Seat 2: Pratyush Buddiga, Colorado Springs, USA -- 1,280,000
Pratyush Buddiga is fast making a name for himself in the poker world after already becoming a star in another world. In 2002, Buddiga won the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee contest �� two years before his younger brother took down the same title. He bested 249 other contestants to win the title and $12,000.
Buddiga has made this European Poker Tour Berlin final table less than two years after taking up the game. He turned pro a year later after graduating from Duke University where he studied Economics. He regularly plays multi-table tournaments online and has benefited from the coaching he receives from poker superstar Mike "Timex" McDonald, who��s also been railing him here all this week.
Last summer, Buddiga racked up four World Series of Poker cashes in his first visit to the Series. His best score there was an in-the-money finish in the WSOP Main Event for $21,295. This is his biggest live result to date.
Buddiga travelled to Berlin with four friends. They'll all be on the rail supporting him tomorrow, along with many others he knows from the poker scene. He wasn��t planning on playing the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo? Casino EPT Grand Final next week, but that will certainly be under deep consideration given his result here in Berlin.
Our very own Lynn Gilmartin caught up with Buddiga on Day 4.
Buddiga will be looking to spell "double up" shortly after the cards are in the air �� coming into the final table with 1.28 million in chips, Buddiga is the shortest stack of the bunch.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars.