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Chances are the EPT Berlin Poker event would have been forgotten by all but the most hardcore of poker fans. A brazen robbery Saturday afternoon while cameras were rolling has ensured the European Poker Tour Berlin event will not soon be forgotten however and, in its own bizarre way, the game of high stakes poker may now be engrained in the minds of everyday folks across the globe.
The Berlin poker robbery has been covered by nearly every media outlet in the US and throughout Europe. Kevin MacPhee, a relative unknown in the world of poker who walked off with the million euro first prize at EPT Berlin, is also making the rounds of various television networks, including CNN last night.
Armed with assault rifles and hand grenades, the robbers escaped with around 800,000 euros, though a good chunk of that money was lost by the bandits during their exit.
"Several masked, armed individuals entered the Grand Hyatt Hotel and fled with a haul of money," police spokeswoman Heidi Vogt said.
Participant Tobias Reinkemeier discussed the panic that ensued when the robbers broke in during an interview with the BBC.
"They screamed 'armed robbery'," he said.
"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."
The incident has thrust PokerStars.com into the limelight as well. They were the sponsors of the EPT Berlin event and were left a bit red-faced following the robbery. PokerStars was certainly quick to respond:
"An armed robbery by six men took place today at EPT Berlin. Nobody was seriously injured. We hope to re-start all events at 4pm local time. A police investigation is underway. If you have video footage or photographs that could help the police, please contact the EPT organizers as soon as possible."
Though this crew was amateur, German police expressed concern over future poker robberies. "When such semi-professionals land a coup like this, then the desire for a piece of the pie grows among the real big guys in the underworld," a police spokesman told the Berliner Zeitung.
Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
