But, after a week hiatus from the big show, this quiz show saw the triumphant return of the Divas to reclaim their belt and their turf. After a thrilling first round of Bingo our team of steam punks looked like the formidable foe, but it was terrible moves that swung the tide of fortune. While some people were too busy reading fine and excellent novels, others decided to take in cinematic failures that made me cringe to remember. Some things are just best left swept under the rug. Like every John Travolta movie after Pulp Fiction and anything that has-starring Nicholas Cage-in its tag line. Run people and do not give a cent to these people. Pay your library fines, instead.

Anyway, there was a definite fine to be given out and dirty looks to be thrown around when the Diva’s captured their second title in three weeks. The library is a sanctuary, but for one night the Diva’s let loose and gave everyone the High C, Stiffler style, and nobody was able to shush them down. Happy Quizzing!!!!

Party at the Brit!!!

The entire evening was QM’d by John Doyle, sporting quite the bow-tie. After the swearing of the Quizmasters on their Sacred Text ( I believe it was a Star-Trek Nerd Guide) that they had no prior knowledge to the questions that would be placed before them, we set off.

Round one: BINGO! we all know what that means…written and co-ran by Jeremy, the room was rife with desire to begin; all 8 teams were rarin’ to go. It was a complex blend of images, trivia, and video tidbits; and let me just say that if you haven’t yet SEEN Leonard Nemoy singing about Bilbo Baggins while being stiffly “casual” on a giant boulder, surrounded by 5 or so awkward youths dressed in brightly hued sweaters and “hobbit” ears (oddly reminiscent of a certain Trek character), then brother, you haven’t lived. My world has forever been changed because of it. Anywhoo- all great rounds must eventually end, and so did this one. One team stood out above the rest- thanks to a little thing called the BINGO bonus- and that was your very own QM Team, Fuckin’ Quizmasters, Bitches!

On to Round Two: a freaking awesome video montage created by our very own Queen of Quizzery, Alisa, who took over for Jeremy, so he could ride the wave of excitement at being in first place through round 2. But, alas, they had to share their lead standing at the end of round 2 with that wily (and fairly similarly named) team; Quizmasters are our Bitches, Especially JP.

Two handouts, and some pretty sweet bar shwag later, we were ready to get into the real meat and potatoes of the game. We had a total of five teams enter into our challenge round:
Team C-Average, leading the pack
The Fuckin’ Quizmasters, Bitches! and
Quizmasters are our Bitches, Especially JP, tied for second
House of No Future
The 3 Snarfkateers

The question, determined by C-Average, was a trip back in time and American Presidential History.
After an agonizing and tension filled two minutes, all bets were in and all answers had been figured. Who, you must be eager to know, came out on top? Who wagered well, and answered correctly? Well, our runner up team missed out on the $210 pot by a mere 3 points, and that team was Quizmasters are our Bitches, Especially JP. But the team that knew their stuff and went all in, causing them to amass a lovely chunk of change, was TEAM C-AVERAGE! That’s right! Congrats guys!

Sadly, our wonderful QMs had to tuck their tails and bow their heads- this year, anyway. There will always be NEXT YEAR! Bwahahahaha! And next year, I should be playing, so you all better watch out!

All in all it was a great night and plenty of fun was had! A HUGE thanks to all the people who showed up to play, to the Thirsty Lion Pub, for hosting us so nicely, and all the QMs who contributed to this astonishing and brilliant quiz!

The festivities will also proudly usher in the newest member of the Pub Quiz USA team: Quizmaster Casey! Casey comes to us from the lovely San Joaqin Valley by way of Starbucks, and we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome this hilarious barista to the Pub Quiz USA team.

Oh, did we mention the paid-for pitchers of brown goodness called Guinness for green teams?   If each member of your team dresses in green for the quiz (that is, shirt & pants or skirt), you’ll get a pitcher of Guiness for your table, courtesy of Pub Quiz USA. What a deal!

Biddys Pub Quiz is this Tuesday night, March 15. Quiz starts promptly at 7pm. $3 per person, no more than six people per team. Cash prize to the winning teams plus Irish revelry to be had by all!

We moved on into the 2nd round of A to Z…while the answers were mostly correct, it was the spelling that got to everyone.  The Final round had Team Awesome in the lead with Team Short Bus in 2nd and ICUP in 3rd.  Everyone successfully spelled supercalifragilisticexpialadocious!!  Team Short Bus and Team ICUP put in alllll their chips and came in 1st and 2nd!!

We had a fun night and we’ll be back to do it all again next week!!

Til Next Wednesday…

Wendy =)

Look, ma…no helmets!!

Anyways, last night’s quiz at Hal’s was the opposite of horrific, with every team in the running for first place through the entire game. Newcomers to our quiz “Team Irish” and “Crew Jones and the Hell Track Racers” staged a pretty strong fight against a short handed “Clown Baby”, but it was the house team “Team Hal’s” that walked away with the BELT OF PUB QUIZ AWESOMENESS. The final Rocky Horror Picture Show proved to be the widow maker, making it a matter of betting strategy that determined Hal’s the winner.

But being the wonderful people that they are, not only did they give the money to the other teams, Hal’s donated two batches of gift certificates to the bar which made everyone walk away with something to smile about. They did, however, wish to not be photographed so that their win would speak for itself.

