Are you fascinated by fun facts? Got a talent for sport statistics? Have a mind full of music and movie knowledge or a brain that fixates on science and history? Then create a team and make your way to the nearest trivia event in your community. Turns out, you’ll find plenty of options in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros.
Trivia enthusiasts in both communities say the pastime is a way to have fun with friends and family, support local bars and restaurants, and test their knowledge on a variety of subjects.
The Tuesday trivia nights at Shuffles Board Game Cafe in Tulsa draw a large group of players, says owner Eric Fransen.
“We love trivia; we’re all about games,” says Fransen, whose café features a large selection of games to try, alongside food and drink.
Fransen works with the trivia business Questionable Company to host the weekly event. Questions posed to the audience cover topics such as science, geography, entertainment and general trivia.
Tulsan Francine Adams plays at Shuffles with her team weekly, and loves the atmosphere and the assortment of queries.
“There are questions for everybody – but they make sure that some of them are challenging for people that play on a regular basis,” she says.
Adams and her team, known as the Slayaz, have been playing trivia for seven years. They range in ages and backgrounds and have become close friends over the years. Part of the fun of trivia nights, she says, is to blend together the interests and knowledge of other players. Adams encourages any interested to give it a go. And, sure, sometimes a wrong answer happens, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing.
Wade Pierce of Oklahoma City is a longtime trivia fan who now gets the opportunity to host and write questions for trivia nights around town. Pierce is the owner of BanjoBug Trivia, a company that is hired by bars and restaurants to host events.
Pierce says he enjoys writing questions, and that you have to have “a blend of questions that’s appealing to a large group of people.”
He also believes the host plays a key role in trivia.
“It has to be someone that’s energetic,” he says. “The questions have to be good – but the host has to be fun and silly, too.”
Another perk of a trivia night is the potential for prizes. In some cases, winning teams can go home with a gift card from that particular bar or restaurant. And for teams who excel in the game, there’s the chance to compete on a higher level, like the Oklahoma Trivia Premier League.
Teams can earn points when they play trivia at a BanjoBug trivia night. At the end of the season, top teams play in the finals where they compete for cash and prizes.
Aside from tangible rewards, trivia also offers other benefits, enthusiasts say.
Playing games to boost knowledge “helps in keeping a young, more pliable brain,” says Fransen. Adams agrees.
“With trivia, you get people who still want to learn more,” she says.
Pierce mentions that trivia is also a great way to get friends together and give each member a chance to shine in their favorite subject areas. Having players on a team who are different ages is also helpful.
“The teams that do really well have a really good variety of interests – but also a really good variety of ages,” Pierce says.
Trivia for You
Ready to challenge yourself with trivia? Here’s a quick quiz (with answers below):
1. What is James Bond’s code name?
2. Who is considered the “Father of Relativity?”
3. What do you call a group of flamingos?
4. Relative to the internet, what does “URL” stand for?
5. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, what’s the best-selling book of all time?
Answers: 007; Albert Einstein; a flamboyance; uniform resource locator; the Bible
