--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <frank@...> wrote:
>
> I wanted to add something for the readers out there. Mickey's story >about Tuna is accurate and true. I can confirm it: Tuna tried to >snap me off on several occasions...and failed. What Mickey did not >add in his story is a judgment of Tuna's behavior as good or bad.
>I think it is bad, and likely an indicator of obsessive gambling.
> Mickey, if I'm putting words in your mouth, please chastise me >severely. I just don't want people reading your story about Tuna and >thinking it is a recommendation on how one should be. My knowledge >of Tuna is severely limited, but from what I know he was a perfect >example of a winning professional with a severe gambling addiction, >and exactly the kind of person the prompted me to do my radio show >the other night on professional gambling addiction.
>
> If I'm wrong please correct me.
>
> FK
>
I never really thought about him before in terms of being an addicted gambler. Tuna and I never said a word to each other. I merely observed him here and there and heard stories about him. He didn't care much for lowbankrollers like me. He wouldn't give a lowbankroller the time of day from what I observed.
I first observed him at the 1992 WSOP where he came in third. I had no clue who he was then, other than a poker player. I was new to gambling then. It wasn't until I got into video poker in 1996 that I started hearing about his exploits as a machine pro. And some of the stories I heard were definitely bad. He may have been an addicted gambler but it appears to me, from some of those stories that he was also severely addicted to winning at any cost.
One lady related a story to me about a big promotion at the Reno Hilton many years ago. There was two drawings a day for $5,000 each. The tickets were earned by hitting four of a kinds. She and her little crew had two quarter machines locked up. Tuna had a dollar bank of 8/5 Bonus Poker progressives locked up. There was 14 machines in the bank. There were meters on the Royal and the Quads. The royal meter was .75%, and the quad meters were .25%. Tuna had his team on the bank. Some member of his team hit practically every drawing. Yet, the lady told me that Tuna tried to commandeer here two machines.
I've been told that if Tuna got to a big play late, if all the good machines were locked up, and no one would cut him in on the play, he would walk into slot operations and rat the whole play out.
He's been quoted as saying "If I had all the money in the world I would want more." He's also been quoted as saying he didn't intend to let another machine pro in the world catch him bankrollwise.
He was definitely a bully.
