Howard Lederer was born into in a family of five in which he liked participating in different card games at a young age. He found himself getting very competitive in these card games as he was playing his dad. After graduating from Sr. High school, Howard decided to put college on hold for a little bit and headed 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 two years were difficult as he would play many hours and don’t win most times. He earned some extra money by being an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He believed he might boost his game by analyzing his life outside of poker. He brought about an attempt to acquire more sleep and focus more on the game.
The real advancement in his abilities happened when he started playing at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the best gamblers would often challenge each other. Howard had access into a few of the best players in chess. With their help, Howard would sharpen his strategic thinking skills. He applied these strategy ideas to the game of NL holdem.
He also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was an excellent student of poker as she would always be asking questions about the right way to make the proper decision. He told Annie Duke to move out to Vegas and compete in the WSOP competition. Annie is one of the best female players the poker world ever. He relocated to Vegas in 1993 and participated in cash games for the successive decade. When the WPT gained popularity, Howard made the decision to play more tournaments.