How To Run A Pub Quiz (Quiz Wench Style)

Preparation

First, pick a quiz from our Buy Quizzes section (you do not need to buy them in order but keep a file of your downloaded quizzes so you know which ones you have already purchased), download the answer sheet template and the score sheet template, and print enough answer sheets for your teams.

When you download a quiz, you will see that the picture round is on page 1 and the questions and answers are on the following pages. You will need to print several copies of page 1 only (enough for all your teams and then some!) and then probably just one copy from page 2 onwards.

Think about whether you wish to limit the number of team members - we have found that a maximum number of either 6 or 8 per team works well.

You will need a microphone and PA system and someone who is prepared to read out the questions and mark the answer sheets.

Advertising

Ideally you should give yourself at least a couple of weeks before the first quiz night to advertise. Ask your staff and regulars to spread the word, advertise on your indoor and/or outdoor boards and print some posters to hang around the pub (or anywhere else that will display them for you!).

It may take some weeks to draw in a good crowd of quizzers. Do not be disheartened if only two teams turn up for the very first night. You only need two teams to play and more quizzers will start to come as the word spreads.

The Quiz

Start the quiz by handing out the answer sheets and picture round to each team and collecting £1 from each member for the quiz pot. Let the teams know they can start as you hand out the first round. Give them about 10-15 minutes or so to do the picture round. This also allows for late arrivals to join the quiz without too much disruption.

Count the money in the pot and introduce your quiz telling your quizzers how much is in the jackpot (including any rollover from last week) and the rules of the game, i.e no mobiles, the format of the quiz, etc. When they have completed the picture round, read out round two with about 30 seconds between each question. It is good practice to read out the questions twice and spell out any difficult words. At the end of round two, give your quizzers a few more minutes to deliberate and then ask them to hand their answer sheets in to you for marking.

(Some quizmasters ask their teams to swap sheets and mark each others. We believe this leads to inconsistent marking and can give rise to disputes.)

Record the names of each team on your score sheet and tot up their scores. Read out the questions and answers and the current scores. We like to read the scores for each round and then the totals in reverse order.

Hand back their answer sheets and continue to the next two rounds following the same format as above adding a couple of minutes between each double round.

Having a break after every two rounds allows your quizzers to buy more drinks or have a cigarette break whilst you do the marking. It can also add to the excitment of the evening when reading out the interim scores as the winning team can often change throughout the quiz.

At the end of the quiz, read out the final scores in reverse order and ask the winners to come up and claim their prize.

When everyone has finished clapping, announce the quiz for the same time next week and thank everyone for attending.

The Jackpot

You may wish to build up a jackpot to ensure your quizzers come back for more or you may rather give the evening's takings to the winning team each week.

If you want to build up a jackpot, we have found the best way is to have two sealed envelopes from which the winning team chooses. The choices are - the jackpot or a bottle of alcohol (for example, a bottle of wine). If the team picks the alcohol, then that night's takings rollover to next week.

With an example of 40 players each week, the first rollover will be £40 added to the next week's £40 equalling an £80 jackpot. Of course, if the bottle of wine is chosen again the next week then the jackpot the week after will be £120!

Spot Prizes

You might like to think about giving out a spot prize to a team that gets the most points in a particular round. Choose your round beforehand and then announce it to your quizzers at the beginning of that round. We sometimes give the spot prize to the team that comes last in either a spot prize round or the whole quiz just to vary it a bit and to give a regularly loosing team a reason to come back. A spot prize can be anything from a bottle of wine to a £1 scratchcard to a round of drinks.

Tie Breaks

Sometimes you will have a tie break situation either in the spot prize round or at the end of the quiz. We sell a selection of 20 tie break questions for just £1.00 - plenty to keep you going!

Disputes

Occasionally you may have a quizzer dispute a question. Our quizzes have been thoroughly researched so this should not happen very often. However, if it does, remember the quiz master/wench is always right and their word is final.

Additional Rounds

If you would like to add extra rounds to your quizzes, why not consider a music intro round. We have lists for sale of tried and tested music intro songs for you to source yourself.

Finally

The idea is for it to be a fun evening and for everyone to enjoy themselves and to want to come back again. You can read out any funny wrong answers, give out silly spot prizes, like party poppers or silly paper masks bought from a pound shop, or just take the mickey out of a team. Keep your quizzers involved and laughing and make sure you elicit feedback from them after the quiz.

 

Happy Quizzing!