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Last night I went to a pub quiz where the grand prize was $240. I was told that pub quizzes are relatively new in the US, so let me explain: you show up, pay a $5 entry fee, choose a silly name for your team, drink as much as possible, start the quiz and realize that your areas of expertise are not American politics or history or science, but Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Teletubbies, Star Wars and even Three’s Company. Then drink some more to dull the impact of this epiphany.

I have helped win the odd pub quiz in my time, but not last night’s. I didn’t know the Cutty Sark carried tea, or that Shakespeare’s longest play was Hamlet. Knowing a bunch of random trivia across all topics and eras and countries is your best bet. People get very involved, too; if someone’s phone rings, or someone accidentally calls out an answer a bit too loudly, there’ll be a round of flustered shushing. And if someone’s stuck in a team with people who are convinced that Australia is in Europe, they’ll turn stony-faced and remain that way until the winner’s called.

Anyway, I was thinking about people who make money from entering competitions or game shows, like someone who enters Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, wins a big payout, and then moves on to a similar show and wins more money there because their general knowledge is so awesome and they do their homework. Of course, you can’t guarantee you’ll make it to the hot seat so it’s not a reliable form of income. There’s more chance of winning a pub quiz, if you know the name of Annie’s dog (Sandy), but you’re most likely to win a bar tab.

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