QUIZ RECAP

Every Quizmaster's Nightmare

I walked into 619 Spirits North Park to find a crowded bar and every TV, including the big screen where I run Trivia, tuned to Game 7 of the World Series.

This was every Quizmaster's nightmare...competing against a big sports event. It was All Hallow's Eve to boot. I was facing a double whammy of bad luck.

The Crowd Went Wild

I was delighted to see a big crowd again tonight. My biggest question was, will they be able to play both Trivia and watch the game? I didn't wait long to get my answer. I wasn't finished setting up before teams started asking for the answer books.

"We came to play. We can watch the game without sound." They told me. They came to play. We were as big as Game 7 of the Series.

We interrupt this game to watch the highlights

Paying respect to the Baseball game and a few stragglers at the bar who were diehard Houston fans, we kept all the TVs on the game, projected it on the big screen, and paused for the juicy highlights, but otherwise, it was another all-out Trivia Cage Match!

Handful of Penne was back on the warpath after reclaiming their throne as Champions of North Park, though they brought a lighter roster tonight. Was it confidence?

Pineapple Mustache returned to avenge last week's final round loss and GG was in the house to celebrate a birthday and play again, captained by their fearless leader, Georgiana. Whiskey Breath brought reinforcements for this week's game. The field was rounded out by newcomers La Jolla Snow Leopards and veterans Lemonade Mojito, back after a long hiatus.

Game 7 Was Good...King Trivia Was on Fire

Though game 7 gave us some great moments, King Trivia was on fire. No more than 4 points separated the 6 teams all night, as the top spot was traded in 5 of 7 rounds. It was shaping up to be anybody's game headed into the final round, with only 4 points separating first from last. Would we have another dramatic Double or Nothing finish?

Stephen King Will Haunt Them

The final round caught every team off guard. Few teams were able to name the top ten grossing film adaptations of his books, with the top team of the round only naming 5 of the 10. Unlike week's past, when a few teams swept the points, this round was a struggle for all...dare I say it was a Nightmare in North Park?

When the final tally came in, Handful of Penne named only 4 movies, but slid into the Top spot for their 6th win this season, edging out La Jolla Leopard Sharks and Whiskey Breath.

Lemonade Mojito proved to be the biggest Stephen King fans, with 5 points (Look at the big brain on Lemonade) but the favorite answers of the round were Toy Story 4 and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It's always nice to go for a laugh when you don't know the answer.

We look forward to seeing you all back next week for more laughter and learning at 619 Spirits North Park.

P.S. It's my birthday week...come celebrate with us!

QUIZ RECAP

There was a showdown at 619

Our King Slayers from last week (aka Victoria's Secret Weapon...aka Northern Neighbors) showed up with reinforcements to defend their crown against a vengeance-seeking Handful of Penne. The two gamesmanship started before the match, with Handful shouting "You are going down, $%&*" and Victoria's raising their beers for a friendly toast.

Newcomers, Pineapple Mustache, aptly named for the Birthday Boy who was wearing a shirt with pineapples all over it and sporting a stylish mustache, and the family affair of Taven also showed in force to challenge for the title.

It was knotted up until Guess Who showed up...

All four teams were within a couple of points of each other until the Guess Who round. Taven and Victoria's went for broke early and missed the mark, losing a point. Pineapple nailed the question at the 8 point clue and Handful followed suit the next round to make it a two-point game at the top. The two teams left the rest of the field behind as they traded punches over rounds 5 and 6. They entered the final round separated by a single point.

Gamesmanship was afoot in Round 7

Pineapple handed in their sheet before Handful, prompting handful to boldly ask them if they went "double of nothing". A savvy (and sly) member of the Pineapple team quickly answered, "Yes!"

Handful huddled as a team to make the big decision. Do they go for all or nothing or do they play it safe and hope Pineapple was bluffing? There is no playing safe with Handful...I was looking at Pineapple's sheet and knew they had NOT checked double or nothing.

The suspense was palpable as I scored and then announced the final answers. It was not until the last clue was read and I noted that Pineapple did NOT double up while Handful DID that a cheer was heard from the Handful camp.

The two trivia heavyweights stood toe to toe and Pineapple flinched, letting Handful slip back into that comfortable place of Champions once again. 5 out of 6 isn't too shabby!

Drama, Dad Jokes, and Distilled Spirits

All the trivia has been read for this week, but I still have one question: where the heck are you? We have high drama week in and week out, we have an intermission of fantastic Dad Jokes that only get better each week (Handful of Penne are masters of humor), and 619 has the best Vodka on the West Coast. I almost feel sorry for you that you are not joining us...

QUIZ RECAP

Two guys walk into a bar...

...just to grab a quick bite and a drink, but they get talked into playing a little trivia. In walk the members of the 4-time defending champions Handful of Penne. These poor guys had no clue what they were in for. Would it be David vs. Goliath tonight?

After round one, our dazed friends are in dead last with only one point but they were having a blast. All the other teams were out in front by a good margin. It could be a long night for our "would be heroes".

Remarkable Round Two

Something strange happened in Round 2. Those two guys decided to Go All In and Bet the Double or Nothing. One rock in the sling and David leap frogged everyone to first place (16 points...Handful of Penne had 15).

The rest of the night the Champs stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring with our new trivia warriors trading rounds. Back and forth the points went, Goliath lying in wait for the perfect round to unleash their double or nothing. After all, they typically sweep a round or two each night. The odds were ever in their favor. It was only a matter of time before they took their rightful position at the top of the table.

These Two Guys Walk into a Bar

One of them was a pediatric and delivery nurse...

Okay, so that's not how the punchline goes ("you'd think the second one would have seen it"), but that's the "trivial" detail that made tonight the magical moment in King Trivia History at 619 Spirits North Park. Round 6 - Storkology - was all about newborn/baby terms. When Northern Neighbors turned in their sheet (mere minutes after it was handed out to them), their captain told me what he did for a living...with a smile and a flash in his eye.

Of all nights to walk into a bar. Of all nights to decide to play trivia. Of all nights for a category to be in his wheelhouse. Handful of Penne couldn't double down on it. Other teams were scrambling to keep up. The reign of would end at 4 straight wins...

Handful of Penne cruised into 2nd place behind Northern Neighbors. Two teams went for broke in the final round to make a game of it and got punished for not being right...allowing Team Gray, who'd been in 5th place most of the night, to slip into third place.

Epic night. A lot of laughs. A lot of drama. A lot of wrong answers that were soooo worth reading out loud. And as always, some great tunes and trivia.

There's a new sheriff in North Park, but not every week will have a category so perfectly suited...who'll walk into the bar next week to challenge for bragging rights?