A beautiful Tuesday evening, on a day before St. Patrick’s Day, at a place like Biddy’s Irish Pub, with me and over 50 Pub Quiz competitors?

You know you’re in for a fun night.

And the icing on the cake was that this QuizMaster’s parents were in town for the holidays, throwing back some pints of Guinness and partaking in the festivities as well.

And oh, what festivities they were!

The biggest crowd of my tenure showed up, and together they made up a pot of over $150, upping the ante a bit and intensifying the competition.

The Green and White Army grew into two teams, spawning the Aces, who stayed  in contention and made it to the Final Challenge Round.

Schadenfreude led the way early, though, and everyone else was having to play catch-up. Through each and every round they led the way and piled on the points, to the point that it didn’t look like anyone else was going to have a chance. They were Irish-question champs, nailing nearly everything.

Clarification Please felt the pressure from the get-go, and apparently had to end up changing their name because of it–to C U Next Tuesday (which I’m hoping is at least in some small way referential and not, say, an acronym).  They stayed on Schadenfreude‘s heels all night, but never quite could make it over the hump.

Borg9 and We Peed on the Blarney Stone were game, though. With strong performances on the handouts, they pushed themselves into a tie with Erin Go Beige Foods by the very end, and all made the Final Challenge Round, tying for the last spot.

And though Schadenfreude had the lead, the Final Challenge Round can be the great equalizer. Even with a safe lead, you need a little luck in picking the category, a little luck with your wager. And on this Irish-themed night, that luck just wasn’t leaning Schadenfreude‘s way.

Erin Go Beige Foods, though, must’ve kissed found a rabbit’s foot, or followed the end of the rainbow, or maybe even kissed the Blarney Stone (but hopefully before We Peed on the Blarney Stone got there…)

Anyway, the luck o’ the Irish was with the Beige boys. They muscled up and put up a big bet of “0″, but in the end that’s all they needed, when no one could come up with the final answer.

Erin Go Beige Foods

Notable teams (and team names) who didn’t quite make it to the end, however, still deserve a bit of mention here, a bit of love…

Teams like Parks +1, which featured my lovely parents.  (“Awww…” you say.)

And Paddy Mac Daddy’s, quite possibly the simplest, funniest team name I’ve heard.

Anyway, see you all next Tuesday!