Pick your favorite W? spot and punch your ticket to the big event this summer! We take your top 6 scores over a 10 week period so there's plenty of time to qualify for the event of the summer! 

TOC XXVI Qualifying Is Underway for Our HUGE August 9th Event!

Heineken Pub97 is now Heineken 2nd Star Tavern! Come by every Thursday for trivia!

For more information, and a promo code for $50 OFF, go 

Whaddayaknow? will be at Trivia Nationals in New Orleans from May 23-25th!

We have exciting news! We've launched a BRAND NEW ongoing event at our trusted partner, 

 we're offering  a fun, exciting Family Feud night EVERY Wednesday with INSANE prizes! Come on down!

Family Feud event every Wednesday at Cheba Hut with EPIC cash and travel prizes!

Wondering if your next trivia night is cancelled? We got you with information updated daily! See that your favorite locations are cancelled tonight? Find a substitute with our 

 is coming this summer to Chicago from August 15-17th! Enjoy Whaddyaknow and Pub Trivia? 

Take it to the next level at SporcleCon - three days of live games, brainy competition with over $10k in prizes, and trivia-fueled fun in downtown Chicago.

Join hundreds of players from around the country for the ultimate trivia weekend. Check the website for the finalized schedule in the coming months - W? will be repping our game!

Use code WHADDAYAKNOW for 10% off all tickets at 

It's one of the biggest trivia weekends in the country - perfect for all you trivia buffs, and we have a discount code for you to join us and experience great trivia games from all over the U.S.!

SporcleCon is coming to Whaddayaknow?'s hometown of Chicago this summer from August 15-17th, and we will be repping with our game on Friday the 15th! 

W? TOC XXVI will be held on August 9th - mark your calendars now!

Check the TOC Qualifying Standings link above to see how your team is doing! Email 

The 26th Tournament of Champions qualifying has already started, but there's time to compete! Bring your A-game to qualify for Chicago's best and most exciting bi-annual trivia event! Check the TOC Standings Link above for your current standings, and email dan@freepubrivia.com with any questions!

The W? Tournament of Champions XXVI will be held on AUGUST 9TH!

Do you live in New Orleans? Have a friend in NOLA? Want a trivial excuse for a holiday trip?

 is just a few weeks away! From May 23rd-25th, the amazing city of New Orleans! It will be holding an awesome, jam-packed weekend with trivia companies from all over the U.S.

There'll be endless prizes given away and even more endless fun to be had! Come as a team or come solo - there are many ways to participate and have a blast! If you are interested in attending!

Want to take part in this incredible knowledge celebration? We can help you save some cash! Whaddayaknow? patrons can use a 

special Discount Code: TNWYK while purchasing your 

 - you'll get $50 off courtesy of Whaddayaknow? Trivia (pass it along to any friends you have in the NOLA area who might be interested)!

We will be down there repping our game, so we hope to see you there - be sure to check the website in the coming weeks for the finalized schedule! Book your 

 right near the event - some great deals are available!

We have you covered with a big discount for both tickets and hotel if you want to join us!

Whaddayaknow? will be at Trivia Nationals - one of the country's biggest trivia weekends - in New Orleans from May 23-25th!

Since 1894, the Field Museum has been on the forefront of education and knowledge. So naturally, they know their way around a trivia event. That's why Whaddayaknow? is thrilled bring Chicago's iconic Field Museum to our locations every month from February to July!

There'll be big prizes, including memberships/deals, coupons and more. And every one of our partners hosting have agreed to be proud supporters of the Field!

Look below to see when you can help support the Field Museum while taking part in Chicago's BEST team trivia!

Monthly Whaddayaknow? Trivia Nights sponsored by the Field Museum!

We will be partnering with Chicago's iconic FIELD MUSEUM at a different one of our locations every month from February to July!

Whaddayaknow? Trivia Nights With the Historic Field Museum!

 on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th, staffing a beer tent in support of the awesome and amazing 

Look for the classic Whaddayknow? staff t-shirts for our beer tent to get some free giveaways with every purchase, and spin the trivia wheel for more! 

Kick off the Chicago Street Festival season with us and support this great nonprofit organization in the process! Look for your favorite host, and we look forward to seeing you there!

We're thrilled to support Chicago Rebuilding Exchange at Mayfest. Look for W? staff for free giveaways and spin our trivia wheel for more!!

