In a surprising act of contrition, a Cambridge landlord has revealed that a remorseful quiz cheat returned their prize money after being caught using smartphones during a pub trivia night.
David Moyce, who runs quizzes at The Alma in Cambridge, described how a team of students triggered suspicion when their performance dramatically improved after playing their "joker" - a move that doubles points. "There was no proof," Moyce explained. "But then one of the gentlemen came back, handed over some money and admitted they'd cheated."
The Modern Cheating Epidemic
Across Britain, pub quiz masters report that digital cheating has become increasingly sophisticated. David Hartley, a Staffordshire-based quizmaster with nearly a decade of experience, notes that smartwatches have made covert cheating easier than ever.
"I think it's definitely more prolific now," Hartley stated. "Even if you don't have a phone in your hand, there's still a way for you to be able to cheat." His solution? Implementing device bans at his four regular quiz venues about two years ago.
High-Tech Solutions and Traditional Values
Some establishments have embraced technology to fight technology. Dedicated quiz apps like SpeedQuizzing give participants only 10 seconds per question to lock in answers, making it difficult to search for solutions online.
Meanwhile, at The Prince of Wales in Highgate, north London, regular Marcus Berkmann describes a fiercely peer-policed environment. "We're very harsh on anyone who cheats, so no one does it," said Berkmann, who has competed in over 200 quizzes at the venue. "The regulars would rather boil themselves in oil than cheat."
A History of Creative Cheating
The battle against quiz cheats isn't new. Gail Taylor recently confessed to elaborate 1980s cheating schemes in Sheffield pubs that involved bugging devices under tables and transmitting questions to friends waiting outside with encyclopedias.
"If the signal didn't work, we'd write the questions down, rush out to the van with two pints and a list, then someone else would bring back the answers," Taylor recalled, showing no remorse for her youthful exploits.
Despite these challenges, pub quizzes remain enormously popular in Britain. A recent Greene King survey found that 70% of people regularly participate in pub quizzes, with almost one in ten attending every single week.
The tradition, which gained popularity in the 1970s through companies like Burns and Porter, continues to thrive by combining Britain's love of drinking with the pleasure of being right - even if some need technological assistance to achieve that satisfaction.
