In September, 2015 I played a “solo” trivia game for the first time ever. The location was Johnny’s Grill, a lakeside bar in Belleville, MI. I only played one game, and it didn’t go really well! But I kept at it –  and it wasn’t long until I won my first first place prize playing with…err “by” myself! I even had a first-place sweep playing solo in September, 2017!

I’ve certainly gone out and done this enough to know what the positives – and negatives – are of “flying solo” on trivia nights. Let’s start with:

Cons – Flying A Trivia Game Solo

It’s just you – and your brain – when you play a trivia game by yourself! Which isn’t always a good thing, read on to learn about more negatives…

• You don’t have your team to help you answer the questions (duh).
• You don’t have your team to “delegate” jobs to (handing in slips, adding up the scores, doing simple math to figure out answers, etc.
• Scores don’t tend to be as high – unless you get a “dream” question set.
• Chances of winning prizes not as great.
• Sometimes you’ll get a “stray” latch onto you, especially if you’re sitting at the bar. They’ll “offer” to help you with the answers, but nine times out of 10? They’re NO help. This is compounded if your “stray” is loud and drunk.

Pros – Flying a Trivia Game Solo

The lack of distractions is a benefit of playing by yourself! Some other benefits:

• You don’t have to share the prizes with anyone.
• You only have yourself to beat up if you f— up and get a question wrong for big points.
• The quiet…the quiet! Nobody is yammering in your ear while you’re trying to think of answers.
• You don’t have to arrive early enough to save seats for others (sometimes that gets…annoying – especially in popular trivia spots).
• There is nobody to talk you out of correct answers.
• You’ll never gain a better appreciation for your trivia teammates!
• Having a little “alone time” in your car. When you share a vehicle with your partner/spouse, this time is…GOLDEN!