Britain's "Queen of Poker" has been killed in a car crash while travelling to a world tournament in heavy fog. Emma Fryer, known as the 'Poker Queen', was just hours away from competing in her first World Series tournament in the Czech Republic when the vehicle she was in hit a concrete post.
The mother-of-two, from Cheshire, died when her friend crashed in heavy fog after their satnav failed to register a roundabout in the Czech Republic on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old, who had career earnings of £75,000 and was about to gamble on following her dream of becoming a full-time poker player by giving up her job at Bet365.
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<figcaption> Emma Fryer, known as the Poker Queen, was just hours away from competing in her first World Series tournament in the Czech Republic when the vehicle she was in crashed. Credit: Caters News Agency </figcaption> </figure>
Her sister Liz Carter, 32, said: "There was no fault on the part of the driver. It was just a tragic accident."
Her Sheila Waring, 60, said: "It was such a shock, it still feels surreal. Everything was going so well for her, she was the happiest she had ever been."
The family understands the car approached a roundabout that did not register on the sat nav, and, due to the poor visibility, hit a concrete post. Emma was killed instantly, while her friend remains in hospital.
The mother had played poker as a hobby for many years. In the past few months she had success in major tournaments in Nottingham and Sheffield, and had secured a backer to allow her to play professionally.
She had also recently celebrated the marriage of her eldest daughter, Gemma Sale, and been overjoyed to learn last month her daughter was pregnant.
The mother-of-two, from Cheshire, died when her friend crashed in heavy fog after their satnav failed to register a roundabout in the Czech Republic on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old, who had career earnings of £75,000 and was about to gamble on following her dream of becoming a full-time poker player by giving up her job at Bet365.
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Her sister Liz Carter, 32, said: "There was no fault on the part of the driver. It was just a tragic accident."
Her Sheila Waring, 60, said: "It was such a shock, it still feels surreal. Everything was going so well for her, she was the happiest she had ever been."
The family understands the car approached a roundabout that did not register on the sat nav, and, due to the poor visibility, hit a concrete post. Emma was killed instantly, while her friend remains in hospital.
The mother had played poker as a hobby for many years. In the past few months she had success in major tournaments in Nottingham and Sheffield, and had secured a backer to allow her to play professionally.
She had also recently celebrated the marriage of her eldest daughter, Gemma Sale, and been overjoyed to learn last month her daughter was pregnant.