Admirable, amiable and and absolutely awesome. See for yourself, every Tuesday at SE 12th and Morrison. Be there or be un-awesome.

After a pretty empty week last week, the Hal’s crowd proved once again that they are some of the smartest (or at least well above most averages) Quizzers on the planet.  (Note: none of these claims have been tested by the FDA or the Pub Quiz USA governing body)

When the party ended, Clown Baby reigned victorious, proving again that they are accustomed to being dubbed “Epic”. In second place in ranking (but first place in the “awesome name category”) was a team new to Hal’s called “Unfortunate Looking Women”, who dressed in their best Party On shirts….

Want to know a great way to make a Quizmaster stutter and stammer? Call yourselves “Unfortunate looking Women”. Yep. Awkwardly hilarious.
Anyways, Hal’s were kind enough to add an extra Twenty Bucks to the pot, keeping with the trend that if more people come, the more they will add.

Couple that with the normal kick-assery of the championship belt, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a quiz.

Party On, QuizBlog.

CLOWN BABY RIDES AGAIN!

Please get that vote in, every single vote will count!   Please read the rules CAREFULLY and know that if you vote more than once for ME it’s not counted.  One vote from each of you should do it! Thanks in advance for all the great help!  Can’t wait to show you all that award next week.

BARFLY text voting rules

That’s my new title this week, thanks to all of YOU fine people of Pub Quiz!  The only words to follow this great title are “And the award goes to:” Llet’s hope on Sunday night I’ll be hearing “Polly with Pub Quiz USA”.  Thanks to all of YOU I have been nominated for a Barfly magazine BarFy award this year!  It’s a great honor to be given the nod with 3 other fine “Trivia Jockeys” here in Portland.  I’ll be amending my sash (which has rock n roll fingers, I might add) to read “Quizmaster” and  I’ll be there Sunday night LIVE at the Barfly awards at Mt. Tabor theater to represent Pub Quiz and try and take home the victory!  So, here’s how it works:

Sunday night, I’ll show up with my “entourage” (bwhaha) and mingle amongst Portland’s finest in the industry-LIVE VOTING takes place from 10-12, where we shall be ballot box stuffing and voting for all our favorites!  Take a look at the Nominees HERE and see who I’m up against.  Most of my tickets will be going to the other great QM’s that I have a pleasure of knowing and working with in this fine job, however, I do have a select few tickets left to give out to some of my biggest supporters in Pub Quiz land.  If you are interested in attending, please, let me know at Quizzing this week, and I’ll try and get you some tickets.  I can’t promise room for everyone, since I only have a few left..so let me know quick!

The important part of all of this:  All the voting is done live, in person at the Barfly awards show.  If you know someone in the bar industry besides me, or if you work out there at ANY of our pub quiz venues, please, spread the word about your favorite QM and how they can help me win!  Take another look at that list, and see if any of those servers, bars, or strippers ring a bell (I’m just saying) if they DO, then send them an email, talk to them, or stuff their pants with dollar bills all the while chatting about what a great Quizmaster I am.  That’s how we win this thing.  Now, if i win the golden BarFie, I promise to bring it to all my venues so you all can be stunned and awed in it’s amazing glory.  I will also give you the chance to be photographed in it’s presence. No flash photography, please. ( I’m good like that)

In the meantime spread the word about town: Polly for Portland’s best TRIVIA JOCKEY *ahem* Quizmaster!

You all rock for getting me this nomination, I can’t tell you how happy and stunned I am to be included with the folks on this list. Come this Sunday night, I’ll be representing with the hipsters in town, let’s show them how we, the nerds do it.   I’m so proud to be representing all my venues: CC Slaugther’s, The Bitter End, and Sellwood Public House! As well as ALL the Quizmasters and Pub Quiz USA.  Not to mention some of the fine folks I have worked with over the years out there in the industry.  I have not forgotten you, nay, I have not!

And, don’t forget, when you see me it’s: “Quizmaster Polly  2010 Barfly nominee for “Best Trivia Jockey” THAT is my new title.  Please include it whenever asking questions, in all documentation, and when you address me directly this week.  :)  If you want to know more, or play along online with me for some FUN and pictures that don’t always make it in the blog, find me on FB here: Polly Pospisil or on Twitter I’m QMPolly. Just remember how to properly address me.  And yes, in case you’re wondering, I do hang out at home in that  sash and top hat every night.  Wouldn’t you?

LET’S WIN THIS THING!!! Team Polly: Team Pub Quiz USA represent!

• John Doyle, our host going on three big years now, arrived at 6:30 with the quiz firmly handcuffed to his wrist, to assure everyone that the quiz was totally unknown to anyone but him.
• 135 people at $5 a pop = $675 Pot to split! 
• Started at about 7:15 pm. J.P. Pullen our Monkey, this Quizmaster’s favorite team name of the night,  started the quiz in the lead after the big Bingo round.
• Round two was NAME THAT TUNE, everybody’s fav! Lots of great scorers, though Tom Peterson & the Glory Holes really kicked butt that round, as did Clarification Please and Laird Creeger.
• Teams in the top spots included Laird Creeger, Clarification Please, Spoonful of Whoopass, I Smell a Clambake, and Beige Food. In the end, it was BEIGE FOOD who took home the big $500 prize! 

Here are a few photos from the night (more to come):