What Some People Do For Fun

Sean Zyduck of Kronenwetter reads out a trivia question Thursday night at Applebee’s in Wausau. Zyduck works for Team Trivia of Wisconsin, which holds local and statewide trivia contests. (Xai Kha/Wausau Daily Herald)
If you go
What: Trivia contest
When: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Thursday
Where: Applebee’s, 2221 Stewart Ave., Wausau
Cost: Free
Call 715-848-1110 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 715-848-1110 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Trivial pursuits

Kronenwetter resident brings game show
atmosphere to Applebee's

By DJ Slater • Wausau Daily Herald •
March 8, 2010

By day, it appears Sean Zyduck has a fairly normal
life.

He works as the manager of Bouche's Kronenwetter
Park, a mobile home community in Kronenwetter.

By night, well, that's a different story. Zyduck, of
Kronenwetter, trades in his managerial authority for
a microphone and a handful of questions.

From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Thursday at
Applebee's in Wausau, Zyduck is a trivia game host,
providing patrons with 20 questions and the chance
to win prizes and bragging rights for the night. It's
part of an entertainment gig that he hopes will catch
on at other establishments throughout the Wausau
area.

"I think trivia is a big draw for people," he said.
"People love it."

Late last year, Zyduck saw an advertisement in an
area newspaper for a trivia host through a company
called Team Trivia of Wisconsin, which sets up trivia
contests at locations throughout the state. Zyduck
couldn't resist responding to the ad, because he
already had 10 years experience working as a disc
jockey.

The owner of Team Trivia of Wisconsin came up to
the area at the end of November and trained Zyduck. On
Dec. 6, Zyduck had his first gig at Applebee's
"It's something new and different that people can do
without spending a lot of money," said Mike Kull,
the director of operations for the Wausau
Applebee's. "It's a fun environment."

Each two-hour contest provides players with 20
questions, Zyduck said. He reads off one question at
a time and allows players to wager a set amount of
points for each question. Contestants cannot lose
points if they get a question wrong.

The final question is the only exception. A team can
wager from 15 points to zero points, depending on
how well they are doing in the standings. If
contestants answer this question wrong, however,
they will lose whatever they wagered, Zyduck said.

The top three contestants or teams from each trivia
contest win a prize. First place gets a $30
Applebee's gift certificate, while second and third
place get gift certificates of $20 and $10
respectively, he said.


"The fun of trivia is that it challenges your brain and
you see what you know and don't know," Wausau
resident Carole Dixon said. "It's just so much fun."

Dixon was at Applebee's in early January when
Zyduck approached her and her friend and told
them about the trivia contest. Since that time, Dixon,
who is part of a four-person team called The
BrainFartz, has made an appearance every Thursday,
walking away placing no lower than third place each
time, she said.

The trivia contest has wide appeal because anyone
can play as much or as little as they want, Zyduck
said. People can join a league and qualify for other
Team Trivia of Wisconsin contests across the state,

or simply observe the contest as it unfolds.

The trivia night hasn't caught fire yet like it has in
larger cities such as Milwaukee and Madison,
Zyduck said, but it's slowly gaining popularity.
When he first started, Zyduck didn't have a single
league team. Today, he has four.

"I think trivia night is a lot of fun," he said.
"Sometimes, I read the wrong answer just to see if
everyone is paying attention."

Like Zyduck, Kull thinks the trivia contests will start
to see bigger audiences as more people find out
about it. Trivia, he said, has a wide appeal because
anyone can participate in it.

Ideally, Zyduck would like to be able to offer trivia
contests three nights a week at three different
locations. That dream soon could be realized;
Zyduck said he's talking with two establishments in
Rothschild about bringing trivia to them.
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