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 Tomorrow will be our final Casual Euchre night at Gate Keeper Games in Berkley.

Gate Keeper Games was our very first expansion location outside of Commerce Township, and it all started about five years ago with a conversation between Jimmy and his son Evan.

Evan said, “Dad, you’re looking for a new Euchre location. I work at a game store!”

Jimmy said, “We play at bars.”

Evan replied, “We have a bar!”

Jimmy said, “NO WAY!”

And just like that, Casual Euchre Berkley was born on September 16, 2021.

It took some time to grow. Even a year later, we were usually under 20 players. But then Berkley found its stride, eventually breaking the 50-player mark on Jimmy’s birthday—March 7, 2024!

Berkley quickly became our most unique location.

For one, Gate Keeper’s didn’t serve food—but they did allow outside food. In the early days, Jimmy would grab a pizza from Green Lantern across the street for himself and Evan. Since the store didn’t really profit much from our group, there wasn’t a gift card prize for the winner. Instead, the champion got to wear a crown in the group photo. Jimmy decided the winner should also get some pizza… but with only six to eight players at the time, that basically meant he was feeding half the group anyway. So he started buying pizza for everyone.

As Berkley grew, so did the pizza orders.

It became more than just Euchre—it became like a weekly family dinner.

Eventually, feeding 30 to 40 people every week got expensive. People chipped in, but not enough to sustain it forever, so the pizza tradition slowed down. But those early days helped shape Berkley into something truly special.

What really made Berkley stand out was its people.

Berkley has had some of the best age diversity of any location, with about half the group under 50. Building a younger core can be difficult, but Berkley succeeded because it wasn’t built solely by Jimmy and his generation—it was also built by Evan and his younger network. Once that foundation was there, it became one of the easiest locations to sustain.

Like Commerce Township before it, Berkley developed its own Core Group—but Berkley added its own twist.

The after-party.

At most locations, people head home after Euchre. In Berkley, a smaller group often kept the night going by heading to other bars, building deeper friendships and creating a social circle that extended far beyond cards.

There has always been something uniquely special about Berkley. It may not have been for everyone, but for many, it became a true home.

While we are deeply sad to lose Gate Keeper Games, this is not the end of Berkley Euchre.

We’ve already secured a new home nearby at a full restaurant and bar. Some things will change—it will feel a little more like our other locations, with gift cards for winners and Dinner Bonus points to encourage supporting the venue—but change also creates new opportunities.

Gate Keeper Games will always hold a special place in our hearts. It helped create something amazing, and we are incredibly grateful for the memories, friendships, and community built there.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Berkley so special over these past five years.

Let’s give Gate Keeper Games the sendoff it deserves tomorrow night.