Security guards were taken by surprise yesterday at Germany’s biggest poker tournament at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Potsdamer Platz, Berlin.

The European Poker Tour began on Tuesday with celebrities such as Boris Becker in attendance, although he was out of the running for the £1 million prize money by Thursday. Despite heavy security, four masked gunman entered the building at around 2.15pm armed with machetes, hand grenades and machine guns while two more kept watch outide.

Panic swept through the event as staff and attendees realised the raid was more than a PR stunt and were sent running for cover. Minor injuries occured in the rush to escape the building but no serious injuries were reported. One security guard was able to wrestle one raider to the ground, knocking his weapon from his hand in the process, but was overcome when two of the masked men came to his aid.

It is expected that the gang made off with up to £700,000 of the prize money after forcing employees at gun point to had over the cash. Running from the hotel, the gunmen pulled off their balaclavas and made their getaway in a black Mercedes. Clips of the raid have been posted on YouTube as the tournament was a live televised event.

It is expected that the tournament will resume tomorrow with the added security of armed police to prevent any further raids.