Howard Lederer is an American professional poker player. He is also the brother of poker pro Annie Duke.
Howard grew up in Concord, New Hampshire and was instantly drawn to poker and other card games before he was a teenager. He played blackjack, poker, gin and other card games with friends and family. He often played his father heads-up in card games and credits him with helping him learn the game.
Howard was a good student and a child chess prodigy. He moved from home to New York City to attend Columbia University and pursue a career in professional chess. Despite his best efforts to focus on chess, Lederer found himself enthralled with the game of poker once he hit New York. Lederer became addicted playing up to 80 hours a week and was often broke.
However, Howard never gave up and even played in penny games to improve his bankroll. He finally became a profitable player and began playing at New York's now infamous Mayfair Club. Lederer helped No Limit Texas Hold'em get its start in the club and eventually became one of the game's better players.
He moved to Las Vegas in 1993 to take his game to the next level. He has won many tournaments in his career including two World Series of Poker bracelets and a 2002 World Poker Tour Championship at Foxwoods Casino. He has won one World Poker Tour event, the 2003 PartyPoker Million. His biggest win came in 2008, when he won the Aussie Millions taking down a $1.1 million prize.
In 2011, Lederer's career and self-image took a turn for the worse. Full Tilt Poker, an online poker room that Lederer was a key member of was targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lederer has remained mostly out of the limelight and currently resides in Las Vegas, with his wife and son.
