How to Play Pub Trivia

Prepare. Troll out your local pubs and find one that is hosting a pub trivia night. Find out how many team members are required and start recruiting your friends. Find ones good at random knowledge and who will show up during most quiz nights. It isn't necessary to study for the quiz, although some quizmasters will e-mail you hints ahead of the game.

Show up early to the pub quiz. For one, you will want to find adequate seating for you and your team. It is also nice to get the drink and food orders out of the way so that you can commit yourself fully to the quiz once it is under way. You will want to get there especially early for your first time so that you can get your bearings straight.

Learn the rules, the most important one being not to shout out the answers. Mobile devices are not allowed and asking members outside your team is not allowed. Neither is exceeding the team member limit. It is also important to keep the volume down when the quizmaster is delivering the questions, especially in cases where there are audio rounds.

Make sure to stay for the scores! Even if you feel like you tanked, its surprising how quickly the match can turn around. The underwater basketweaver in the crowd who knows nothing about Japanese cinema may be surprised to discover an odd crafts round in which he is the top player in the room.

Win or lose gracefully. Just remember to have fun, and even if there are members of the crowd not following good sportsmanship, just ignore them. Often you will notice the same quiz devotees each week and begin to make acquaintances ... even friends. You may even want to learn how to be a quizmaster yourself.