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Howard Lederer grew up in a family of five in which he liked betting on different card games when he was young. He discovered himself becoming really competitive in these card games as he was playing his dad. After finishing high school, Howard decided to place college on hold for a little bit and moved away to New York City to play some formidable chess. While participating in chess, he was introduced to a poker game taking place in the back of the room. Howard’s first two years were rough as he played many hours and lost a majority of the time. He earned some additional cash by becoming an assistant for the poker enthusiasts. He theorized he could improve his game by adjusting his life away from poker. He made an attempt to get more rest and focus more on poker.

The actual advancement in his game happened when he started betting at the Mayfair Club in New York. The Mayfair was a bridge and backgammon club where the the most favorable players would frequently challenge each other. He was able to access several of the foremost players in chess. With their assistance, Howard would hone his logical thinking skills. Howard used these strategy ideas in the game of NL hold’em.

Howard also helped his sister Annie Duke learn the game of poker. She was an excellent student of the game as she would consistently be asking questions about how to make the correct choice. Howard told Annie Duke to head out to Sin City and compete in the WSOP competition. Annie is one of the best women players the poker arena today. Howard relocated to Las Vegas in 1993 and participated in cash games for the next decade. When the World Poker Tournament gained popularity, he decided to compete in more tournaments.