Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he loved betting on numerous card games at a young age. He discovered himself becoming very aggressive in these particular card games as he was competing against his father. After graduating from high school, Howard made a decision to put college on hold for a bit and relocated to New York City to play some big-time chess. While playing chess, he was introduced to a poker game going on in the back of the room. Howard’s initial 2 years were rough as he played extensive hours and fail to win most times. He made some additional money by becoming an runner for the poker players. He theorized he could boost his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He made an attempt to acquire more sleep and focus attention even more on the game.

The definite advancement in his skills happened when he started wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the the most favorable gamblers would frequently wager against each other. He had access into several of the foremost minds in chess. With their help, Howard would hone his logical thinking techniques. He used these strategic ideas in the game of NL hold’em.

Howard Lederer also assisted his sibling Annie Duke master the game of poker. Annie Duke was a great student of the game as she constantly asked questions about how to make the proper decision. Howard Lederer told Annie to move out to Vegas and compete in the WSOP competition. Annie is one of the best female players the poker arena today. He relocated to Sin City in 1993 and participated in money games for the subsequent 10 years. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard made the decision to play more tournaments.