Quizzo

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Quizzo, Quizo, Quizzmo, QuizBo is a pub quiz or live trivia game. It was first popularized in Philadelphia, but has become popular in other parts of the United States, including Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Logan, Utah, Southern Florida, Des Moines, Iowa, Providence, Rhode Island, Wilmington, Delaware, Wahiawa, Hawaii, Manhattan, New York, Central New York, Germantown, Maryland, Alexandria, Virginia, Detroit, Michigan,Sioux Falls, South Dakota Fairhope, Alabama, and Washington, D.C..

Contents

[edit] History

Origins of Quizzo can be traced back to Ireland, where pub trivia games with similar format have been played for a long time before Quizzo's inception.

In 1987 A Magical Music Tour Inc.,[1] an Entertainment Service Company registered in Camden County, New Jersey did the first QuizzMo show at the Antlers Lodge, now the Britannia Country Inn in Swiftwater, PA. as part of "The Second Annual Pocono's Miles of Smiles Scavenger Hunt and Road Rally" event. In the late 80's it was performed clubs like the Finish Line in Audubon, NJ, but at family gatherings and social functions.[dubious – discuss] A mainstay of The Washington Township Lake festivities every Labor Day, 4 July and Memorial Day and was utilized in Collingswood New Jersey promotional events in 1987-1989 as well as a Taste of South Jersey. These shows were hosted by radio personality, disc jockey entertainer and professional magician Michael St. James. In 2000 St. James modified the game from straight trivia to an active trivia game show at Top Dog in Cherry Hill performing two happy hour shows every week on the Deck as well as "QuizzMo" The Sporting Chance Edition during the MNF season.

The restyled format and modified game were brought over to Wildwood, NJ, where Pat Hines started running it and eventually exported it to Philadelphia. Hines brought the first "Quizo" to Philadelphia in 1993 at The New Deck Tavern in University City. In 1995, the second "Quizo" in Philadelphia began at Fergie's Pub, which was run by Hines as well. Shortly thereafter, several Quizo style games began to spread out through the Philadelphia / South Jersey region leading to expanded popularity in many Delaware Valley and Jersey Shore establishments.[2]

[edit] Rules

The rules vary at nearly every venue that runs a "Quizzo night". The original American Quizzo that was held at the New Deck Tavern in Philadelphia saw teams of 1 to 6 players. There were 3 rounds of 10 questions on various subjects. These questions were asked verbally. Additionally, a bonus round known as the 'speed round' consisted of a sheet with ten questions on it that teams would have a short time span to fill out and return. One strategy that existed was for each team to "joker" (or "double") one round. By doubling a round, every team would have one opportunity to double the score of any of the three regulation rounds before turning in their answer sheet.

Rules from other Quizzos have different amounts of question per round as well as themes and bonus points made available.

[edit] Variations

There are many types of establishments which host Quizzo, using a variety of different rules and point calculations. Some of these variations include:

Quizzmo The Live Team Trivia Game Show performed at the BayView in Wildwood Crest every Saturday Night, also at Pub 715 South and KC's Pub in the Pocono's Hosted by former Philadelphia Radio personality Michael St. James "The Magical Man With The Games" incorporates 5 rounds of Trivia for the senses that include thematic questions, pictures, video and sound clips, smell, taste and touchl rounds interwoven with action challenge rounds featuring classic action games and toys, video games and party games. Included in is a full DJ selection and Mystifying Magic. It's not study hall, It's Quizzmo. The most complete Trivia entertainment package on the market dating back to 1987.

