A pub quiz isn't won by the team that knows the most, but by the team that plays best together: a good mix of people, no blank answers, and no panic after a weak round. Here are 10 tips straight from our Tuesday Taproom Quiz — with real results from recent weeks.
What is Taproom Quiz like?
We play every Tuesday at 19:00 at Taproom Wilanów. The quiz lasts about two hours and has 9 rounds. Teams have 2 to 4 people, and entry is free. The questions are about everyday life: music, films and TV, Warsaw, travel, brands and logos, the internet and pop culture, and trivia. The screen plays songs, trailers, film stills and photos of places.
You write your answers on paper. After every round, teams swap sheets and mark each other's answers while the host explains them. The scoreboard on screen updates live, and the best teams leave with prizes and a place in the season ranking at quiz.taproom.com.pl.
Each round is worth up to 7 points. The winners of our two October quizzes scored 55 and 54.
1. Line-up: different heads, not the cleverest ones
The best team isn't four history buffs — it's four different people. Someone knows 90s music, someone knows Netflix series, someone knows Warsaw inside out, and someone spends too much time online. Our rounds cover a bit of everything, so variety always beats an encyclopedia.
2. A small team can win too
Don't have four people? No problem. On 6 October the winners were Comando Wilci — a team of two, with 55 points. Two people who agree quickly often play better than four who argue. And if you come on your own, you can join another team.
3. Arrive early and get a good table
At a quiz, a clear view of the screen and good sound matter — the music and film rounds are on screen. Come 15 minutes early, grab a table, order something from the taps and pick a team name in peace. On busy Tuesdays it's worth booking a table.
4. Choose one "writer"
Answers go on paper, and another team marks your sheet. Messy handwriting or a note in the margin is an easy point lost. Let one person write — clearly, in capitals — while the others feed answers.
5. Never leave a blank
A blank box is a guaranteed zero. A sensible guess is a chance of a point. If you don't know, write the most likely answer: for dates, the middle of the range; for films, the actor's best-known title; for logos, the first brand that comes to mind.
6. Music and film rounds: split the job
A clip of a song or trailer lasts a few seconds. Agree in advance who listens for what: one person catches the melody and voice, another the lyrics, a third writes down associations straight away. With film stills, look at the details — costumes, cars, phones — they often give away the decade.
7. Pictures, maps and Warsaw — practise every day
Questions about Warsaw, places in photos, maps and flags come up regularly. Everyday attention wins here: notice street names, monuments, metro stations and landmark buildings. If someone in your team loves travel or plays GeoGuessr, you have an edge.
8. Decide who has the final word
Most time and points are lost arguing over one answer. There's a countdown on screen, so agree on a simple rule: everyone says their version, the captain decides. Your first instinct is often right — only change it if someone really knows better.
9. A weak round isn't the end
Scores swing: the same team can get 3 points in one round and 7 in the next. There are nine rounds, and the gaps at the top are often tiny — on 13 October Beer winners won with 54 points, just two ahead of Słodziaki. Every point counts, so play to the end, even in rounds that aren't your thing.
10. Play fair and have fun
We write the questions from scratch for every evening — no repeats, no cheat sheets from previous weeks. Keep your phone in your pocket (unless you're reading the questions in another language — more on that below). The quiz is two hours of laughter, arguments over one answer and good beer — and the rematch is next week.
How to practise between Tuesdays
You don't need to swot up an encyclopedia — a few habits will raise your score on their own:
- Listen to the radio and the charts, not just your own playlists. Music rounds span decades and genres, and the songs that come up most are the ones "everyone has heard at some point".
- Watch trailers and opening credits. Questions from film stills and TV openings are a staple of our film rounds.
- Read the Warsaw headlines. New metro stations, openings, renovations, district history — a common topic.
- Play map and flag games. A few minutes a day of GeoGuessr or flag quizzes makes a difference in the map round.
- Come back every week. The best teams in the season ranking are the ones who come regularly — they learn the style of the questions and gel as a team.
After each quiz, have a look at the results history. You'll see which rounds cost you points and know who to bring next Tuesday.
Bonus: not only in Polish
The quiz is hosted in Polish, but you can read every question in English — as well as Ukrainian and Russian — on your phone by scanning the code on the screen. That means everyone in a mixed team can play on equal terms. Bring colleagues who are still learning Polish.
Fuel for two hours
A long evening needs energy. For the quiz we recommend something lighter from the taps — a Czech ležák, a wheat beer or a session IPA — to keep your head clear until round nine. Add some snacks: fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets or dried fish to share. See the current beers in our menu.
Where and when?
Taproom Quiz takes place every Tuesday at 19:00 at Taproom Wilanów, Aleja Rzeczypospolitej 4 — see how to get here. All the details, the next date and the latest results are on our pub quiz page, and you can register your team at quiz.taproom.com.pl. Other evenings at Taproom — football, Formula 1, beer releases — are in our events calendar.
Key takeaways — how to win a pub quiz:
- A varied line-up beats an encyclopedia — and even two people can win.
- One clear writer and one captain who settles arguments.
- Never leave a blank — a sensible guess is a chance of a point.
- Split the work in the music, film and picture rounds.
- Don't give up after a weak round — the gaps at the top are small.
