Player Profile

Howard Lederer - The Professor

Howard Lederer - The Professor

Fact File

Age: 42

Born: Concord, NH

Resides: Las Vegas, NV

Featured in: Episode 4

Key stats: Two-time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WPT title holder

Did you know?: Did you know: A long-time vegetarian, "The Professor" once ate a cheeseburger to win a $10,000 bet

Also in Episode: Chris Ferguson, Phil Laak, Jennifer Harman, Cindy Margolis, Jeremy Sisto

Fact File

Poker is on the curriculum ... and class is in session.

Howard "The Professor" Lederer gets his nickname from his academic background and his methodical style of play. Howard actually comes from an academic family; his father is Richard Lederer, a writer and linguist who taught at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. Just as his father is known for his analysis of the English language, Howard is known for his analytical approach to poker.

Howard’s knack for game playing goes back to his high school days. From an early age, Howard was a gifted chess player. At 18, Howard deferred college for a year and moved to New York to pursue his passion for chess. It was in the back room of a chess club that he discovered poker - and he was immediately hooked. For the next two years, he played poker relentlessly, clocking 70 to 80 hours a week. He went home broke nine nights out of 10.

Howard eventually began playing at the Mayfair Club, where he cut his chops with other poker players who are now international names, such as Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington. Howard studied the game one night at a time, discussing strategy with his peers after each night’s session. After five more years of hard work, Howard was ready to take his game to the next level.

In 2000, Howard went to Las Vegas, where he won first place in a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event. The very next year, he won another first place prize in a WSOP event. Howard also went on to win two World Poker Tour Championship titles. Since then, "The Professor" has continued to school the competition, earning $3.3 million in live tournament winnings.

In addition to playing poker full time, Howard "lectures" as a poker commentator on many poker shows. He has also made an instructional poker video called "Secrets of No Limit Hold'em", and he runs the Howard Lederer Poker Fantasy Camp.

So, if you’d like a lesson from one of the sharpest minds in poker, just to tune into the Poker Equalizer to check out The Professor in action.