Howard Lederer was born into in a family of five in which he enjoyed gambling on different card games at a young age. He discovered himself getting very competitive in these card games while competing against his father. After graduating from high school, Howard made a decision to put higher education on hold for a little bit and headed to New York to play some serious chess. While participating in chess, he was brought in to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s first 2 years were difficult as he would play extensive hours and lose a majority of the time. He earned some extra money by becoming an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He judged he could improve his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He made an effort to acquire more rest and concentrate even more on the game.
The actual advancement in his abilities began when he began playing at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the best gamblers would regularly wager against one another. He had access into some of the greatest players in chess. With their help, Howard Lederer would sharpen his strategic thinking skills. He used these strategic ideas in the game of No-Limit Texas Holdem.
Howard also helped his sibling Annie Duke learn the game of poker. She was a great student of poker as she would always be asking questions about how to make the proper choice. Howard told Annie to head out to Las Vegas and play in the World Series of Poker tournaments. Annie Duke is one of the greatest women players the poker world today. Howard relocated to Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and participated in money games for the following 10 years. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard decided to compete in more tournaments.