Howard Lederer was born into in a family of five in which he liked taking part in various card games at a young age. He discovered himself becoming very competitive in the above-mentioned card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing Sr. High school, Howard decided to place higher education on hold for a little bit and relocated to New York City to compete in some serious chess. While competing in chess, he was brought in to a poker game going on in the back of the room. Howard’s initial two years were difficult as he would play extensive hours and lost a majority of the time. He earned some additional money by becoming an runner for the poker players. He theorized he might better his game by analyzing his life away from 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 wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the the most favorable gamblers would often compete against one another. Howard was able to access several of the best players in chess. With their assistance, Howard Lederer would sharpen his logical thinking skills. Howard applied these strategy concepts to the game of No-Limit Texas Holdem.

He also helped his sibling Annie Duke learn the game of poker. Annie was a great student of the game as she constantly asked questions about how to make the correct choice. Howard Lederer told Annie to head out to Vegas and play in the WSOP competition. Annie Duke is one of the greatest female players the poker arena today. Howard relocated to Vegas in 1993 and competed in money games for the subsequent decade. When the WPT grew in popularity, Howard decided to compete in more tournaments.