The Sporcle Live pub trivia league announced that they will be holding a national trivia tournament in Las Vegas dubbed “TriviaCon” April 2-3 in 2020.

Per Google Maps, if I drove to Las Vegas, it would be a 1,988 mile trip taking 29 hours (one way). Not including stops or accounting for traffic delays.

To qualify for the Las Vegas national tournament, teams must win state championships, which will be held in early June 2019. “Wild card” spots may also be available to teams, should the spots not all be filled by state champions, per the web site:

On April 3rd, 2020 at TriviaCon presented by Sporcle, there will be a National Championship game. Any 2019 state champion (from any of the two seasons) is eligible to participate. There will be 32 teams and the format will work the same as a normal Championship event. In the event all 32 spots are not filled by state champions, the remaining spots (wildcards) will be awarded based on total points earned in 2019 at Sporcle Live shows. Those wildcard invites will be given three weeks in advance of the event and will only be given to teams that have registered for Trivia Con at that point. There is a minimum $10,000 prize pool for this event. This event has no bearing on the rest of Trivia Con and teams can choose to play in both this and the Main Event on Saturday night.

I’m not sure I understand the sentence “this and the Main Event on Saturday night.” Are there TWO events going on that weekend? Hmmm… The word “registered” also tells me this will NOT be a free event. I would have a very hard time believing that any event held in Las Vegas would be free. I don’t see the Vegas tournament as something that would excite my team too much. It’s rough enough trying to get players in one bar on any given trivia night, let alone saying, “Hey guys, want to buy plane tickets and make hotel reservations for a trip to Vegas and play in a trivia tournament?”  And add to that, “pay to play? (though that hasn’t been confirmed)” Hell, just getting players who can play in tournaments in MY OWN STATE can be a battle in and of itself! Accomplishing that in a place 1,988 miles away (per Google maps)? Uh, no…

I would guess that even in regional tournaments there are still a number of teams who simply forgo playing tournament spots they’ve won for whatever reasons. If teams can’t be bothered to assemble teams for regional tournaments, why would they bother to do so for a tournament 2,000 miles away? Granted, the level of “dedication” among teams and their individual players are wildly variable. Some teams are happy being the  “let’s play once a week maybe win some beer money and have fun” teams and others are all about “the money.” Then there are the teams that fall somewhere in between those two extremes.

Now there will only be one state championship rather than multiple “finals” tournaments. It will be interesting to see where they decide to hold such an animal – my money would be on using the banquet center 59 West in Highland, MI which is not an unreasonable drive for me and the players on my team. Though we did like the short ‘n sweet drive to CJ’s in Plymouth – (not the drive to Ashley’s Westland QUITE as much since there is no “easy” way to get there from the freeway without having to backtrack or deal with traffic light after traffic light). The farthest my team drove to a “finals” tournament was East Lansing, MI which took about an hour and 15 minutes (not including some hassles with parking).

We’re going to be taking a “Que Sera, Sera” attitude toward trivia in the coming months – whatever will be, will be. We’re doing trivia nights when we can get players who WANT to play. No more being “chained” to any one weekly spot. If our lack of effort winds up qualifying us for semifinals, so be it. If not, then so be it. If we can play in a state championship AND get players for that game, so be it (otherwise I might “sell” the spot as I’ve done before). I can’t see into the future. For now, we’re just playing one trivia league, though we have played in the My Trivia Live league in the past.

Back to the subject of my players and this Vegas tournament…back in “the day,” Dave might have been excited about a Vegas trip! Now that he’s a daddy and working more than one job… maybe not so much! Brad wouldn’t want to leave his dogs and all dog events hold precedence over trivia. I’m kind of terrified of flying (Mike not too keen on it either) and I have not even asked Evan, whom, being that he’s single and 30, might actually enjoy a Vegas trip! I would love going to Vegas, if only for the chance to see my friend Michelle (and playing in a trivia tournament…duh)! I have zero desire to gamble, though ogling people in gaudy Vegas attire might be a fun people-watching experience! If money were no object, I would definitely want to be at this tournament – I just don’t know if I would have a real team.

If I went to Vegas and didn’t see someone dressed like Robert De Niro in Casino, I’d be very, very disappointed!

In reality, though? My ‘Pods team going to Vegas is not likely to happen! Once teams manage to quailfy for this “big” tournament, the next task will be to see if they’re willing to actually GO to the tournament. I will be surprised if Sporcle Live can easily fill all 32 of these spots. I wouldn’t be surprised if teams wound up having chances to “buy” their way to this game in a pay-to-play deal. But who knows? This could very well be a “cranial meat market,” which would make those “ringer” players out there prized commodities in a tournament such as this. Could bidding wars be far off? Sell your trivia prowess to the highest bidder? Maybe teams would “comp” such players their hotel stays or offer to stow such players discreetly in the overhead luggage compartments (LOL)! I would love nothing more than to be able to say this, which you usually only hear in movie quotes:

Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll double it.

If my team managed to qualify for this tournament and had the means to actually go to it, who knows what I would do to try to “stack” my team with the very best players even if it meant taking myself out the equation and just acting as “manager” (someone joked that  maybe I was a better player than a manager when I subbed out my whole team for a tournament and the “subs” won second place). It’s interesting to think about it!

It’s not that I want this endeavor to fail. The idea is kind of exciting – if not very, very ambitious. The majority of Sporcle Live’s players (for now), live and play in Michigan and Ohio. Should any kind of massive expansion into California markets occur within the next few months, that would be a help in filling seats in a Vegas tournament since California is not as far away from Las Vegas, Nevada as Michigan and Ohio (hey check out my awesome geography mojo, LOL)!