Howard Lederer grew up in a family of 5 where he liked taking part in different card games at a young age. He discovered himself getting very aggressive in these particular card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard decided to put higher education on hold for a bit and relocated to New York City to play some big-time chess. While participating in chess, he was brought in to a poker game going on in the back of the room. Howard’s initial 2 years were rough as he played many hours and don’t win a majority of the time. He made some additional money by becoming an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He believed he possibly could improve his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He made an effort to get more rest and focus attention more on the game.
The real advancement in his skills happened when he began playing at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the the most favorable gamblers would often challenge one another. Howard was able to access several of the best players in chess. With their help, he would tweak his cunning thinking abilities. Howard used these strategy ideas in the game of No-Limit texas hold’em.
Howard Lederer also helped his sibling Annie Duke learn poker. She was an excellent student of poker as she would always be asking questions about the right way to make the correct decision. Howard Lederer told Annie Duke to head out to Sin City and compete in the WSOP tournaments. Annie Duke is one of the best women players the poker world has ever seen. Howard headed to Vegas in 1993 and participated in cash games for the next 10 years. When the WPT gained popularity, Howard decided to play more tournaments.