Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he enjoyed participating in various card games at a young age. He discovered himself becoming very competitive in the above-mentioned card games while competing against his dad. After finishing secondary school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a little while and moved away to New York to play some formidable chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s initial 2 years were rough as he would play countless hours and don’t win most times. He earned some extra money by becoming an assistant for the poker players. He believed he might improve his game by balancing his life outside of poker. He made an effort to get more rest and focus attention more on poker.
The real advancement in his game began when he started wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the best gamblers would often compete against one another. He had access into several of the foremost minds in chess. With their assistance, he would hone his strategic thinking abilities. Howard used these strategy ideas in the game of No-Limit hold’em.
Howard also helped his sibling Annie Duke learn 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 Duke to head out to Vegas and compete in the WSOP tournaments. Annie Duke is one of the greatest female players the poker world ever. Howard moved to Las Vegas in 1993 and played cash games for the successive 10 years. When the World Poker Tournament grew in popularity, he made the decision to compete in more tournaments.