Poker Queen Emma Fryer Mourned By Hundreds at Funeral

Dubbed the "poker queen" by friends and players who knew her well, Emma Fryer was laid to rest following her funeral at Christ Church in Alsager that saw hundreds of mourners come out and pay their respects.

Fryer died in a car crash on the way to the WSOPE in the Czech Republic last month, a tragic end to a poker career that was just beginning to blossom. Recent success at poker rooms in Nottingham and Sheffield drew the attention of a backer and allowed Fryer to follow her dream of playing as a pro on the live tournament circuit, with Kings Casino in Rozvadov the first destination on that new journey.

Dense fog, a failed satellite navigation system, and a concrete post put an end to that journey, as God called Fryer home at the young age of 42. Emma was a passenger in the car driven by a friend.

(Photo: Stokesentinel.co.uk)

Poetic Tribute

A friend of Fryer's, Darren Sutton, recited a poem about her at the funeral, according to The Sentinel. His touching words were delivered to a packed church - a standing room only crowd.

"Hours talking poker,
with her raking it all in;
absorbing information,
that later helped her win.

Always very happy,
and extremely polite;
an attitude she carried,
through the long poker night.

She was gentle and caring,
and one of a kind;
she was that one-in-a-million,
that are so hard to find.

Always on hand,
to help other folks;
I adored her so much,
because she even laughed at my jokes.

She was one,
of the poker scene;
but to all of us in Stoke-on-Trent,
she was our poker queen."

(Photo: Stokesentinel.co.uk)

The mother of two daughters, Fryer worked at Bet365, a position she intended to resign from in order to concentrate on her poker career. Emma was also a soon-to-be grandma, as one of her daughters had recently married and is expecting a baby.

PokerTube extends our deepest condolences to Fryer's loved ones in this time of mourning.