Understanding Howard Lederer

Howard "the Professor" Lederer earns his nickname via his measured, intelligent manner that he seems to hold at the table and away from it. Lederer is well known for his even emotionality. His accurate, deep-level thinking is part of what makes him the best poker commentator in the game, as well as one of the best players in the world. A favorite in internet forums with casual fans, it seems that many amateur players hope to model their games after that of the Professor.

In addition to Howard's pro status, he is the brother to famous professional poker player Annie Duke. One might imagine that these two must be products of a Las Vegas home where their parents were avid gamblers. In reality, they were raised in refined New Hampshire in a family structure that heavily encouraged strong education. Howard's father was a well-respected instructor at a highly regarded prep school. Howard was mesmerized and enthralled by a great game as he went through high school: chess. Howard loved the analytical aspects of chess, and it fueled his competitive nature. He was so engrossed in chess, in fact, that he skipped entering college in order to play chess seriously. Howard moved to New York and crashed the chess clubs every day. In one of his chess playing spots, a poker game was usually running in the back room. Howard roamed in to observe, and he was officially hooked. He saw many of the same elements that appealed to him from chess, with even more mathematical possibilities to explore. Howard admits that his poker beginnings were not exactly encouraging. He writes on his own website that he would go home completely broke 9 out of 10 nights, only keeping a poker bankroll by earning extra money while running errands for the winning players. Howard then focused on the game and honed his skills at the famous Mayfair club in New York.

When sister Annie felt confused about the future direction of her life while in graduate school, she turned to Howard for advice. Howard knew she had the smarts and savvy for poker, and started schooling her. He gave her some money to start playing with, and soon this brother-sister tandem were two of the best in the world. While she was still learning the game, Annie was not sure she was ready for the big show: the World Series of Poker. Lederer convinced her to give it shot, and Annie produced with one of the best first-showings in a WSOP to that date!

Howard has probably spent as much time as anyone his age at the poker table. It is not uncommon to hear the pros talk about Howard spending 14 plus hours per day at the tables. He concentrated his efforts on lucrative cash games for most of his career, until the World Poker Tour (WPT) hit the scene and increased the available cash in the prize pool. Howard exercises his insights and patience during his lengthy cash games. He is knowledgeable and accomplished at all types of poker games, so he often plays mixed cash games at high buy-ins. Some of the experts feel that his best game is probably fixed-limit games, where his mathematical ability and level-headed nature allow him to consistently earn profits. He also must be respected in No-Limit games, as he was amongst the first pros to give No-Limit Hold 'Em a try back in the early 1980's.

Howard's career highlights include 2 WSOP bracelets, 2 WPT championships, 2 Hall of Fame titles, and 2 prestigious Bellagio titles. A businessman as much as a poker player, Howard would also probably note other highlights of his career being his success at commentating, writing articles for magazines, writing a well-selling poker book, starring in a successful video game, having a well-respected poker fantasy camp, sponsoring Full Tilt Poker, and more.

Howard Lederer: Play Profile & Prediction

PLAY PROFILE: To say that Howard is a solid, accomplished poker player is a distinct understatement. He does not have any apparent weaknesses in his game. He understands poker nuances as well as any player on Earth. His ability to know tournament math and chip management is impressive. He knows when to take chances and when to be conservative. While many pros are baffled by the wild, unpredictable play of many of the internet qualifiers and amateur players that have converged onto the tournament scene, Howard seems to handle their games with impeccable adaptability. This proves that he is in tune with poker psychology as well as the poker probabilities. He rarely has emotional swings. He is fiercely competitive and self-critical. Thus, he always is looking to evaluate his game and look to improve.

PREDICTIONS: With Howard's well-rounded ability in all poker variants, I predict that he will win at least two more WSOP bracelets in some of the smaller events. He'll continue his success in cash games and other tournaments as well. With his keen intellect, predicting Howard's future has to involve his successes away from the table. Watch for Howard to build his niche as the "face" for poker on television. His commentary is the most insightful in the business, so as poker grows on network TV, I expect him to be part of some of the biggest broadcasts. From that exposure, he will probably produce some of the best selling poker instructional books to hit the market. His writings are always well presented and helpful, meaning that his future books and DVDs have amazing potential. Howard is also interested in the healthy future of poker. Well respected by fellow players, I could imagine Howard being a leader/advocate in the poker realm to assure overall fairness for the poker players.

More Poker Player Profiles

♣ Andy Bloch ♣ Annie Duke ♣ Antonio Esfandiari ♣ Chris Ferguson ♣ Dan Harrington ♣ Daniel Negreanu ♣ Doyle Brunson ♣ Greg Raymer ♣ Gus Hansen ♣ Howard Lederer ♣ James Woods

♣ Jennifer Harman ♣ Johnny Chan ♣ Mark Seif ♣ Mike Matusow ♣ Phil Gordon ♣ Phil Hellmuth ♣ Phil Ivey ♣ Phil Laak ♣ Poker Hotties ♣ Sam Farha ♣ TJ Cloutier

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