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16. 03. 10. - 16:00

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16. 03. 10. - 16:00

Special security measures for Austrian poker tournament

Austrian police will take special security measures at this month’s European Poker Tour (EPT) tournament following the robbery at an international poker tournament in Berlin earlier this month.

Uniformed and plain clothes cops will for the first time be present at the tournament, which will be held at the Hotel Alpine Palace Card Casino at Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Salzburg’s Pinzgau region between 21 and 26 March.

Local police chief Arno Kosmata said today (Tues) that none of the 500 participants in the tournament had withdrawn because of fear of an assault.

Kosmata admitted, however, that the Berlin robbery where four masked and armed men stole 242,000 Euros from the Berlin Grand Hyatt Hotel might tempt copycats to focus on casinos.

"The situation at the Alpine Palace Hotel is not comparable to what the situation at the Berlin hotel was. There will not be a large sum of money on hand. The hotel will be well protected," he said, adding that surveillance cameras had already been installed there.

Kosmata also noted that some hotel lifts would be out of service during the tournament since fewer exits were easier to control than many. He also said police would escort armoured cars transporting money during the tournament.

Salzburg poker player Markus Golser, 36, who was present during the Berlin hotel robbery, said he had no fear of playing in the Glemm Valley despite the jitters he felt when someone screamed loudly in his vicinity.

He said: "Security measures will be extensive. The valley is 15 kilometres long and difficult to get out of."

Austrian Times

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