Tuna passed away of cancer this past Nov 6. If you read the wiki on him, and other information online, all that is mentioned is his poker career. I first seen him at the 1992 WSOP ME. He came in third. He also had a second place finish--and two bracelets in other events. I watched that ME all the way through. Of course, I knew nothing of video poker in those days.
But when my vp career took off I kept hearing a name from other pros--Tuna Lund. He was from Sparks, Nevada. And I think he probably benefitted by attending school with many future IGT employee's. His slot and video poker progressive teams were probably the best of all time.
The stories I heard about him are of course second hand but were always very entertaining to me. As one story goes there was a person who showed up in Reno in the eighties who had a degree in electrical engineering, knew gambling math forwards and backwards, but was a compulsive gambler. His name was Kenny the Klone. He seen the potential in video poker progressives but couldn't maintain a bankroll. This was long before the published information we have today. He taught it to Tuna and Tuna took that football and ran off with it. They say he is single-handedly responsible for getting the 8-5 Jacks progressive meters all around the state knocked back to 1%.
I knew a poker dealer in Laughlin who worked for Tuna back then. He said they always had plenty of work. Tuna payed $7 an hour plus a $300 bonus for whoever hit the royal. Tuna had a scout out and when the royal was hit they just packed up and went to the new place. The old school guys told me that at one time you could find a positive number everyday in downtown Las Vegas.
Of course, Tuna got 86'd from lots of places. One story I heard was when he had his team in on a slot progressive at Harrah's Reno. Tuna had been 86'd and his team foreman needed more money. So Tuna met him in a bathroom at the Cal-Neva. When Tuna handed him the money Harrah's Suit Security came flying out of the bathroom stalls and 86'd the foreman.
One time I was in a poker game at the Peppermill/Reno and a dejected player returned to his seat and said
"I just saw a millionaire with a bucket of nickels!!!"
"What happened" I asked.
"Well, I just made a lap around the Red Hot Sevens and there was Tuna picking them off."
Red Hot Sevens was a very low-roller advantage play but it was principle with Tuna. He didn't care how big or small it was just that he had an advantage. He would jump your flush attack light in a hearbeat.
He also played strongarm. He's been known to rat a play out to management if you were the first one to the play and didn't cut him in But if he was there first he would monopolize every advantage machine in the house. But the guy could be a softie too. One time he had a slot progressive bank monopolized at the MGM but let a little old lady have a seat. She took the jackpot off. Tuna took it in stride.
A couple of months ago a very good friend, and machine pro, had the opportunity of meeting Tuna's partner on the Florida Keno progressives. I asked him to get the story on the play. This is what he was told: Him and Tuna split an $8,000,000 earn over 5 years. Even though, in the end, they were paying players $30 an hour, and got ripped off for two jackpots where the team player refused to give them the money.
I heard not many people showed for his memorial. But if there was ever a machine pro that needed a book written about it's Tuna Lund.