Join Whaddayaknow? at Lincoln Park Mayfest May 16th and 17th!

We are so excited to throw Whaddayaknow? live events, ranging from general and music trivia to bingo to theme nights and even karaoke every day of the week! To find all of tonight's events, as well as to learn about any cancellations or special occasions, please check the list below!

Good news! All our events will be running live today!

Check our homepage for the rest of our events!

Feel free to see if your favorite venue is hosting your favorite team trivia event right here!

Cancellations and Announcements for Whaddayaknow? Trivia Tonight!

Since 2007, we've worked with hundreds of bars, venues, corporations and general event spaces in the Chicagoland area and more to provide the best event trivia experience out there! 

We're continuously adding new partners to our team, and we're thrilled to announce our latest upcoming trivia events!

Cheba Hut "Toasted" Subs (Wrigleyville - 3412 N. Sheffield Ave) at 7 p.m. Family Feud Trivia Battle Royale EVERY Wednesday starting April 16th!

We have exciting news! We will be launching a BRAND NEW ongoing event at our trusted partner, 

 to provide a fun, exciting Family Feud night EVERY Wednesday with INSANE prizes! Come on down!

Cebu (3120 N. Lincoln Ave) at 7 p.m at 7 p.m. general trivia EVERY Thursday starting April 24!

Cebu Chicago is a modern Filipino restaurant that aims to not only highlight Filipino cuisine in Chicago, but also represents Filipino culture. Now you can celebrate that culture while playing Chicago's best trivia event - show up early to take advantage of their happy hour specials every Thursday!

Albion Manor (1480 W Webster Ave) at 6 p.m. general trivia EVERY Sunday starting April 27th!

Starting on April 27, we'll be hosting weekly trivia at 

, a bi-level English Pub & Cocktail Parlour in Lincoln Park. We hope to see you there!

Space Evanston (1245 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL) at 7 p.m. music trivia EVERY Thursday starting May 1!

Join one of the best music venues in the Chicagoland area, 

with our specially curated music trivia each Thursday!

Big Mini Putt (70 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI) at 7 p.m. General Trivia EVERY Monday starting May 5!

We're excited to introduce Whaddayaknow? team trivia events to our neighbors in Michigan! Grand Rapids residents can come on downtown to 

 for 9 holes of challenging mini golf, a vast array of games and now, the best trivia team event in the Midwest!.

Over/Under Sports Bar (2723 N. Halsted St) at 7 p.m. Music Bingo EVERY Wednesday starting May 21!

Over/Under Sports Bar is Chicago's hottest bar dedicated to sports and sports bettors, and we are thrilled to add to their many exciting offerings with MUSIC TRIVIA BINGO every week!

And we're thrilled to announce future partnerships on this page! Interested in joining the Whaddayaknow? team? Email dan@freepubtrivia.com for details!



We're constantly growing and adding amazing bars, venues, corporations, events and more to our offerings. See our most recent spots for Chicago's best team event trivia!

NEW Family Feud Trivia at Cheba Hut and more EXCITING and NEW events!

From the first bar Whaddayaknow? founder Daniel Burns decided to bring his style of trivia to the Chicagoland area in 2007 to the 100+ hosts currently entertaining knowledgeable social butterflies, our staff has hosted tens of thousands of trivia events, and have loved watching an awesome community grow, complete with countless, wonderful interactions with our valued event attendees!


But we’ve also seen some stranger-than-fiction stories that are almost impossible to believe. Here are some of the craziest true stories submitted by our Whaddayaknow? Trivia hosts.

No, we’re not talking about fights breaking out during a trivia event - the worst you’ll see is some mild bickering among teammates along the lines of, “See, Steve? I told you the answer was Argentina!” But if you think you can stay safe at an event where you mostly sit down, don’t be so fast. Our host “Eric” (we’re using aliases to protect our hosts’ identities, but you can scroll through our 

 to see if you can figure out who told the story here) discovered that during a fundraiser.

. There were easily 150 people playing, and there was an open bar. Apparently by the time we finished our ID bonus round, one of the patrons standing at the bar should have probably taken a seat instead.

From the elevated DJ booth I was hosting, I look over to see a small commotion and a man passed out on the ground! Apparently he had fainted, and only a few people around him even noticed. As they checked on him (he immediately woke up, and was okay) I had to debate between drawing attention to our rowdy guest, or figuring he had suffered enough.

