Howard Lederer grew up in a family of 5 where he liked taking part in various card games when he was young. He found himself getting very competitive in these card games as he was competing against his dad. After finishing secondary school, Howard made a decision to put higher education on hold for a bit and moved to New York to play some formidable chess. While participating in chess, he was brought in to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s initial two years were rough as he would play extensive hours and fail to win most times. He made some extra money by being an runner for the poker players. He theorized he could improve his game by analyzing his life away from poker. He made an attempt to get more rest and focus attention more on poker.
The actual advancement in his game happened when he started wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the greatest gamblers would often 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 applied these strategic concepts to the game of No-Limit holdem.
He also assisted his sister Annie Duke learn poker. Annie Duke was a great student of poker as she constantly asked questions about the right way to make the correct choice. He told Annie to head out to Vegas and compete in the World Series of Poker tournaments. She is one of the strongest female players the poker world today. Howard Lederer moved to Vegas in Nineteen Ninety Three and played money games for the next decade. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard decided to play more tournaments.