- Title: GERMANY: Gunmen storm poker tournament and rob hundreds of thousands of euros
- Date: 7th March 2010
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 06, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BERLIN'S CASINO IN CENTRAL "POTSDAMER PLATZ" SQUARE / EXTERIOR OF "HYATT HOTEL" WHERE ROBBERY OCCURRED NEON ADVERTISEMENT FOR EUROPEAN POKER TOURNAMENT (EPT) "SIGN READING " POKER FLOOR" PEOPLE SEATED INSIDE BUILDING POLICE VAN PARKED OUTSIDE POLICEMEN TAKING NOTES OUTSIDE (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN BERLIN POLICE, CARSTEN MUELLER SAYING: "We currently believe there were four armed perpetrators who robbed a poker tournament here around 2:15 p.m. (1315 GMT). MUELLER BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN BERLIN POLICE, CARSTEN MUELLER SAYING: "We have information that thankfully, there were only a few lightly wounded among the participants of the poker tournament. Those are injuries that resulted from what I would call a small panic. Fortunately, I am not aware of any seriously wounded." ANOTHER POLICE VAN PARKED OUTSIDE ENTRANCE TO POKER FESTIVAL OUTSIDE CASINO "EPT" SIGN EXTERIOR OF CASINO POKER TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT TOBIAS REINKEMEIER BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (German) POKER TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT, TOBIAS REINKEMEIER SAYING: "A panic broke out because 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. But in the end, nothing happened and no one was injured.' CAMERA CREWS (SOUNDBITE) (German) POKER TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT, TOBIAS REINKEMEIER SAYING: "Once there is a panic of course it's contagious. If all of a sudden everyone jumps underneath tables and tries to get out and there is a lot of screaming. Some people remained seated though, but I think that was only a few. Now we know that nothing happened." MAN WATCHING FROM TENT ENTRANCE EXTERIOR OF TENT ENTRANCE LOGO ON TENT READING "CASINO BERLIN - POTSDAMER PLATZ"
- Embargoed: 22nd March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVAQ0QRD35FM5PVPUU8N5H8UQ2F
- Story Text: Masked gunmen reportedly robbed up to 800,000 euros when they stormed an international poker tournament in Berlin on Saturday (March 06), according to police and German media reports.
The "European Poker Tournament" (EPT) was to end on Sunday when an armed gang held up employees and participants at the upmarket "Grand Hyatt" hotel in the city's central Potsdamer Platz square.
"We currently believe there were four armed perpetrators who robbed a poker tournament here around 2:15 p.m. (1315 GMT)," Berlin police spokesman Carsten Mueller told reporters.
He said that "we have information that thankfully, there were only a few lightly wounded among the participants. Those are injuries that resulted from what I would call a small panic," Mueller said.
Tournament participant Tobias Reinkemeier meanwhile described how "a panic broke out because they screamed 'armed robbery!'"
"Everyone jumped underneath tables before they tried to escape through the emergency exit. But in the end, nothing happened and no one was injured," Reinkemeier told reporters outside the hotel where the robbery took place.
"Some people remained seated though, but I think that was only a few," he added.
The tournament on its Internet site advertised the event which started on March 2 by writing "for the first time at a German EPT, PokerStars is guaranteeing a massive €1 million prize to the winner." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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