I decided against calling him out, and I think he appreciated that.

When We Ask You To Return Your Pens, We Mean the Ones You Wrote With

This is a quick one that probably has happened to more than one host from “Emily.”


I asked a table, “Can I have your pens please?” A drunk woman handed me her vape pen...

How Everything Can Go Wrong…And Can Still Work Out!

Sometimes, things don’t always go to plan. And sometimes, that might happen when a host is training a 

 (and Jeopardy winner). “Eliot” knows a thing or two about that.


I train a lot of our hosts (if you’re interested, we’re always looking for more!) and typically they come away knowing how a normal night goes, but also knowing that anything can happen, and that that is okay!

I didn’t realize I was going to show how EVERYTHING can happen, and how it’s still okay.

On a busy day, I rushed out the door for my trivia event where I was to train a new host. He told me he had won Jeopardy six times, and that I was allowed to share that with the crowd to pump them up. As I was setting up, I realized something. Something terrible.

“It’s okay,” I told our trainee (who is now one of our top hosts). “Most bars have printers in the back, we can print out the set.” It was a good lesson, since most hosts don’t know that’s an option if needed. So I connected to the bar’s wireless printer, and we were good to go.

Until the printer ran out of ink after 3 pages.

We have the ability to look up all the questions and answers as Whaddayaknow? hosts through our scoring website, but the bonus rounds require actual written clues.

So as we hosted, the two of us wrote down every single bonus question on blank paper. For 20 teams. We both had hand cramps by the end, but we got it done.

When we finished, just 10 minutes later than usual, we were both out of breath and exhausted. And not a single team even mentioned the change in the bonus rounds. I told the trainee, “Well, you’re never going to have as hard of a night as this. And look how everyone still left happy.” Hopefully it was a good final lesson for him to learn as a host.

Why Having Your Own Sound Source Can Lead to Special Moments

One of the offerings a good team trivia company provides is a sound source to play music between questions. Some of our hosts even like to make their own curated playlists that leave subtle hints to any keen-eared players. This also means we can pivot and pull up a song to celebrate an important occasion, like our super-host “Jack”.

 in Burbank, which hold’s trivia each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., there were three teams of “regulars” who show up just about every week.

One was “We Brought Our Mom” - a team that always brought one of the teammate’s mothers along to play.

I always liked it when that team played, but there was a period where they weren’t able to make it out on Wednesdays. So after a bit of an absence, I was thrilled when they showed up, only this time under the name “We Brought Our Mom Back.”

They won by ONE point, and I scrambled with his audio source and played, “

” in the background while announcing the winning score.

When a Good Date Turns Into a Bad Date Turns Into a Free Drink

Team trivia can be a great way to break the ice on a first date. Sure, some might be intimidated - we’ve seen many duo teams where one or both feel like they’ll embarrass themselves by getting questions wrong. But really, it’s a low-stress way to compete as a team and get to know each other between questions in a fun, casual setting.

In this case, our host “Andrew” saw the allure of trivia as a date first hand…until it ended.


I was hosting at a very nice cocktail bar that ran trivia on Sundays. Think, dark wood, low lighting, high-end drinks. This isn’t a place you order a shot of malort. Instead, they poured “ferraris” - a mix of fernet and campari. We had a few regulars, but most weeks we had at least three couples on first dates playing along.

Up until the final round, one couple sitting at the bar were crushing it. They were comfortably in first place, and on their way to a great gift certificate prize. And then…well let’s just say the date started going well.

The pair didn’t turn in any answers for the final round because, well, they were very publicly and not at all discretely displaying quite a bit of affection. I didn’t want to intervene because, well, awkward, so I continued with the final round, watching their nightly rankings drop in the process.

Right as I read the final answer to the final question, the woman at the bar stopped making out with her date and, without a word, stood up and walked out of the bar.

The man remaining still ended up in third place, which was a free round of shots. I took one with him in solidarity.

No, The Host Will NOT Propose For You in Four Minutes.

Over the years, Whaddayaknow? has seen a lot of budding relationships from couples who met or bonded over weeks and months and years playing trivia together (or against each other). We’ve hosted dozens, if not hundreds, of wedding events for our regulars, from wedding parties to bachelor and bachelorette parties and more. We’ve even had hosts officiate, and at one massive 

We’re happy to facilitate such romantic gestures at our events, but… it’s best that you ask us first (contact us 

 if you want us to set up any fun surprises or events). Otherwise, you’ll have an experience like “Carmen” had.


