Howard Lederer was born into in a family of 5 in which he enjoyed betting on numerous card games when he was young. He found himself getting very aggressive in these card games as he was playing his father. After finishing secondary school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a bit and moved to New York to play some serious chess. While competing in chess, he was brought in to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s initial two years were difficult as he played many hours and fail to win a majority of the time. He made some additional money by being an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he might better his game by adjusting his life outside of poker. He made an effort to get more rest and concentrate even more on the game.
The real advancement in his game happened when he began wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the best players would regularly play against each other. Howard had access into a few of the foremost players in chess. With their help, Howard would hone his strategic thinking abilities. He applied these strategic ideas to the game of NL holdem.
Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke master poker. Annie was a great student of poker as she would consistently be asking questions about how to make the proper choice. He told Annie Duke to move out to Sin City and play in the WSOP tournaments. Annie is one of the greatest women players the poker world ever. He headed to Sin City in Nineteen Ninety Three and participated in cash games for the next decade. When the World Poker Tournament gained popularity, he made the decision to compete in more tournaments.