Howard Lederer lived in a family of 5 where he enjoyed gambling on different card games when he was young. He discovered himself getting really aggressive in these card games as he was playing his father. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a little while and moved to New York City to participate in some formidable chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game going on in the rear of the room. Howard’s initial two years were difficult as he played countless hours and don’t win a majority of the time. He made some additional money by becoming an assistant for the poker players. He believed he possibly could boost his game by balancing his life outside of poker. He made an attempt to get more sleep and focus more on the game.
The actual advancement in his abilities began when he started 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. He had access into a number of the best minds in chess. With their assistance, Howard would sharpen his cunning thinking abilities. Howard applied these strategy concepts to the game of NL Texas Holdem.
He also assisted his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. She was a superb student of the game as she would always be asking questions about the right way to make the proper decision. Howard Lederer told Annie Duke to move out to Las Vegas and play in the World Series of Poker tournaments. She is one of the best women players the poker world today. Howard moved to Las Vegas in 1993 and participated in cash games for the next 10 years. When the World Poker Tournament gained popularity, Howard made the decision to compete in more tournaments.