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Poker chips rest on a table where Mclean Karr competes on the first day of the World Series of Poker, Thursday, July 7, 2011, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas Hold `em tournament kicked off with the first of four starting days, expected to attract thousands of players to combine for millions in prize money for the winner. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
Poker chips rest on a table where Mclean Karr competes on the first day of the World Series of Poker, Thursday, July 7, 2011, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas Hold `em tournament kicked off with the first of four starting days, expected to attract thousands of players to combine for millions in prize money for the winner. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)Eric Jamison/Associated Press

Poker Player Susie Zhao Found Dead at Age 33; FBI Investigating

Timothy RappJul 25, 2020

The body of professional poker player Susie Zhao was found "badly burned" outside of Detroit on July 13, according to Tom Tapp of Deadline. The FBI is now assisting the White Lake Township Police Department in its investigation of her death.

"We started looking into her past history over the course of the last few days before her death. At that point, we determined that we wanted the assistance of the FBI to assist us with some of their technology," a White Lake Township detective said Friday. "Even if you think it's something minute, we'll take any calls.

"We're looking into every lead, every possibility. Obviously when you're dealing with that type of profession you have potential of owing debt, and those are things that we're looking into."

"We will make any and all of our resources available to WLPD for as long as they are needed," FBI Special Agent Mara Schneider toldĀ Rebekah Riess and Carma HassanĀ of CNN.

White Lake Township police added they were investigating a "coverup or some sort of retaliatory incident."

The 33-year-old Zhaoā€”who was also known as Susie Q in the poker worldā€”earned money at 10 different events on theĀ World Series of PokerĀ circuit in her career, including $73,805 for finishing 90th at the 2012 No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em Main Event. She hadĀ earnedĀ $224,671 since 2009 in professional poker events.

Meredith Rogowski, Zhao's childhood friend, toldĀ Gabrielle FonrougeĀ of theĀ New York PostĀ that Zhao had "an adventurous spirit and fearlessly pursued anything she wanted in this world. She had the intelligence and charisma to succeed at whatever she chose to do."

Zhao had moved back to Michigan from Los Angeles recently, thoughĀ Rogowski said Zhao wasn't forthcoming with many of the details of that decision.

"[She] said she was exploring new opportunities, mentioned some poker tournaments out of state," she said. "She was, as usual, very vague about what she was up to in Michigan."

Her former roommate,Ā Yuval Bronshtein, toldĀ Rudy HarperĀ of WXYX.com that Zhao had returned to Michigan to "confront challengesĀ in her personal life."

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