Triviology FAQs

How does the game work?
I ask a series of well-researched questions, which are divided into rounds, staggering pop culture (movie quotes, song clip ID, TV trivia, etc.) with academic inquiry (science, history, literature, geography, etc.). Teams grade each others’ papers after each round, giving folks instant gratification for their efforts. The team with the highest score at the end of the pub quiz gets prizes . . . and the envy of their friends and foes! For a more detailed description of the best trivia game in town, explore About the Pub Quizzery.

How many people on a team?
Maximum team size is five. It’s just no fair if a 12-headed Hydra trounces a respectable little quintet. A large group can have a great time dividing up and waging civil war against each other. On rare occasion, a team of one has even been know to win!

Where do your questions come from?
I write all of my own questions. I’m only comfortable using own material, because I like to know what I’m talking about! Also . . . doing the research is half the fun of being a trivia jockey (nerd alert!). Every time I hear an interesting “fact” and try to confirm it, I always discover a dozen more questions to ask, so I’ll certainly never run out of fresh queries.

How much should I tip the trivia jockey?
I’m so glad you asked! At least a couple of bucks per brain is nice, so $5 – $10 per team is good. And teams that win something or play every week (or especially more than once a week!) often tip extra.

How much does it cost to rent a whole trivia jockey?
My asking price is for a weekly pub quiz is negotiable, and dependent on the venue. I am also available for private parties, corportate events, etc. I have hosted fundraisers for RideOnPortland, FirstBook, ECO and The Democratic Party of Oregon, pub quizzes for Wordstock, PSU, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and Portland Elvis’ birthday party!

What’s so special about THIS trivia night?
Pub quizzes have become all the rage in Portland, haven’t they? Well, when I started this business in late 2004, I designed my format specifically to be interactive. Teams aren’t playing just to win money, they are playing to have fun! They score each others’ papers at the end of each round (often with superfluous nasty notes), and they create their own alliances and rivalries. Particularly unique rounds which both regulars and rookies love are the I Don’t Feel Tardy audio clip round (because everyone likes some kind of music), and I Am A Walrus (in which teams get to do a wee bit of gambling). Also, I periodically supplement my already rad trivia nights with unusual activities such as bingo games and Birthday SmackDown Week.

How did this Triviology business get started, anyways?
Back in the early 2000s, I discovered a great trivia night entitled The Keg Quiz at The Horse Brass. It was created and hosted by the man who was to become my trivia sensei, Drew Marcus. My teammates and I, the legendary Team Ireland, were heartsick when Drew “retired” (read: got a real job). Back then, there were only a couple of trivia nights in town, and they just didn’t stack up to the good old Keg Quiz. Drew generously offered to give me the intellectual property to his pub quiz so that I could continue the legacy, but I decided I’d be more comfortable creating my own format. And so, I eased the loss of The Keg Quiz by starting some pub quizzery of my own. Thus, Triviology was officially born in January 2005 at Peter’s 19th Hole.

Who is this ShanRock person?
I’m an experienced trivia jockey, a Shanghai Tunnel Rat, a champion of local adventure games PDX Assassin and The Golden Keg Race, a former Mad Scientist, and a bachelor of Anthropology and English.

What’s with the monkey logo?
That’s the leprekey – he’s a monkey leprechaun! He was created by Jeff Gierer (jeff@lovewood.org), who is not only a magnificent designer who brought my vision of the leprekey to life, but a wonderful person to work with.