Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five where he loved betting on various card games at a young age. He discovered himself getting very competitive in these card games while playing his dad. After graduating from high school, Howard decided to place college on hold for a little bit and headed to New York City to participate in some serious chess. While participating in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s 1st two years were rough as he would play many hours and lost most times. He made some extra cash by becoming an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he could improve his game by balancing his life outside of poker. He brought about an attempt to get more rest and concentrate more on the game.
The actual improvement in his game began when he began wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the greatest gamblers would frequently challenge each other. Howard had access into a few of the best players in chess. With their help, he would sharpen his logical thinking skills. He used these strategic concepts in the game of No-Limit texas hold’em.
He also assisted his sister Annie Duke learn poker. Annie Duke was an excellent student of the game as she constantly asked questions about how to make the proper choice. Howard told Annie to head out to Vegas and compete in the World Series of Poker competition. Annie is one of the strongest female players the poker world has ever seen. Howard headed to Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and played cash games for the following decade. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard made the decision to compete in more tournaments.