Pratyush Buddiga

Pratyush Buddiga was born on May 11, 1989, in New Zealand to Indian immigrant parents. When he was five, his family moved to the United States, settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the age of 13, Buddiga won the 75th Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2002 by correctly spelling "prospicience," earning him $12,000 and a scholarship. His brother Akshay also competed in the 77th Scripps National Spelling Bee, finishing second. Buddiga attended Duke University, graduating in 2011.

Buddiga began playing live poker tournaments in 2010. His first notable result came at the 2011 World Series of Poker, where he finished 613th in the Main Event for $21,295. In 2012, he placed 8th in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin Main Event, winning $94,127. The following year, he finished 8th in the GuangDong Asia Millions, earning $772,870.

In 2014, Buddiga won his first major tournament, the Fallsview Poker Classic, taking home $222,172. Later that year, he finished third in the Super High Roller event at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) for $844,571. He also won a $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em Eight Max event at Aria High Roller I in December 2014, earning $543,683.

Buddiga's biggest win came in August 2016 at EPT Barcelona, where he took down the €25,000 High Roller event for $780,011 after a three-way ICM deal. In June 2017, he finished sixth in the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl, earning $1,000,000. That same year, he also placed fourth in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event at the WSOP for $124,615 and 11th in a $3,000 Six-Max event for $29,974.

Despite numerous cashes, Buddiga has never won a WSOP bracelet. His closest brush came in 2014 when he finished 7th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship ($58,851) and 11th in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed ($31,504). In 2017, he made a deep run in Event #33: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, finishing 4th. Overall, he has 20 WSOP cashes totaling $420,492, with two final tables.

On the World Poker Tour (WPT), Buddiga has three cashes totaling $58,118. His best WPT result came in the 2016-2017 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star, where he placed 28th for $26,220. On the EPT, he has five cashes for $398,887, including the victory in Barcelona and an 8th place in Berlin.

Buddiga is known for an aggressive, mathematically-minded style, blending the fast-paced aggression of online poker with the patience required for live tournaments. He often exploits positional advantages and applies pressure in critical moments. In a 2014 interview, he remarked, "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," reflecting his humility and strategic awareness.

Buddiga currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As of 2025, his total live tournament earnings exceed $6.4 million. He is one of the few individuals to achieve success both as a spelling bee champion and a professional poker player, demonstrating exceptional mental fortitude and adaptability. His career highlights the value of discipline and the transition from online to live high-stakes poker.

Buddiga's total live earnings are $6,484,299, with a best cash of $1,000,000. He ranks 295th on the All Time Money List and 148th among United States players. He is also the highest-earning poker player from Colorado. His performance on the European Poker Tour includes five cashes totaling $398,887.

Buddiga's three WPT cashes are: 37th in the 2016-2017 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown ($13,658), 28th in the 2016-2017 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star ($26,220), and 55th in the 2015-2016 WPT L.A. Poker Classic ($18,240). He earned 150 total leaderboard points from these events.

Buddiga's transition from spelling bee champion to poker professional has been covered by major outlets, including The Washington Post and Card Player. In 2015, a PokerStars article highlighted his journey at the PCA. His victory at the 2016 EPT Barcelona €25,000 High Roller was widely reported, as was his sixth-place finish in the 2017 Super High Roller Bowl for $1,000,000.