Armed robbers have stormed a luxury hotel in central Berlin where a poker tournament was taking place, German police say. One report said the gang - armed with assault rifles and hand grenades. 2 suspects nabbed in Berlin poker heist. All three suspects already are known to German police in connection with previous suspected offenses including robbery and bodily harm. Four men were today convicted of the European Poker Tour Berlin heist in March. The robbery was dramatically captured by attending media and the gang got away with €242,000, most of which is. Poker Players Stunned by EPT Berlin Robbery. By Brett Collson - Mar 7th, 2010. As reported yesterday, up to six armed gunmen robbed the Grand Hyatt Hotel’s casino during the PokerStars.

A few days after one of the robbers turned himself in for the Poker Stars European Poker Tour-Berline heist, a second suspect was charged and arrested.

Someone was talking to the cops, because 20 year-old Ahmad el-Awayti was spotted in a subway station, according to the Associated Press.??

“police said he acknowledged to officers that he was being sought by authorities and was arrested without putting up any resistance.?

Besides the two? suspects now behind bars, the getaway car, a Mercedes, is in police custody. The gang allegedly escaped through a nearby shopping mall.

The Associated Press and other media have reported that the loot from the rare midday casino heist has yet to be found.

In a previous article by the news outlet, it was revealed that the four masked gunmen divvied up the $242,000 evenly.

According to police reports, two assailants remain at large, their whereabouts unknown: Jihand Chetwie, a 19-year-old man from Germany, and Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old Turkish native.

The suspect who turned himself into police on Monday identified all three of his accomplices, but has not been named.

Berlin Poker Robbery Rules

Apparently the initial arresting officials found a piece of paper on Mohammed at the time of his arrest with six different names written on it. At least three of those names belong to suspects in the robbery.?

The robbery occurred at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, where 1,000 players had convened to battle for the $1 million top prize, which went to American Kevin MacPhee.??

The robbery made headlines around the world.

And of course, on this post.

Stay tuned for more news on the arrest.

New information regarding the armed robbery at EPT Berlin this past weekend has come to light, including the fact eventual winner Kevin MacPhee did not want to continue play after the incident took place.

'I think it's completely irresponsible to start playing again,' he told PokerListings approximately 90 minutes after the robbery. 'This is the most important moment in my poker career. We're playing for €1 million here, and you think, after a raid like this, you just sit back at the table and play?
'After an incident like this, everybody should get some time to sleep over this and to calm down. Tell me, how many people are expected to get back to work the same day they were held at gunpoint? Is there any other job in the world where you would do that?'

No Shots Fired at EPT Berlin Robbery

Officials from the PokerStars European Poker Tour now claim the robbery involved four armed men targeting the registration desk outside the tournament area at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. No shots were fired and nobody was seriously injured.
Despite German tabloid reports to the contrary, the EPT says approximately €240,000 was stolen and the men were armed with a handgun and a machete, not Kalashnikov assault rifles or hand grenades.

The suspects quickly fled after a security guard intervened and remain at-large as the police investigation continues. The tournament resumed after a few hours and was eventually won by MacPhee, a 29-year-old poker pro from Idaho.
A few days after the incident, MacPhee said he understood why organizers decided to play on and praised their efforts to piece together the action in the event after the robbery.
'Obviously it worked out for me, but at the time I was upset about continuing,' he said. 'I still think they should have consulted with the players more. Although most of them wanted to play, I think some were affected by the incident psychologically.'
In response to MacPhee's comments, I.A. Tanj Mayer from the Spielbank Casino, where the event was held, said since no one was seriously hurt within the tournament hall, tournament organizers came to the decision to continue with the main event and this decision was met with approval by the players.
Meanwhile, in recent statements to the German press, Head of the German Police Federation Rainer Wendt has claimed the suspects were 'petty criminals' acting 'chaotically and amateurishly.'

He also says they left 'mountains of clues' behind and police will catch them 'very quickly.'

However, Wendt was also slightly critical of members of the private security firm hired by the EPT for showing up unarmed and undermaned.

The EPT claims it maintains strict security standards and collaborates closely with the local tournament organizers to insure the safety of its players.

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And Mayer says the outcome in this particlar incident was not as serious as it could have been, thanks to the prompt response of tournament security, which was suitable for a tournament of this size.

'All EPT-events, which have now been taking place in various European countries for six years, adhere to strict safety standards,' he said. 'These standards are also respected during the EPT itself. In our capacity as the event organizers, we have done everything in our power to ensure the smooth running of the EPT.

'We had professionally trained and experienced security personnel in an adequate quantity who were watching the access to the tournament area.'

Mayer said he was satisfied with the work of the security team on the premises.

'Our security team reacted in a calm and measured manner, in complete accordance with their qualified professional training,' he said.

A statement from the tour says because of the events at EPT Berlin, it will enhance security measures at all future events. The next event for the tour is the EPT Snowfest at the Alpine Palace in Austria from March 21-26.

In the meantime, police are asking anyone who has information, video footage or photographs that might aid the investigation to contact them at:

Berlin Poker Robbery Games

The police president of Berlin
Police Press Office
Platz der Luftbrücke 6
12101 Berlin
Email: [email protected]

Berlin Poker Robbery Game

- With files from Dirk Oetzmann