Howard Lederer

Howard Henry Lederer was born on October 30, 1964, in Concord, New Hampshire. His father, Richard Lederer, is a noted author and linguist; his mother was of gentile background. Lederer's sister Annie Duke also became a professional poker player, and his other sister Katy is an author. Introduced to card games at a young age, Lederer learned chess from his father and developed a passion for competitive play. As a teenager, he frequently visited the Marshall Chess Club and the Manhattan Chess Club in New York City, where he first encountered poker.

After graduating high school, Lederer briefly attended Columbia University but soon left to pursue a career in chess and poker. He learned the game in the underground card rooms of New York City, eventually becoming a member of the Mayfair Club. In 1986, he attempted to qualify for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event but failed; the following year, he made the final table and finished fifth in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event, earning $139,800. In 1993, Lederer moved to Las Vegas to focus on poker full-time, quickly establishing himself in the high-stakes cash games, particularly "The Big Game" alongside legends such as Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, and Daniel Negreanu.

Lederer's WSOP career includes 45 cashes, 26 final tables, and two bracelets. He won his first bracelet in 2000 in the $5,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event for $198,000. His second bracelet came in 2001 in the $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw event for $165,870. Other notable WSOP results include a runner-up finish in the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions ($250,000) and deep runs in various mixed-game events. At the WSOP Europe, he placed second in the 2009 £10,350 Heads-Up High Roller (£126,134) and third in the 2008 £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event (£30,250). His total WSOP earnings exceed $1.68 million.

Lederer also found success on the World Poker Tour (WPT), winning two titles. He won the 2002 WPT World Poker Finals $10,200 Main Event for $320,400 and the 2003 WPT Party Poker Million II $5,000 Limit Hold'em event for $289,150. In 2004, he took first place in the WPT Las Vegas $2,600 Championship, adding $339,842 to his résumé. His largest single tournament cash came in 2008 at the Aussie Millions, where he won the A$100,000 High Roller event for A$1,250,000 (approximately $1,098,785). That remains his career-best score.

Beyond tournaments, Lederer was a fixture in the highest-stakes cash games in Las Vegas, regularly playing $3,000-$6,000 limit games. His methodical, mathematically driven approach earned him the nickname "The Professor" from poker commentator Jesse May. Lederer embraced the label, as it reflected his strategic style and his contributions to poker education. He co-authored poker strategy books and provided commentary for televised poker events, sharing insights on hand ranges, pot odds, and opponent modeling.

In 2004, Lederer co-founded Tiltware, the company behind Full Tilt Poker, and served as a board member. The site became one of the largest online poker rooms during the poker boom. However, on April 15, 2011—known as "Black Friday"—the U.S. Department of Justice shut down Full Tilt, charging it with bank fraud and illegal gambling. Investigations revealed that the site had misused player funds. Lederer faced a civil lawsuit and in December 2012 settled with the DOJ for approximately $42.5 million, forfeiting two Las Vegas properties, a 1965 Shelby Cobra, about $1.3 million in cash, and two bank accounts of undisclosed value. The scandal effectively ended his public poker career.

After the Full Tilt collapse, Lederer largely withdrew from the poker world. His last recorded tournament cash was in January 2011. As of 2025, his live tournament earnings exceed $6.58 million, placing him 256th on the United States all-time money list. Despite the controversy, many peers respect his poker skill and strategic mind. Lederer's nickname "The Professor" endures as a testament to his analytical approach, and his story serves as a cautionary tale about the intersection of poker, business, and regulation.