Howard Lederer lived in a family of five where he enjoyed taking part in various card games when he was young. He found himself becoming really aggressive in these card games as he was competing against his dad. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard made a decision to place higher education on hold for a little bit and headed to New York to participate in some big-time chess. While playing chess, he was introduced 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 lost a majority of the time. He earned some extra cash by becoming an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he might better his game by balancing his life outside of poker. He made an effort to acquire more sleep and concentrate more on the game.
The actual advancement in his skills happened when he began playing at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the best players would regularly challenge one another. He had access into a few of the best minds in chess. With their assistance, he would sharpen his strategic thinking skills. He applied these strategic concepts to the game of NL Texas Holdem.
He also helped his sibling Annie Duke master the game of poker. She was an excellent student of poker as she would always be asking questions about how to make the correct decision. Howard told Annie Duke to head out to Vegas and compete in the WSOP competition. Annie is one of the strongest female players the poker arena ever. Howard headed to Sin City in 1993 and competed in cash games for the successive decade. When the WPT gained popularity, Howard made the decision to play more tournaments.
