Howard Lederer is one of those elite players that have been on the poker scene for a long time. His first WSOP cash was 20 years ago last month, and he’s one of the best no-limit hold’em players in the history of the game. But that’s not me talking; that’s Doyle Brunson’s opinion of him.
Remember the geeky chess club guys in high school? Geeky stereotype notwithstanding, Howard had a real passion and talent for chess as a young man and moved to New York after college to pursue his passion for the game. It was in the backrooms of NYC chess clubs that Howard soon discovered the magic of poker games, and the rest as they say is history.
Howard’s record of achievement speaks for itself with over $3.3 million in tournament winnings alone. He has two WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles, and was the 2003 WPT player of the year. Not a bad collection of awards for the trophy case. He’s also been a high-stakes cash game player since 1994, and his total winnings can only be speculated upon.
When the poker boom hit in 2003, Howard contributed to poker’s expansion in the form of television commentary and instructional material. With proven students like his sister Annie Duke tearing up Vegas cash games, he quickly cashed in on instructional books and DVD’s as his celebrity continued to grow. His calm demeanour makes him one of the most trusted poker personalities on the scene today; a great image to have when you’re selling poker strategy. He’s an advocate for poker etiquette, and even refused to shake the hand of antagonist Tony Guoga after being knocked out of a tournament by him.
His big years were from 2000 to 2004, when he won the bulk of his tournament winnings, but he has shown consistency since the late 80’s. He hasn’t been a dominant force on the tournament scene over the last few years but his many responsibilities to the game keep him away from the tables more than in the past. Not to mention his passion for golf and Grateful Dead concerts (he’s rumoured to have attended over 125).
Lederer is also part of the design team for Full Tilt Poker and he provides commentary and game analysis on FullTiltPoker.net’s “Learning from the Pros”. You’ll also find him on FSN’s “Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament” or running his Poker Fantasy Camp with other Full Tilt Poker stars. He can be found at most big events going on in Vegas, but the one place you don’t want to find the “Professor” is sitting across from you at a poker table.
