Pro Poker Players Tragic Deaths

A sad day for professional poker players as the parents of Ernest Scherer III, himself a player, were found dead in their home in Pleasanton, California, this past Friday.

Scherer's father, Ernest Scherer Jr., is also a respectable poker player who has participated in six poker tournaments winning over $25,000. While the men of the family were playing their cards, Charlene Abendroth, Scherer Jr.'s wife, taught accounting at California State University East Bay.

The Discovery
After multiple attempts to contact the couple, Scherer Jr.'s daughter contacted the country club and requested their assistance concerning her parents' disappearance. The couple was later found by a staff member of the club who immediately called the authorities.

A Poker Career
Ernest Scherer Jr. accomplished an honorary amount during his time as a professional poker player. Many men lay behind lacking the proper skills to qualify for the competition, but at the age of 59, Scherer Jr. came in 18th place of the World Series of Poker winning a total amount of $7,775.

WSOP Success
Scherer III, 29, has made his father proud with his innate success within the gambling society. Scherer III came in 8th place in a Texas Hold ‘em tournament in the 2006 WSOP winning a total of $34,362.

The Scherer family gene is reflected in Scherer III's success in 23 poker tournaments earning a total of nearly $300,000.

The Investigation
According to Alameda County Sheriff Sgt. J.D. Nelson, authorities believe that the couple were beaten and were left for a week before discovered. "They were beaten severely," said Detective Sgt. Scott Dudek, a homicide investigator for the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. "There was a lot of blood everywhere. These people suffered a great deal."

In addition to the attack, the house was turned upside down. There have been no arrests so far and authorities are still in search for a motive.

Due to the family's association with poker, authorities are looking for a connection between professional gambling and the violent murder. Of course it is still early to claim violence as the cause of death, the case does bring to mind recent events in which poker players were the target of attackers.

The family of the deceased has announced a $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers.