Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he loved participating in numerous card games at a young age. He found himself getting really competitive in these card games while competing against his dad. After finishing high school, Howard decided to put higher education on hold for a bit and relocated to New York to play some big-time chess. While competing in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the rear of the room. Howard’s initial two years were rough as he played many hours and lost most times. He made some extra money by being an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He believed he possibly could boost his game by balancing his life away from poker. He brought about an effort to acquire more sleep and concentrate even more on poker.
The definite improvement in his abilities happened when he started wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the best gamblers would often play against one another. He was able to access some of the greatest players in chess. With their help, he would sharpen his logical thinking techniques. He applied these strategic concepts to the game of No-Limit texas hold’em.
Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was a superb student of poker as she constantly asked questions about how to make the correct choice. Howard told Annie Duke to head out to Sin City and compete in the WSOP tournaments. She is one of the best women players the poker arena has ever seen. Howard Lederer moved to Sin City in 1993 and competed in cash games for the next 10 years. When the World Poker Tournament gained popularity, he made the decision to play more tournaments.