Pratyush Buddiga
{{Short description|American poker player (born 1989)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox poker player
|name=Pratyush Buddiga
|image=
|image_size=
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1989|05|11}}
|birth_place = New Zealand
|hometown = Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
|wsop bracelet count=0
|wsop money finishes=17
|wsop main event best finish rank=613th
|wsop main event best finish year=2011
|multi-year wsop winner=
|wpt titles=0
|wpt final tables=
|wpt money finishes=3
|ept titles=
|ept final tables=
|ept money finishes=5
|updated=2018-02-26
}}
Pratyush Buddiga (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional poker player and spelling bee champion originally from New Zealand.
Early life
Buddiga was born in New Zealand and moved to the United States when he was five years old. Two years later he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2002, at the age of 13 Buddiga won the 75th Scripps National Spelling Bee after spelling prospicience earning him $12,000 and a scholarship.{{Cite news| title = From spelling bee champ to professional poker player| author = Heim, Joe| newspaper = Washington Post| date = May 25, 2015| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/05/25/from-spelling-bee-champ-to-professional-poker-player/}}{{Cite web| title = PCA 2015: Spell c.h.a.m.p.i.o.n. with Pratyush Buddiga| author = Swains, Howard| work = PokerStars| year = 2015| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.pokerstars.com/en/blog/tournaments/pca/2015/pca-2015-spell-champion-with-pratyush-bu-153443.shtml}} His brother Akshay competed in the 77th Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he finished 2nd. He attended Duke University and graduated in 2011.
Poker
Buddiga began playing in live poker tournaments in 2010. In 2011, he finished 613th in the 2011 World Series of Poker earning $21,295.
In 2012, he finished 8th in the European Poker Tour hosted in Berlin earning $94,127. The following year he finished 8th in GuangDong Asia Millions earning $772,870.{{cite web | title=GuangDong Asia Millions, No Limt Hold'em | website=The Hendon Mob | date=2013-06-07 | url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=83462 | access-date=2025-06-30}}
In 2014, he won his first major tournament, the Fallsview Poker Classic, earning him $222,172.{{Cite web| title = 2014 Card Player Player of the Year Update -- Mike Leah, Pratyush Buddiga and Matthew Lapossie Join Top 20| author = Fast, Erik| work = cardplayer.com| date = February 26, 2014| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/16865-2014-card-player-player-of-the-year-update-mike-leah-pratyush-buddiga-and-matthew-lapossie-join-top-20}} Later that year, he finished 3rd in the Super High Roller Event at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour earning $844,571.{{Cite web| title = National Spelling Champ Pratyush Buddiga Wins $3.2m Playing Poker| author = Solomon, B.| work = onlinepoker.net| date = December 19, 2014| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = http://www.onlinepoker.net/poker-news/poker-pros-news/national-spelling-champ-pratyush-buddiga-wins-32m-playing-poker/25536}} In 2014, Buddiga said "No matter how good I get at tournaments, I’ll never be better at poker than the best cash game players, guys like Doug Polk, for example".{{Cite web| title = A Poker Life: Pratyush Buddiga| author = Rodriguez, Julio| work = CardPlayer| date = December 14, 2014| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/18180-a-poker-life-pratyush-buddiga}}
Buddiga won the 2016 EPT Barcelona €25,000 High Roller event earning $780,011. The final three finishers agreed to a three-way deal based on ICM numbers.{{Cite web| title = Pratyush Buddiga Wins 2016 EPT Barcelona €25,000 High Roller| author = Fast, Erik| work = cardplayer.com| date = August 24, 2016| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/20756-pratyush-buddiga-wins-2016-ept-barcelona-25-000-high-roller}}
In 2017, Buddiga finished 6th in the Super High Roller Bowl earning $1,000,000 in the process. The tournament was won by Christoph Vogelsang.{{Cite web| title = Christoph Vogelsang Wins 2017 Super High Roller Bowl $300,000 Buy-In| author = Fast, Erik| work = cardplayer.com| date = June 1, 2017| accessdate = March 18, 2018| url = https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/21701-christoph-vogelsang-wins-2017-super-high-roller-bowl-300-000-buy-in}}
As of 2018, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,400,000.{{Cite web |title=Pratyush Buddiga's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=164580 |access-date=December 6, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/259160-pratyush-buddiga Card Player profile]
- [http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=164580 Hendon Mob profile]
- [https://www.worldpokertour.com/player/pratyush-buddiga/ WPT profile]
- [https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=118271 WSOP profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buddiga, Pratyush}}
Category:American poker players
Category:Spelling bee champions
Category:Contestants on American game shows