Howard Lederer grew up in a family of 5 where he liked gambling on numerous card games when he was young. He found himself becoming very aggressive in these particular card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard made a decision to put higher education on hold for a bit and moved to New York City to participate in some big-time chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the rear of the room. Howard’s initial two years were difficult as he played countless hours and fail to win a majority of the time. He earned some extra money by becoming an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He believed he could improve his game by analyzing his life outside of poker. He brought about an effort to acquire more sleep and focus even more on poker.
The actual improvement in his game began when he started playing at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the best gamblers would frequently challenge each other. He was able to access a few of the best players in chess. With their assistance, he would sharpen his logical thinking skills. Howard used these strategy concepts in the game of No-Limit holdem.
Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was a great student of the game as she constantly asked questions about the right way to make the proper choice. He told Annie to move out to Vegas and compete in the World Series of Poker tournaments. Annie Duke is one of the strongest female players the poker arena ever. Howard Lederer moved to Las Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and played cash games for the subsequent decade. When the World Poker Tournament grew in popularity, he made the decision to play more tournaments.