Poker Players Stunned As Armed Robbery Hits EPT

07th March, 2010

An armed robbery has taken place this weekendas a poker tournament was taking place in a top hotel in Berlin.

The German leg of the EPT was hit at around 2pm local time, when armed robbers burst into the hotel where the tournament was taking place, shouting for everyone to get down. As the poker players made for cover, the masked gunmen made off with the tournament's jackpot - €800,000.

Over 1,000 players were taking part in the Berlin leg of the European Poker Tour and whilst the ensuing panic meant some injuries, none are thought to be serious.

A polic spokesman said of the raid...

'Several masked, armed individuals entered the Grand Hyatt Hotel and fled with a haul of money.'

A poker player sat at the poker felt when the robbers burst in said of the unfolding events...

'They screamed "armed robbery". We didn't know what was going on. Then there was panic and everyone jumped underneath tables before they tried to escape through the emergency exit.'

Once the police had investigated the scene and the panic had died down, the tournament resumed, some five hours after.