Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he enjoyed playing various card games at a young age. He found himself becoming very competitive in these particular card games while competing against his father. After finishing high school, Howard made a decision to put college on hold for a little bit and headed to New York to play some formidable chess. While playing chess, he was brought in to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s first 2 years were difficult as he played extensive hours and fail to win a majority of the time. He made some extra cash by being an runner for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he might better his game by balancing his life away from poker. He made an effort to acquire more sleep and focus attention more on the game.
The definite improvement in his abilities began when he began wagering at the Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon association where the best players would frequently play against each other. Howard had access into some of the best minds in chess. With their assistance, Howard Lederer would sharpen his strategic thinking abilities. He applied these strategic ideas to the game of No-Limit Texas Holdem.
Howard also assisted his sibling Annie Duke master poker. She was an excellent student of poker as she constantly asked questions about how to make the correct choice. Howard told Annie to move out to Las Vegas and play in the World Series of Poker competition. Annie Duke is one of the greatest women players the poker world ever. He moved to Vegas in 1993 and played money games for the subsequent 10 years. When the World Poker Tournament grew in popularity, Howard made the decision to participate in more tournaments.