dreaded words: “Round three is on Harry Potter.” Yikes and game over. Like true-flase/multiple choice, questions on the Boy-Wizard are more than welcome and are as much a part of the general knowledge spectrum as anything else, but an entire round? Again, the evening shouldn’t live or die on such a thing, and more niche topics should instead be part of more general subjects (film or literature in the case of Hagrid and company).

Don’t let Google become too close a friend – As much as the World Wide Web is the ultimate mine of information, different sites occasionally give conflicting answers, plus questions gleaned from other sources injects some added pizazz to a pub quiz. Maybe tap into what’s already inside your head. If that seems overambitious, there’s books (remember them?), observing the everyday information all around you, but in particular repeats of the classic gameshows of old. Let the Challenge Channel be your guide.