Howard Lederer was born into in a family of five where he loved playing various card games when he was young. He found himself becoming very competitive in these card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing high school, Howard decided to place higher education on hold for a bit and relocated to New York to participate in some formidable chess. While participating in chess, he was introduced to a poker game going on in the rear of the room. Howard’s initial two years were rough as he played many hours and lost most times. He earned some extra cash by being an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He judged he might better his game by adjusting his life away from poker. He made an attempt to acquire more sleep and concentrate even more on poker.
The real improvement in his skills began when he started gambling at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the best players would frequently play against each other. Howard was able to access several of the best minds in chess. With their help, Howard would sharpen his strategic thinking abilities. He applied these strategic ideas to the game of No-Limit Texas Holdem.
Howard Lederer also helped his sister Annie Duke learn poker. Annie Duke was a great student of the game as she would consistently be asking questions about how to make the proper choice. He told Annie Duke to move out to Vegas and compete in the WSOP competition. Annie Duke is one of the greatest female players the poker world ever. He headed to Vegas in 1993 and participated in cash games for the successive decade. When the World Poker Tournament gained popularity, Howard made the decision to compete in more tournaments.