QUIZ RECAP

Just about the time you may wonder just where you are while playing King Trivia: packed bar, rowdy teams totaling 104 players, and the Quizmaster being chased down from behind by a 21st birthday reveler yelling "BALLLLLL" and offering to Venmo him $20 to make announcement over the speaker system -- you know without question you're back at Barney's Beanery in Westwood for Wednesday King Trivia.

Despite a roomful of UCLA students not knowing their own school nickname, a team named for an author briefly forgetting just what that author wrote -- we saw 26 teams play for $175 in Barney's cash and prizes, and it came down to those who were were traveled to snare the championship.

It was largely a 5-way race with some genuinely clever team names sprinkled in: Benjamin Quizrael, Whiskypedia, That's What I'm Tolkein About and 5th, 6th, 7th Wheels (3 extra people alongside a double-date, perhaps), among them.

Early on Blackberry Bison Burger, Namaste Shalom Amen and That's What I'm Tolkein About established themselves as front-runners - that's where the offspring of Alex Trebek come in - 3 consecutive double rounds, and then a perfect 6th, vaulted them into a first place tie, and when they correctly identified 9 of 10 most populous European cities they forged ahead at just the right time to take home the prize.

Bison Burger went home decently happy, despite the late place change, with $50.

And Namaste Shalom Amen, first put 5th place finishing Tolkein About in the rear view, and then held off a furious rally from last week's champs, Yaaas Queen's - to bring home 3rd.

Congrats, as well, go out to Werk & I Peed on the Dryer (at least it wasn't in, I guess) - for their music knowledge getting themselves free food and drinks.

See ya'll next Wed...