I was hosting a very busy night at a very crowded bar in Wrigleyville - the kind of spot most 20-somethings go to after Cubs games. There were over 30 teams, and the venue needed the game to be finished in 1.5 hours for a scheduled event.

Now, typically we finish our games in around two hours, and anything over 15 teams is considered a busy night, so needless to say when someone came to me just FOUR MINUTES before our start time asking me to help him propose to his girlfriend, that was a hard pass from me.

I thought to myself, “Sir, first of all…you want to get engaged in WRIGLEYVILLE?” I love the venue, but it’s not exactly the most romantic place. I didn’t say that, of course, I just said I didn’t have the time to help plan a sudden proposal, and told him to keep it simple and just ask her to marry him.


And it turned out, he didn’t even want to play trivia! Apparently, she said yes, but shortly after the proposal a server spilled a drink all over the man’s shirt. Hopefully they had taken their engagement photos already.

Anything Can Happen at a Whaddayaknow? Trivia Event

This is just a sample of stories our hosts have experienced, but every night is a chance for a unique, fun, hilarious and, occasionally, embarrassing story of your own. Over 17+ years of events in a city that is absolutely the perfect soulmate for us, an amazing community has blossomed encompassing the widest range of people, and for that we could not be more grateful!


Check out our locations for an event near you, and contact us any time for a tailored trivia game for your own event of ANY type! And of course, we’re always looking for new hosts, so 

We've had hundreds of hosts emcee thousands and thousands of venues. Sometimes that leads to some...interesting stories. Here are some "anonymous" stories where trivia goes a little crazy!

Wild and Crazy Trivia Tales From Whaddayaknow? Hosts!

Ever wanted to cheat at trivia without getting the stink-eye from the host? Now’s your chance.

 are hosting Trivia for Cheaters—an epic night where cheating is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. 

Buy cheats. Wreck teams. Win prizes. Support young writers. 

It’s like pub trivia…but with moral flexibility!

: Wednesday, April 30 | 6–9:30PMWhere: The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee

: Teams of 4 | $35/person (trivia + food!)

: Because helping kids become published authors is way cooler than following the rules!

We’re not running it—we’re just rooting for chaos (and good causes).

On April 30th, head on down to the Den Theater to support 826CHI and get a rare chance to cheat at trivia...for good!

Break the Rules for a Good Cause With TRIVIA FOR CHEATERS!

" beating out 186 competing teams and winning the TOC XXV! The first time champs edged out TOC XXIV champion "Friendly Fire" who came in second (!!) and two-time champion Georgia O'Qweef in third! Seven time champion Pop-Pop In The Attic recorded yet another top ten finish - just tons of first ballot W? Hall Of Fame teams BRINGING it to the biggest TOC yet!

And congratulations to "The Island of Quizfit Toys" for taking home the Plus Sized Wheatleys Cup as the most spirited team! We all had an absolute BLAST - this Tournament of Champions was easily the BEST one yet! Many, many photos to come soon!

Another big thanks to our awesome host venues: 

!

Qualifying for TOC XXVI begins on March 30th, and the main event will be this summer and will likely take place in early-to-mid August. That date is TBD so stay tuned!

Here are the scores from our XXV Silver Anniversary TOC!

