Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five where he liked participating in different card games when he was young. He discovered himself getting very aggressive in these particular card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing secondary school, Howard made a decision to put higher education on hold for a little bit and moved to New York City to participate in some big-time chess. While competing in chess, he was brought in to a poker game taking place in the rear of the room. Howard’s first two years were tough as he played countless hours and do not win a majority of the time. He earned some extra money by becoming an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He believed he might improve his game by balancing his life outside of poker. He made an effort to get more sleep and focus even more on the game.

The actual advancement in his skills began when he began betting at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the the most favorable players would frequently wager against one another. He was able to access a few of the foremost minds in chess. With their help, Howard Lederer would tweak his cunning thinking skills. He used these strategy concepts in the game of NL Texas Holdem.

Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was a great student of poker as she would always be asking questions about the right way to make the proper decision. Howard told Annie Duke to head out to Vegas and play in the WSOP competition. Annie Duke is one of the strongest women players the poker arena today. Howard Lederer headed to Vegas in 1993 and played money games for the following 10 years. When the WPT gained popularity, Howard decided to compete in more tournaments.