  • National Trivia Association provides a 7 round game with 10 questions per round (each question is worth 10 points) consisting of General Knowledge (Round 1) Picture Round (2) Sports (3) Music Clip Identification (4) Geography / History (5) Entertainment (6) Bonus Round (General Knowledge) 7 where the last question is worth 100 points
  • Quizzo Detroit offers a 6 round format with picture and word rounds in between. They also offer Quizzo leagues complete with cash prizes. Hosts are entertaining and are given freedom to ask Beer Bonus Questions. Every one of their hosts comes strapped with professional DJ gear and music. Requests are welcome and encouraged. Quizzo! Detroit is the only provider of Quizzo! Pub Trivia in Michigan.
  • At the Locust Bar, quizmaster Kevin Oliver has an optional 11th bonus question in each of the three rounds. The question is worth five points if answered correctly, and minus three points if answered incorrectly. If the bonus question is left unanswered, no points are added or subtracted. He also provides a shout-out section after the game for any non-winning players where correct answers are rewarded with sets of "fine quality beer promotional merchandise, or bar crap".
  • Kinky Quizzo is played in which winners are rewarded with sex toys. It's trivia with a twist of sex. www.KinkyQuizzo.com is where you can find more information.
  • Johnny Goodtimes, who hosts six quizzos a week in Center City and who was named Philly's Best Quizzo by Philadelphia Magazine in 2006, does not include joker rounds. Instead, the difficulty of the questions and the point values go up each round.
  • Another of Philadelphia's quizmasters, Irish John, runs a game of three rounds with one "joker" round.
  • In Brigantine, New Jersey the similar "music/movie" round at St. George's Pub features clips from older and more recent films as well as themed song rounds.
  • At many Quizzo locations along the Philadelphia suburban Main Line corridor (Quizzo.com), the game features a spinning wheel between rounds that allows teams to acquire bonus points or drink prizes. Additionally, this game features a "picture" round, during which teams are asked to place names to pictures of famous faces.
  • The game at Schileen's Pub in Westville, NJ includes a 50/50 raffle, where the winning ticket holder gets half the money from that night, but is also asked one question in order to win all the money that has accumulated over the weeks of wrong answers.
  • The Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philadelphia, PA has a Humor Round, in which participants can opt to answer questions with funny responses in hopes of getting bonus points.
  • McCrossen's moved to a Tournament-only format beginning in the summer of 2007, which is held on a schedule and offers enhanced prizes for regular players.
  • Harry Caines, a native Philadelphian previously hosted the game (with the traditional format) at the White Owl Tavern in Logan, Utah. Three lunch prizes were awarded because it is illegal to award beer in a contest in the state of Utah. His over-the-top personality earned him the distinction "Mr. Wednesday Night". White Owl Quizzo was cancelled after Caines was involved in a heated altercation with a White Owl patron during the game.
  • Philadelphia bar The Khyber occasionally hosts a Quizzo based entirely around the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons. Its format varies but generally includes rounds involving identifying pictures of minor characters, attributing quotations, and answering questions about obscure events and objects depicted on the program. The winning team of this particular Quizzo receives the pool of money paid by all contestants. For a while they also held Quizzo nights based entirely around the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, but this has since been phased out.
  • At the Pour House in Washington DC on Tuesdays, with host Neal Racioppo, several innovations make it the most popular quiz game in DC. Two games a night, three rounds each. Middle round of each game is the speed round. Also, there's a halftime show between the two rounds, in which Neal uses a list of some kind (greatest home run hitters, academy award winning actresses of the last 30 years, etc) and each team has to shout out an answer as Neal calls out their team. They also post photos of the winners each week to their blog:[3]
  • In Williamsport, Pennsylvania Quizzo consists of four rounds with ten questions each. Two double point options are given per game. These doubles are available for five questions in a given round.[4]
  • Downey's at Front and South St. host quizzo every Tuesday at 10 pm. There are four rounds consisting of at least one general trivia, one picture round, and a current event round. Downey's also gives out one of the best prizes in Philadelphia. ($50 for first place and $25 to second place)
  • Iron Hill Brewery in Media, PA and Wilmington, DE feature Quizzo on Monday and Tuesday nights done by Quizmaster Kevin Windsor. There are 4 general trivia rounds, one categorical round, and a bonus picture round completed during each Quizzo session. For both locations, each player puts in one dollar and the first place prize receives all of the cash. Winners of each round receives a free round of drafts for their team.
  • Philadelphia Quizmaster Shawn Wells, has hosted Quizzo at the Parker Pub, Urban Saloon, and the Henry James Tavern will sometimes offer the winning teams a choice of two prizes. One of the prizes is in a mystery envelope and can be anything from tickets to a sporting event to an autographed picture of the bartender.
  • Philadelphia quizmaster Johnny Goodtimes hosted a game he titled Richard Nixon Memorial Bowlizzo which combined Quizzo and bowling. Teams of six competed at a bowling alley where their average bowling score was added to their quizzo score to determine a winner.
  • Jim "Doobs" Bell runs Quizzo at Out of Wack Jacks in Northeast Philadelphia. He has quickly developed a large following there.

[edit] Organization

Many places around the country that run Quizzo can be found listed at myQuizzo.com - a site dedicated to providing resources for and bringing together Quizzo lovers and NationalTrivia.com which lists all live trivia games across the US including Quizzo!. In 2005, the National Trivia Association was formed to launch a nationwide version of Quizzo with a common set of rules, questions, and centralized payment for quizmasters. Most Philadelphia-area quizzes pre-date the NTA, which does not own the rights to the word Quizzo, and are not affiliated with that group. Franchised NTA presents Quizzo! games have expanded into Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii, Vermont, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.

While Quizzo is common and widely recognized in the eastern states, some areas of the country have just recently begun to discover its entertaining and addictive nature. Most notably, Detroit, which has quickly become a hot spot for the game thanks to a company called Quizzo Detroit. The company was originally a one man operation but has added hosts that were formerly tied to the Philadelphia Quizzo scene.

In cities that have Comcast, it is also possible to play quizzo on telelvision. Johnny Goodtimes hosts Quizzo on Comcast On Demand, under Free Movies>>Scene It Trivia>>Quizzo.

[edit] See also

Philadelphia portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.magicmusictour.com/
  2. ^ www.quizzo.org[1]
  3. ^ http://dcquizzo.blogspot.com/
  4. ^ http://www.jmquizzo.com

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quizzo"
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