Whaddayaknow? Tournament of Champions XXV Final Standings


1. X Gon' Quiz It To Ya 122
2. Friendly Fire 116
3. Georgia O'Queef 113
4. NU TANG CLAN 110
5 (tied) Midwest Lawn Care Dads 106
5 (tied) The Enablers 106
7. Two Truths & A Gay 100
8. (tied) Pop-Pop In The Attic 99
8. (tied) Turd Ferguson 99
8. (tied) Chicken Bone Water For The Soul 98
8. (tied) Return of the Mac 98
12. The Disappointments 97
13. Mary Berry's Soggy Bottoms 96
14. (tied) My Mom Says I'm a Winner 92
14. (tied) Curse These Metal Hands 92
16. Midwest Princesses 91
17. (tied) Ghosts of the Pink Squirrel 90
17. (tied) Last Bus To Aldi 90
17. (tied) Two Drink Minimum 90
20. (tied) Seasonal Allergies 87
20. (tied) Ben and Jerry Et Alia 87
22. Shamrocks + Kimchi 86
23. Butt Tub 85
23. (tied) Donkey Schlong 85
23. (tied) Mob Wives 85
26. (tied) Joey & The Pussycats 84
26. (tied) King Quizzard 84
28. (tied) Olivia Jade's College Fund 83
28. (tied) Concepts Of A Team Name 83
30. (tied) Alternative Facts 82
30. (tied) Phat Moon Theory 82
30. (tied) Bet The Wad 82
30. (tied) Jock & His Pet Snake Reggie 82
30. (tied) Malort & Savior 82
30. (tied) Team Discovery Channel 82
36. (tied) Always Joking Kidding 81
36. (tied) Best Guessers 81
36. (tied) Going For 2nd 81
36. (tied) Phallic Baldwin 81
36. (tied) Quizness As Usual 81
36. (tied) Team Awesome 81
42. The Minds Of Monkeys 79
43. (tied) Hold N.R. Piss 78
43. (tied) I Heart Dragon Smut 78
43. (tied) Paulie G. Walnuts 78
43. (tied) The Island Of Quizfit Toys 78
43. (tied) Third Place 78
48. (tied) Pussy Logic 77
48. (tied) Parisian Trashletes 77
48. (tied) Third Podium 77
51. (tied) Atomic Nuclear Hypothesis 76
51. (tied) The Trivial Group 76
53. (tied) Carly Rae Jeppson's Malort 75
53. (tied) Cheez Nurds 75
55. (tied) Fart Institute Of Chicago 74
55. (tied) Frankie & Friends 74
55. (tied) Gru & Crew 74
55. (tied) I'll Have Another 74
55. (tied) Michael 74
55. (tied) My Credit Score Is 74
55. (tied) Wizard Sleeves 74
62. Frosted Fleshlights 73
63. (tied) Jon Voight's Car 72
63. (tied) Agatha Privia Quizteam 72
63. (tied) Chappell Roan's PR Team 72
63. (tied) Elliot 72
63. (tied) Gabagool 72
63. (tied) Hung Like A French Pole Vaulter 72
63. (tied) Sapphire To The Stage! 72
63. (tied) Stonecutters 72
63. (tied) The Fibonaccis 72
63. (tied) Unsharted Territory 72
73. Carly Rae Jepsson's Malort Face 71
74. (tied) Hollywood Upstairs Medical College 70
74. (tied) New Station 70
74. (tied) Sea You Next Trivia 70
77. (tied) Penis Grigio 69
77. (tied) The Smooth Brains 69
79. (tied) Chronic Realness 68
79. (tied) Mancato! 68
81. (tied) Walking Miss Daisy 68
81. (tied) We're Just Here For The Shots 68
83. (tied) Thursday Thots 67
83. (tied) Bemma Enson 67
83. (tied) Birth Control to Major Tom 67
83. (tied) Leo Ramone Fan Club 67
83. (tied) The O'Neders 67
88. (tied) 1538 66
88. (tied) Lauren's Boyz 66
88. (tied) LCD Poundsystem 66
91. (tied) Fart Ass 65
91. (tied) Last Place Regulars 65
91. (tied) Please No Sports 65
91. (tied) Testicular Answer 65
95. (tied) Smell The Glove 64
95. (tied) Big Chicks 64
95. (tied) Fries For The Table 64
95. (tied) I Wish There Were 10 64
95. (tied) Imperfect Strangers 64
100. New Ancona 64
101. Emma The Cat 63
102. (tied) Quizzie McGuire 62
102. RIP Dean 62
104. (tied) Idiot Sandwiches 61
104. (tied) M As In Mancy 61
104. (tied) Not Last 61
104. (tied) The Max Rebo Band 61
104. (tied) Where's Pierre? 61
109. (tied) Quizzie Borden 60
109. (tied) A Murder of Crows 60
109. (tied) Phoctor Dill 60
109. (tied) Teacher Shortage 60
109. (tied) The Snowflakes 60
109. (tied) Trividend Arb 60
115. (tied) Chel-Kings 59
115. (tied) Roly Holers 59
115. (tied) Big Sexxxy 59
115. (tied) Even Primes 59
115. (tied) MILF COUNTY 59
115. (tied) Sexy Monkey Fish 59
121. Friends of Frankel 58
121. The Penis Mightier 58
123. (tied) Erotic Muppets 56
123. (tied) Periodic Table Dancers 56
123. (tied) Smells Like Middle Age Spirit 56
123. (tied) The Bitches Of Eastwick 56
123. (tied) What's Our Team Name? 56
128. (tied) McD Is On Time 55
128. (tied) Mystery Cheese 55
128. (tied) Pen Island 55
131. (tied) Beer Mortgage 54
131. (tied) Debo Cherry 54
133. (tied) 2 Girls, 1 Quiz 53
133. (tied) Bison Grass Boyz 53
133. (tied) Harry Potter & The Chamber Is Loaded 53
133. (tied) In Honor Of Jess 53
137. (tied) Nous sommes les mushrooms 52
137. (tied) MLK's Dream 52
137. (tied) Penis Colada 52
140. (tied) Pocket Beer 51
140. (tied) The Transsexual Menace 51
142. (tied) Shrug Emoji 50
142. (tied) Went Pro, Retired Early 50
144. (tied) Caleb's Fangirls 49
144. (tied) Hoops 49
144. (tied) Just Here For the Brainbang 49
147. (tied) Frank's Little Beauties 48
147. (tied) Quizz In My Pants 48
149. (tied) 2.5 MoMs 47
149. (tied) Ruth Bader Quizberg 47
149. (tied) Weird Tuesdays 47
152. (tied) Chicago Gamecocks 46
152. (tied) Sayonara Sarcoma 46
154. I'm Only Here To Establish An Alibi 45
155. (tied) Do You Remember? 44
155. (tied) The Fat Cat 44
157. (tied)  Keep Your Facts To Yourself 43
157. (tied) Average Cellists 43
157. (tied) WKND DJS 10 PM 43
160. (tied) CHORB 42
160. (tied) Knee Deep In The Coconut Tree 42
160. (tied) The Way Back Boys 42
163. PubMeds 41
164. Frances & Friends 40
165. Mode Push 39
165. Dirty 630 39
167. Mouse In Baked Beans 38
167. The Glue Factory 38
169. 10 Eyes 35
170. (tied) Squirtle Squad 34
170. (tied) Eric Adams' Legal Defense Fund 34
172. (tied) Red Line SG 33
172. (tied) John Stamos Is BRAT 33
174. (tied) Save A Tree, Eat A Beaver 32
174. (tied) Big Dawgz 32
174. (tied) Je$u$ Chri$t 32
177. Fhloston Paradise 30
178. Row 5 Crew 29
179. Superb Video 26
180. (tied) Brew Bros 24
180. (tied) Cornelius Monroe 24
182. JAAAM! 23
183. Smiz 18
184. The Other Teams Are Cheating 12
185. Cake Time! 12
186. Hou$e Money 10
187. Quizzed In My Pants 3

