Howard Lederer was born into in a family of 5 where he loved participating in different card games when he was young. He discovered himself getting very competitive in these card games as he was playing his father. After finishing secondary school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a little while and moved to New York to participate in some serious chess. While participating in chess, he was introduced to a poker game going on in the rear of the room. Howard’s 1st 2 years were difficult as he would play extensive hours and fail to win most times. He earned some extra money by being an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he might improve his game by analyzing his life outside of poker. He made an effort to get more rest and focus even more on the game.
The real advancement in his skills happened when he began betting at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the the most favorable players would frequently challenge each other. He was able to access several of the foremost minds in chess. With their help, Howard would sharpen his strategic thinking skills. Howard applied these strategy ideas to the game of NL hold’em.
Howard Lederer also helped his sibling Annie Duke master poker. Annie Duke was a great student of the game as she constantly asked questions about how to make the proper decision. Howard told Annie to move out to Las Vegas and compete in the World Series of Poker tournaments. She is one of the strongest women players the poker world today. He moved to Sin City in 1993 and played cash games for the subsequent 10 years. When the WPT grew in popularity, he decided to compete in more tournaments.