Several University of Houston faculty and staff have ‘tricks’ up their sleeves and, sometimes, in their hands.

And every Wednesday evening, they enjoy pulling their ‘tricks’ as they bid, slam, score and play to win in the high-stakes world of the UH Bridge Club. The group meets at Eric’s Restaurant in the Hilton University of Houston Hotel from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Their weekly gatherings don’t come close to the drama of the Travel Channel’s “World Poker Tour” nor do players win millions of dollars or even one thin dime, admitted Charles Dalton, professor of mechanical engineering and a club member.

Nevertheless, the games are fun and challenging, Dalton said, adding that the club is open to anyone, including novice players, faculty, staff, students and retired UH employees. An affiliation with UH, however, is not required.

“Everyone is welcome to participate,” he said. “Partners are rotated throughout the evening, so a player doesn’t keep the same partner for more than a few hands.”

He warned, however, that members should possess a great sense of humor, for the only prize the club presents is its infamous Beetlebaum Award. The honor, which is given to the person with fewest points for the evening, dates to the club’s beginnings.

“Jim Lawrence and Bill Cook founded the club in 1986,” Dalton reminisced. “Bill died in the mid-1990s, but we managed to keep the club going.”

Over the years, many faculty and staff members have participated, he said, rattling off names of former Cougars such as Jack Brown, Mark and Laura Rothstein, and Betsy Gatewood.

Lawrence, associate professor of geosciences, is still a club member. He learned to play while growing up on Long Island. He brought his skill and love for the game to UH when he came here in the early 1980s.

He is one of several members who transplanted their interest in card games when they relocated to the city. Others include Clairemarie Verheyen, costume director, and Carol Worsnop, academic adviser, both in the School of Theatre; and Evelyn Brass, librarian at the M.D. Anderson Library.

Verheyen was a staunch player of Sheep’s Head, a German card game she played with her family in Port Washington, Wis., a small town north of Milwaukee.

“When I moved to Houston, I knew I wasn’t going to find a cluster of Sheep’s Head players, so eventually, I took a bridge class at Leisure Learning. I enjoyed it,” she explained.

Verheyen, however, wasn’t prepared to play the game when Cook, who was then her neighbor, invited her to a club meeting 10 years ago.

“My first encounter with the club was literally baptism by fire,” she says. “I thought I could watch everyone else play for a year or two, but, of course, I was dealt a hand that night. It has been a wild ride ever since.”

Brass’ experience was similar. She learned to play bridge while living in Los Angeles and was disappointed that the game wasn’t as popular in Houston. After discovering the club, she quickly joined.

“It’s a good way to get acquainted with faculty and staff members across campus,” she said. “You don’t need to bring a partner, and you can come and go as you please.”

Dalton, who has been a club member since 1989, echoed Brass’ sentiments, saying attendees should leave the poker faces in their offices or homes.

“Just bring a sense of humor and a desire to have a good time,” he added.

Francine Parker
fparker@central.uh.edu