The Silver TOC XXV is in the books - and it was the BEST AND BIGGEST one yet! But TOC XXVI is shaping up to be even bigger! Stay tuned!

Qualifying for TOC XXVI begins the Week of March 30th!

Do you have a song in your heart? Do you want to give it your all singing at one of the best St. Patrick's Day pop-ups in the city? Come on down to Charm'd (second floor of the Bamboo Club -3505 N Clark St.) for our Whaddayasing? karaoke nights!

Tonight is the last night for our unique karaoke experience - just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

Come on over to see some great singers (and some not-so-great ones)! And for future events, make sure to check out our social page or our daily events page to take part in all of the events Whaddayaknow? has to offer!


Tonight's the night! Join us in your St. Patrick's celebrations with karaoke at the Bamboo Club pop-up, Charm'd!

Join us for Whaddayasing Karaoke Fridays at Charm'd (Bamboo Club)

We all love our trivia, and started our particular version of it way back in 2007 when east coast transplant Daniel Burns came on out to the great city of Chicago! 

While you may have experienced and enjoyed our vision for using trivia as a way to bring people together (and have a great time), you might not realize how much trivia you encounter in your day-to-day life. Your local news might have a soft segment with random fun facts, like 

. You might be at the proverbial office water cooler and have a coworker inform you that tablecloths were first used as 

. You might be sitting down with your family to play Trivial Pursuit or other knowledge based games.

. And the origin of team trivia can be found with the history of Pub Trivia.

