Howard Lederer was born into in a family of 5 where he enjoyed participating in various card games when he was young. He discovered himself getting very competitive in these particular card games while competing against his father. After graduating from high school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a bit and moved to New York City to compete in some serious chess. While playing chess, he was brought in to a poker game going on in the back of the room. Howard’s first 2 years were difficult as he would play countless hours and do not win most times. He made some extra money by becoming an runner for the poker players. He theorized he might boost his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He brought about an effort to get more sleep and concentrate more on the game.
The definite improvement in his skills happened when he started betting at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the the most favorable gamblers would frequently wager against each other. He was able to access a number of the foremost minds in chess. With their help, Howard Lederer would sharpen his logical thinking skills. He used these strategic ideas in the game of No-Limit Texas Holdem.
Howard Lederer also helped his sibling Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie Duke was a great student of the game as she would always be asking questions about how to make the proper decision. Howard told Annie Duke to move out to Vegas and play in the WSOP tournaments. Annie is one of the strongest female players the poker arena today. Howard relocated to Sin City in 1993 and played cash games for the following decade. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard decided to compete in more tournaments.