The good old pub quiz night is something of an institution – not to mention a pretty fun way to pass a weeknight with a group of mates, if you enjoy a bit of trivia.

Of course it’s important to get your team right – if you’re going to have a shot at picking up the top prize (usually a bar tab, which usually buys the first round at NEXT week’s quiz) then you need certain experts on board. Your pop culture whiz is a must – someone who can pull out obscure facts about bands and songs, or movies and tv, or preferably all of the above. Then there’s geography – apart from being able to place countries on a map, this person needs to be able to tell you who the President of Liberia is, or what’s the capital of Uruguay. You’ll most likely also need a science enthusiast, and last but not least, the all important sports nut – preferably someone who not only knows the rules of curling, but who are the current world champs.

These days, you can find a quiz night just about any night of the week, as long as that night is not Friday, Saturday or Sunday (I guess pubs have different drawcards for those nights). If a traditional-style quiz is your thing, then on Mondays you can hit up The Green Man; on Tuesday there’s the Occidental on Lambton Quay as well as dueling quizzes at JJ Murphy’s and The Bristol, right next to each other on Cuba Street; Wednesdays there’s the Royal, and on Thursdays both The Big Kumara and The Grand have quizzes.

For something a little different though, check out The Electric Quiz at The Cross on Tuesday nights, or the Mighty Mighty quiz on Wednesdays. Both offer trivia nights that are a little left field – The Electric Quiz even features live music.

What’s your favourite Wellington quiz night? And which quiz team role do you fill?