Pub trivia first became a social gathering in the United Kingdom. While its exact origins are unknown, it likely started as an extension of bar arguments and discussions regarding obscure facts. There’s a reason why The Guinness Book of World Records has its name - it was literally written by 

By the late 1950s, over 4,000 people were participating in various organized pub trivia events, largely in Merseyside and Lancashire. In 1976, 

 was founded, establishing 32 quiz teams with three different leagues. The selling point for businesses was to attract customers on slow nights at pubs, providing entertainment and encouraging the purchase of a pint or two.

Over the next few years, the popularity of pub trivia in the United Kingdom skyrocketed. From 32 teams, Burns and Porter soon had over 10,000 teams, and the BBC began taping and airing trivia-based television programming.

But across the pond, bar trivia was nonexistent. But in the 1980s, trivia finally got it’s foot in the door of American culture.

In 1979, Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott were trying to find an 

 of the game Scrabble after finding their Scrabble board was missing pieces. Fittingly, they were at a bar and brainstormed ideas over a few beers, ultimately coming up with the idea of a trivia-based board game.

In 1981, Trivia Pursuit was released and introduced recreational trivia to the American public. But another trivia phenomenon presented itself - the revival of 

Jeopardy was first created in 1964, and was cancelled in 1975. It had a brief revival in 1979, but only lasted one season. But in 1984 they debuted a revamped version of the show with a Canadian broadcaster-turned-game show host named Alex Trebek, and the rest was history. It also made trivia even more popular to the American public.

Like Burns and Porter, local bar owners realized that they could take advantage of this new interest in trivia to bring in patrons on off-days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays where nights were slow.

These bars experimented with different approaches, such as introducing themed rounds focused on specific topics or events. The concept of themed rounds with questions solely focused on movies, music, sports and other popular topics helped establish the popularity of pub trivia in America, which only would grow.

The Growth of American Pub and Bar Quizzes

Going into the 90s, Trivial Pursuit was still widely popular, and more and more bars were using trivia as social events to bring in customers.

It’s no surprise that social gathering locations, such as bars and taverns, worked so well for team trivia events. Trivia is, at its heart, social. It encourages lively discussion and, yes, disagreements, but half of the fun comes from going back and forth with friends to find the right answer.

And a few pints to lubricate the conversation doesn’t hurt.

Most bars would host their own individualized trivia nights, with questions written by an employee or a freelance trivia host, but by the 2000s companies that ran standardized trivia events at multiple locations with unique formats and engaging hosts began appearing across the country.

, for example, was one of the first established Team Trivia companies founded in Chicago in 2008. Since then they’ve hosted hundreds of thousands of events at thousands of locations, and are only seeing the interest in team trivia increasing with every year.

Pub trivia has now strongly established its value to business owners - and the best part is, it isn’t isolated to just bars. Private events, corporations parties, and social gatherings of all sorts use Team Trivia as an icebreaker, or just a fun way to spend a few hours with coworkers and friends.

While trivia has been around as long as we’ve had history and culture, pub trivia, and general team trivia, has found a way to take knowledge and make it fun for everyone who participates. Be sure to take advantage of our many team trivia events at the 

You might think Team Trivia has been around forever, but the history of Pub Trivia is surprisingly recent. Enjoy our first of many Whaddayaknow? Trivia blog posts!

The History of Bar Trivia

Alright wizards and witches! After six weeks of massive crowds and even larger prizes, we have a winner of our 

HARRY POTTER TRI-WIZARD TRIVIA TOURNAMENT

The Pygmy Puff Club dominated other mere muggles and took home some AMAZING prizes including

A 2-Hour pizza & drinks party for the overall tourney - a $500 value! 

Thanks to everyone who came out! We had over 200 teams show up! Congrats again to Pygmy Puff Club!


Congrats to Pygmy Puff Club	taking home our top prize at the Tri-Wizard Tournament!

WE HAVE OUR WINNER FOR THE HARRY POTTER TRI-WIZARD TRIVIA TOURNAMENT AT NEON GARDENS

Get Ready for TOC XXV - the field is set! 

The event sold out faster than any other TOC before! Thank you so much! It's sure to be the biggest and best yet!

The event will take place at multiple venues in the Wrigley area - 

We're also thrilled to announce that due to our unprecedented turnout, we will be hosting TOC at 

 as well! Doors open at 12 p.m. and the first question will be read at 1 p.m. SHARP!

 for the premiere trivia title in Chicago, and hoist the Silver Edition of the 

? Will a team be "spirited" to take the 

We shall see! Email dan@freepubtrivia.com with any questions at all - we can't wait to see you there!

