# Dopers: how do you handle being the ringer on trivia night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 17, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024 "2007-10-17T11:14:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/1 "2007-10-17T11:14:11Z")
I’ll keep this short. Recently, I’ve started taking part in a bar trivia game. Not one of those electronic ones, but live. Since I started accompanying my friends, the team score has improved drastically. They used to hardly ever win, or even come second, but the first three times I played, we won, and last night we came second. (We didn’t screw up; the winning team just outscored us.) Now, the way it works, the winning team gets a bar tab that’s usually worth enough to cover the whole team’s dinner. The second-place team gets a smaller tab. Last night, it was enough to cover about half the check. I had to pay for most of my meal, but I’m wondering if I really should have. The other players said several times that I was “fucking amazing” and that they wouldn’t have even come second last night if I wasn’t there. Out of 98 points, 40 of them were all me. I never said a word, because that’s not the kind of discussion you want to have at the end of the night, but I wonder if it would be possible to bring this up before the next game. What say you? It would have been a dollar extra from each of the others on the team. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/2 "2007-10-17T11:17:25Z")
Gotta vote no, **Rilch**. If you don’t wanna play, just don’t play. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/3 "2007-10-17T11:18:44Z")
Are you saying that since you scored a majority of the points that you should not have had to pay as much as you did? That they should have paid for your meal? Even if you scored the most points and they stated such you should still all pay an equal amount. There is no “I” in “Team” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/4 "2007-10-17T11:31:14Z")
No WAY. You’re in a team; suck it up. If you want to win the whole prize, play on your own (but then you’d only have gotten 40 points). ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/5 "2007-10-17T11:39:00Z")
Anyone suggested that to me, they’d be kicked right off the team. I’d rather not win than put up with an entitled know-it-all. You don’t mention how many questions you got wrong… maybe you cost 'em 30 pts by suggesting incorrect answers. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/6 "2007-10-17T11:41:12Z")
[QUOTE=SomeUserName] There is no “I” in “Team” [/QUOTE] Yeah, but you can’t spell “game” without “me”. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/7 "2007-10-17T11:43:09Z")
Nope, you can’t do that. All for one and one for all, that sort of thing. It would be extremely rude. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/8 "2007-10-17T11:48:14Z")
No, I didn’t suggest any incorrect answers. And the only reason I even thought about this was because of the prize being a bar tab. If it was a tangible prize, I certainly wouldn’t grab it and say “That’s mine.” ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/9 "2007-10-17T12:35:09Z")
Actually, on thinking it over, I’m not even upset with my friends. I’m just upset that **anyone** had to pay. We all performed to the best of our abilities – no one talked anyone else out of a wrong answer – but the final question gave the other team that edge. So my disappointment was misguided, that’s all. Anyway, I never indicated, by word or deed, that I resented paying. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/10 "2007-10-17T12:40:21Z")
I’m going against the majority here, based on the limited information Did **Rilch** participate out of camraderie, or to compete for free food? Do star pitchers make more than outfielders? If so, then pitchers are in uneven competition with the outfielders for the total available team compensation. Didn’t Paul and John get songwriting royalties above what George and Ringo received just as performers? Of course, all this has to be established beforehand. As I’m sure like many of us Dopers\*, I’ve been recruited as “the ringer” to bar trivia, too. I’ve found that all one has to do is remain quiet and let the offers flow in. \*Adjust the thread title and we’ll have a better sample! ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/11 "2007-10-17T12:40:32Z")
Hey man, _from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs_. Look it up, it’s in the US Constitution! \* \*According to [a 2002 survey conducted by Columbia Law School](http://www.wethepeople.gov/newsroom/amnesia.html), this was the most common answer from randomly polled Americans, with the next largest group saying “maybe/not sure”. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/12 "2007-10-17T12:48:53Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Did **Rilch** participate out of camraderie, or to compete for free food? [/quote] No, for the camaraderie, certainly. As I said, this would not have even crossed my mind if the prize didn’t apply to meal checks. If it was something tangible, I’d draw straws or whatever, and if it was something tangible that could be divided, like candy or something, of course it should be divided equally. It was simply a matter of finding out we’d lost and then getting handed the check that instant; the two occurences felt linked. > [@](#): > > \*Adjust the thread title and we’ll have a better sample! Adjust it to what? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/13 "2007-10-17T13:09:37Z")
I used to participate in a bar trivia contest with my friends in Athens, GA back in the early 90’s. 1st prize was $50 in drinks, 2nd was $25, 3rd was $10 in drinks. I don’t drink. I also answered most of the questions for my team, especially towards the end when everybody else was getting a bit snookered. It never bothered me that I didn’t participate in the prize. Winning was all that mattered. 😉 (Though one of my friends was usually thoughtful enough to bring some pretty kind home-grown each night. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/14 "2007-10-17T13:18:44Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] Adjust it to what? [/QUOTE] “Dopers: how do you handle being the ringer on trivia night?” In my experience, the majority of questions can be answered with “Dale Earnhardt,” or “Logan International Airport,” etc., which the average person can answer. But just to put an edge on it, sometimes the answer is, say, “The Ottoman Empire.” For this reason, a lot of Dopers will have been dragged along to bar trivia night by their friends and co-workers. So if you were looking for input from people who might feel entitled to a little more than an equal team share (and who may have either taken advantage of it or graciously declined it), this would be the place to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/15 "2007-10-17T13:22:11Z")
Okay then! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/16 "2007-10-17T13:26:22Z")
Who is this “he” who putatively should have paid? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/17 "2007-10-17T13:27:32Z")
Eh, I don’t want to get into that now. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/18 "2007-10-17T13:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=SomeUserName] Are you saying that since you scored a majority of the points that you should not have had to pay as much as you did? That they should have paid for your meal? Even if you scored the most points and they stated such you should still all pay an equal amount. There is no “I” in “Team” [/QUOTE] [Shaun of the Dead]Shaun: "As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in pie. And there’s an “I” in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team… I don’t know what he was talking about. "[/SotD]Sorry. If you wanna play, you gotta pay. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/19 "2007-10-17T13:32:50Z")
Fixed title. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-how-do-you-handle-being-the-ringer-on-trivia-night/423024/20 "2007-10-17T13:34:11Z")
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