Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he enjoyed taking part in numerous card games when he was young. He discovered himself getting really aggressive in these card games while competing against his father. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard made a decision to place college on hold for a little bit and relocated to New York City to play some big-time chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game going on in the rear of the room. Howard’s initial 2 years were tough as he would play countless hours and do not win a majority of the time. He made some extra money by becoming an assistant for the poker players. He theorized he could improve his game by adjusting his life away from poker. He brought about an effort to acquire more rest and focus more on poker.

The real improvement in his skills began when he began gambling at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the the most favorable gamblers would frequently challenge each other. He had access into some of the foremost players in chess. With their help, Howard would hone his strategic thinking skills. He applied these strategic concepts to the game of NL holdem.

Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was a superb student of poker as she would always be asking questions about the right way to make the correct decision. Howard Lederer told Annie to move out to Vegas and play in the World Series of Poker tournaments. Annie is one of the greatest women players the poker world has ever seen. Howard Lederer moved to Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and competed in cash games for the next decade. When the WPT gained popularity, he decided to participate in more tournaments.