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The Great British populace loves challenging itself. Whether it’s taking advantage of the multitude of UK offers offered by online sites such as 777 Casino to lay bets and take chances at a roulette, blackjack or poker table, or pitting your wits against others in a show of intelligence, competition is king in the UK.
Indeed, it’s in the realm of trivia where Britain really outdoes itself, with more opportunities to test your general knowledge than anywhere else. Whether it be a quiz show occupying a primetime slot on a major TV channel, a team event in a cosy pub or an online game, there are a multitude of ways in which you can put your wits to the test.
Are you a quiz aficionado who wants to improve their pedigree? Here are eight top tips on how you can brush up on your knowledge and leave your competitors in the dirt when it comes to competition time.
1) Read the newspaper
Many quizmasters use current affairs as a source for a sizable portion of their questions, while familiarising yourself with names of people, places and organisations can only be good for your general knowledge, as well. Read as widely and as often as you can to keep yourself abreast of all the latest developments in politics, sport and news.
2) Brush up on quiz staples
There are a whole host of topics and questions that continually crop up in quizzes – capital cities, longest rivers, tallest mountains, royal family surnames and reigns, US presidents, FA cup finalists… the list goes on. Get to know which type of questions keep coming up and learn their answers by rote – you’ll be surprised how many easy points such a straightforward technique can earn you.
3) Variety is the spice of life
Whether it’s music, literature or movies, we all have our favourite genres, authors, artists and actors. However, a dedicated quiz enthusiast should be continually expanding their horizons when it comes to the art they absorb, since this can broaden their knowledge and make them an expert on topics they wouldn’t normally investigate themselves. And who knows – you might find you enjoy something new!
4) Don’t leave blanks
Even if you have no clue at all as to the answer to a particular question, never leave it blank. This is doubly true for those where an answer might be guessable (when it’s a year, for example, or one of a limited number of potential responses), but even when shooting blindly in the dark, there’s no harm in trying your luck. After all, you might just pull off an unlikely upset.
5) Shoot down the middle
Of course, there’s absolutely no excuse for not guessing an answer if it’s a multiple choice question… and studies have shown that your best bet is to go straight down the middle. In questions where there are only three options given, this obviously means going with B), but if there four choices available to you, C) is statistically likelier to yield results.
6) Don’t dwell
We all have those moments where we kick ourselves the minute the answer is revealed. If that happens to you, take a deep breath, draw a line under it and move on. There’s no sense on dwelling on past errors and doing so can only distract you from future questions and muddle your thinking at a time when you need it most. Don’t get mad with yourself – get even with the competition.
7) Confer where allowed
Ever heard the theory that two brains are better than one? Well, that only becomes more self-evident the more brains you add into the equation. Even if you’re convinced you have no idea of the answer, share your initial thoughts with your fellow team members (if conferring is allowed, of course). You never know, your gut instinct could kickstart someone else’s certainty.
8) Stay sober!
Last but not least, sobriety is key to keeping a clear mind. This one is especially applicable to pub quizzes, but equally true if playing along at home. An alcoholic beverage can certainly help to lubricate the connections in your brain and loosen you up, but overdoing it will render you sluggish and slow to think. Stay off the sauce as much as possible.
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