Hometown: Traverse City
Country of Origin: United States
Michael Banducci, of Traverse City, Michigan, began playing poker his freshman year of college at Hope University. After developing a passion for the game, he honed his skills online. He made his first major tournament cash at the 2006 World Poker Tour PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure, placing 26th in the main event.
That year, he also made his first trip to the World Series of Poker and cashed three times. In 2007, Banducci improved his WSOP performance, cashing four times. Then, in 2008, he won his first bracelet in the $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em rebuy tournament for almost $637,000.