The Optimal Bar Trivia Team

Over the years of hosting Wednesday Night Trivia at the GrandStand Sports Bar, I have met lots of great people who are now very dear to me.  Some teams consistently score high each game, and others have those one or two general topics where they absolutely shine.  If you are out for a good time and not terribly competitive, then by all means gather your friends and family and have a great time.  But if you want to compete and win, then some pre-game strategy is needed.

I have realized that a really good pub trivia team should be a balanced mix of players, each contributing a knowledge base to the game.  Here are my suggestions:

Bring your Parents

This is the advice I always give to younger teams.  Grandparents work well also.  A Boomer or two bring a classical education and they have lived a lot of modern history.

Bring your Adult Children

This generation knows the latest celebrities, pop music and rappers, tech and computers, and all the stuff that left your parents behind.

the Pop Culture Nerd

This person has seen all, and I mean all, the Star Wars films and series, read all the Harry Potter books three times, and has a DVD library of superhero films and Anime.  Knows everything concerning the initials MCU, GoT, D&D, DCEU, LOTR and others.  Has boxes of Magic the Gathering and Pokémon cards.  Understands all the references in The Big Bang Theory.  Maybe bring two or three nerds onboard your team to cover the bases.

the Jeopardy! Wannabe

They are a walking, talking Encyclopedia Brittanica.  They know all the state and world capitals, all the U.S. Presidents, Vice Presidents and First Ladies (in order) and all the elements in the Periodic Table.  Give them a list of characters, and this person will give you the book and author.  They know all the plays by Shakespeare, and have thorough knowledge of Greek, Egyptian and Norse mythology.  Fluency in Latin is a bonus.

the Sports Nuts

These guys know the teams, players, stats and more.  College and Pro.  Highly recommend bringing one true fan of the Olympics and another who follows women's sports.

a Medical Professional

They know everything about the human body and how to treat it.  Their extensive training includes diseases, surgeries and prescriptions.  Most likely to correct the trivia host on a question or answer.

There, those should cover all the possible topics.  You are now ready to win the bar trivia game.  Please be ready for a large tab at the end of the evening, because this is not a team.  This is a small army.

Good Luck.

P.S.  Am I missing someone?  Please let me know.

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