Susie Zhao

Susie Zhao was born in Beijing, China, immigrated to the United States at a young age, and grew up in Michigan. She attended the prestigious Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills and later earned a psychology degree from Northwestern University. During middle school, she began playing poker, often winning pocket money from her peers in the apartment basement. Childhood friends recall that she loved poker as a "boy's game," and with her natural charm, mathematical talent, and ability to read people, she discovered the power in a deck of cards.

Susie Zhao's professional poker career focused primarily on live tournaments. She cashed in the WSOP Main Event three times—in 2012, 2015, and 2017. Her 90th-place finish in 2012 earned $73,805, the largest cash of her career. In the 2015 Main Event, she placed 172nd ($40,433), and in 2017, she finished 697th ($18,693). Additionally, she placed 15th in the 2012 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event ($11,995) and made multiple WSOP Circuit cashes. her total live tournament earnings were $224,671.

Beyond tournaments, Susie Zhao was a regular in Los Angeles cash games and appeared as a commentator on "Live at the Bike." Her playing style was aggressive, known for applying pressure in deep-stacked situations. Clayton Fletcher, an opponent from the 2015 Main Event, recalled: "She was one of the most lively and energetic opponents I've ever faced. She was a very strong player and also had fun at the table."

Susie Zhao's Twitter bio read: "I strut like a unicorn through a sea of horses. I make a living playing high-stakes poker." In 2020, due to personal life challenges, she moved back to Michigan to live with her parents. On July 13 of that year, her severely burned body was discovered in a parking lot at a state recreation area in White Lake Township, Michigan. She was 33 years old. After an investigation, police identified convicted sex offender Jeffery Bernard Morris as the perpetrator. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial was delayed until 2022. Ultimately, Morris was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Susie Zhao's murder garnered widespread attention in the poker community, sparking discussions about player safety, especially for women who compete alone. Her story also serves as a reminder to players to take safety precautions when traveling for tournaments. As one of the few Chinese-American women active in the high-stakes poker scene, her experience has inspired a more diverse range of people to explore poker.