We are gearing up for our SOLD OUT TOC XXV! Get ready for the most exciting Tournament of Champions yet!

TODAY is the day for TOC XXV! Tickets for our Tournament Of Champions are SOLD OUT!

There’s no better thing than trivia during the holiday season! However, some of our venues will be closed for various holidays. As always, check our website for 

 where we post an up-to-date list of all events daily.

Most locations will 

be running trivia/music bingo on New Year's Eve and New Years Day, but we have a few great venues where trivia will be ON for 12/31 and 1/1 - and it's the perfect way to kick off your night, with plenty of time to continue your festivities and ring in the New Year! 

The theme will be 2024 Year In Review, covering all our regular categories - with plenty of prizes to be given away! More venues could be added in the coming week, so check back in!


Innjoy Wicker Park: 2051 W Division St, Chicago (8 p.m. start time)

Good Times Brewing: 3827 N Broadway, Chicago (7 p.m. start time)

Cheesie’s Lakeview: 958 W. Belmont Ave (7:30 p.m. start time)

General Knowledge Trivia streaming live from 

F. O'Mahony's European Tavern (3701 N. Broadway) at 8 p.m.

Black Oak Tavern (9630 S. Pulaski - Oak Lawn, IL) at 7:30 p.m.

Innjoy Wicker Park (2051 W. Division St) at 8 p.m.

The Getaway (4530 N. Lincoln Ave) at 8:30 p.m.

The Smoke Daddy (Wicker Park - 1804 W. Division St) at 6 p.m. - LIVE MUSIC BINGO

We hope you have a wonderful New Year, and we look forward to spending 2025 with all of you!

There’s no better time for trivia than the holiday season! Kick off 2025 with our year in review trivia at select venues, and check to see where you can play trivia on New Years Eve and New Year's Day!

Kick Off Your New Year's Eve and New Years Day With 2024 Year In Review Trivia at Select Venues!

Looking for an awesome event to attend this Saturday, December 7th, and want to support a wonderful Chicago nonprofit in the process? Join us at LUMBERLAND! Reserve your tickets below - they are FREE! Donations are optional, and go to support the amazing Chicago Rebuilding Exchange!

Lumberland is the Exchange's annual winter-themed craft fair, hosted in the organization's warehouse at 1740 W. Webster Ave. Come enjoy activities, music, raffle prizes, food, and drinks while you browse the handmade wares of local artists and craftspeople!



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lumberland-winter-market-2024-tickets-1075785556559?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us for Lumberland 2024, our annual winter-themed craft fair hosted in the Rebuilding Exchange Chicago Warehouse. Come enjoy activities, music, raffle prizes, food, and drinks while you browse the handmade wares of our local artists and craftspeople!

Welcome to the Home of America's Best Team Trivia Game

The perfect way to stay connected both in person and virtually!

Latest News

Recent News - May 17, 2025

Play Live Tonight

SporcleCon is coming to Whaddayaknow?'s hometown of Chicago this summer from August 15-17th, and we will be repping with our game on Friday the 15th!

The W? Tournament of Champions XXVI will be held on AUGUST 9TH!

Whaddayaknow? will be at Trivia Nationals - one of the country's biggest trivia weekends - in New Orleans from May 23-25th!

Play Live Tonight

Get Your Virtual Ticket Here

Games Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm CST

Bring W? to Your Venue

Upcoming Trivia Themes

New Themes coming shortly! Check back soon for more information.

Interested in Becoming a Host?

Find What You Need

Contact Us

Welcome to the Home of America's Best Team Trivia Game

The perfect way to stay connected both in person and virtually!

Latest News

Recent News - May 17, 2025

Play Live Tonight

SporcleCon is coming to Whaddayaknow?'s hometown of Chicago this summer from August 15-17th, and we will be repping with our game on Friday the 15th!

The W? Tournament of Champions XXVI will be held on AUGUST 9TH!

Whaddayaknow? will be at Trivia Nationals - one of the country's biggest trivia weekends - in New Orleans from May 23-25th!

Play Live Tonight

Get Your Virtual Ticket Here

Games Every .css-1tciydi{color:var(--chakra-colors-greenLogo-300);}Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm CST

Bring W? to Your Venue

Upcoming Trivia Themes

New Themes coming shortly! Check back soon for more information.

Interested in Becoming a Host?

Find What You Need

Contact Us

Games Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm CST