Howar Lederer Poker Poker pro Howard Lederer was born on October 30, 1964, in Concord, New Hampshire. His father was a writer and linguistics teacher at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire. He has two sisters, writer Katy and fellow professional poker player Annie Duke. Lederer’s parents encouraged games and taught their children to play cards as a means of the family spending time together. His father, despite any paternal feelings, never played it easy on either Howard or his sisters and it helped to develop a competitive nature in them. Young Lederer had a natural talent for chess and for many years that was his game of choice.

Howard Lederer Discovers Underground Gambling Rooms

After high school he moved to New York to attend Colombia University and pursue chess. While there Howard Lederer discovered the many underground gambling rooms where one could play games such as backgammon, chess, bridge, gin rummy, and poker. Before long, Lederer had given up playing chess to pursue his new love, poker. He did not do well for the first few years, consistently losing until he had to run errands for the other players just to make enough money for his nightly buy-ins. At one point he was putting in 70 to 80 hours a week playing poker. Like so many other pros, he eventually dropped out of college to play poker.

Howard Lederer - Mayfair Club Regular

While in New York during the 1980’s, Howard Lederer became a regular at the infamous Mayfair Club. It was a great atmosphere for training and cultivating the new breed of players. Besides Lederer, other regular faces included pros like Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel, and Steve Zolotow. No Limit Hold’Em had become the popular form of poker by that time and Lederer and the others took a keen interest in it. The group would play against each other until the late hours and then go hang out in a bar or hotel to discuss and dissect the game. These discussions allowed Howard Lederer and the others to understand the finer points of the game which would benefit them throughout their careers.

Howard Lederer Vegas Tournaments - WSOP

In 1993, Lederer moved to Las Vegas. He played in cash games and a few No Limit Hold’Em tournaments. At the 1994 Hall of Fame Poker Classic, Lederer took first place in the $2,500 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw event. A year later at the 1995 Hall of Fame Poker Classic, he came back to defend his title and again won the Deuce to Seven Draw event. The wins gained Lederer notoriety on the circuit but it was his success at the World Series of Poker that propelled him to fame. At the 2000 WSOP, he took first place at the $5,000 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event which earned him $198,000 and his first gold bracelet. Then at the 2001 WSOP, he took first place in the $5,000 Deuce to Seven event which earned him $165,870 and his second bracelet.

Howard Lederer Success at the World Poker Tour

After his back-to-back WSOP bracelets, Howard Lederer’s success continued. In 2002 at the World Poker Tour World Poker Finals, Lederer took first at No Limit Hold’Em and won $320,400. Then in 2003 at the WPT Party Poker Million II, he won first at No Limit Hold’Em and earned $263,850. A month later at the WPT Five-Star World Poker Classic, he again took first in No Limit Hold’Em and earned $220,820. In 2004 at the WPT Season Two, he had two first place wins; one at No Limit Hold’Em and the other in Pot Limit Omaha which earned him a total of over $500,000. One of his most recent wins was in 2008 at the Crown Aussie Millions Championship where he took first in the Poker Pages Ranking No Limit Hold’Em event. The win earned him $949,175. Besides his first place wins, Lederer’s career is full of final tables and money finishes.

Howard Lederer - Play Style

Howard Lederer’s style of play at the felt is very analytical. He is known for being very calm and focused. He has stated that he has tried to apply the zen teachings to his poker game. He is considered by his peers to be an all-around quiet and nice guy. But as with any sport, there are exceptions. In 2002, poker professional Daniel Negreanu made some inappropriate comments about Lederer’s sister Annie Duke and Lederer publicly criticized him for it. Negreanu later apologized and the two have since become friends. Then in 2003, when Lederer was eliminated from the 2003 World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris, he refused to shake hands with fellow player Tony G who is renown for needling his opponents.

Howard Lederer - The Corporation

Howard Lederer was a member of a group of players calling themselves ‘The Corporation’ that took on Texas billionaire Andy Beal in the biggest high stakes cash game in history. It was a huge game where the players rotated out playing against Beal. It was also a game where a million dollars could be won or lost in a single hand. Lederer ended up winning over $9 million from the Texas oilman.

Howard Lederer Post Bypass

Prop bets are common folklore in the gambling world and Lederer has been involved in his share. Since having gastric bypass surgery, Howard Lederer is now a vegetarian. After his surgery and weight loss, David Grey bet $10,000 that Lederer would not eat meat. Lederer promptly ordered and consumed a cheeseburger and won the bet. Before his surgery, Lederer was involved with another bet. His weight at the time was over three hundred pounds. He wanted to lose weight and fellow player Huck Seed wanted to gain weight. Backgammon player Mike Svobodny bet Lederer and Huck Seed each $50,000 that their weights would not cross during the next year. Lederer lost that bet while his weight fluctuated and Seed lost weight.

Howard Lederer - Tiltware Inc Founder

Howard Lederer is one of the founders and current co-owners of Tiltware, Inc. which are the owners and operators of the website Full Tilt Poker. However, since the passage of the UIGEA, Tiltware, Inc. has renamed itself to Pocket Kings and relocated their operations to Ireland.

Howard Lederer - Secrets of No Limit Hold'em

Howard Lederer has released an instructional video called Secrets of No Limit Hold’Em. He also founded the Howard Lederer Poker Fantasy Camp. When he’s not out in the circuit, he is a commentator on FullTiltPoker’s Learn from the Pros and FSN’s Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. Throughout his career, he has earned the nickname “The Professor”. His sister Annie Duke has gone on to poker notoriety as a top female player. His other sister Katy wrote a book about the Lederer family, titled "Poker Face: A Girlhood Among Gamblers."

Howard Lederer These Days

These days Howard Lederer plays mostly in large tournaments and high-stakes games. Lederer currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife Suzie, his son Matti, and their three dogs. His estimated total tournament winnings to date are $4,800,000. He continues to live a scholarly life and remains one of poker’s biggest fixtures.