Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five where he enjoyed taking part in different card games when he was young. He discovered himself becoming very competitive in these card games while competing against his dad. After finishing secondary school, Howard made a decision to place college on hold for a bit and relocated to New York City to compete in some formidable chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the rear of the room. Howard’s first two years were difficult as he played many hours and don’t win most times. He earned some extra money by being an assistant for the poker players. He judged he could boost his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He made an effort to acquire more sleep and focus more on the game.
The real improvement in his skills happened when he began gambling at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the best players would often play against each other. Howard was able to access several of the foremost minds in chess. With their help, Howard Lederer would hone his strategic thinking abilities. He applied these strategic concepts to the game of No-Limit texas hold’em.
Howard also assisted his sibling Annie Duke master poker. Annie was a superb student of the game as she constantly asked questions about how to make the correct choice. He told Annie to move out to Las Vegas and compete in the World Series of Poker competition. Annie is one of the strongest women players the poker arena today. Howard moved to Las Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and competed in cash games for the next decade. When the WPT grew in popularity, he made the decision to play more tournaments.
