Armed Thieves Raid Berlin Poker Tournament
Dramatic footage has been released showing the moment armed robbers stormed a million-euro poker tournament in Berlin.
Gamblers ducked under tables at the city's Grand Hyatt Hotel as the five raiders burst in, armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenades and machetes.
The thieves made off with 800,000 euros (about £719,000) in the pandemonium, according to local media reports.
Police said seven people were slightly hurt in the raid, while the robbers lost a large part of their takings in a scuffle during their chaotic escape attempts.
German tennis ace Boris Becker was among 400 people taking part in the five-day tournament, but had been eliminated before the robbers broke in.
Not to be deterred, the competition resumed a few hours later.
Interviewed in the Tagesspiegel daily, the security guard who managed to grab a bag full of money from the robbers said: "I just wanted to protect the money.
"You don't think of anything in that situation, just your duty."
He said the attack had happened while two of his colleagues were away on a break, "which suggests the thieves planned the attack very precisely".