Howard Lederer Profile Summary
| Name | Howard Lederer |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Howard Henry Lederer |
| Height | 2 m |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nationality | American |
| Place of Birth | Concord, New Hampshire |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Ethnicity | Sephardim / White |
| Profession | Poker Player |
| Source of wealth | Poker and businesses |
| Net Worth | $60 Million |
Howard Lederer's Net Worth in 2024: $60 Million
Howard Lederer is a pro poker player that has won two WSOP bracelets and two World Poker Tours. He is also known for being one of the co-founders of the once disgraced poker gambling site Full Tilt Poker. Known by the nickname of “The Professor”, Full Tilt Poker’s controversies caused Lederer’s fall from grace, and although he has an unquestionable talent for poker, he is one of the most hated players in the world. He has a $60 million net worth.
I won a key hand that put me in great shape in a big tournament. If I had been listening to music, I don't think I could have made the call
What Does Howard Lederer Do?
Howard Lederer has been playing poker shortly after he graduated high school.He started playing live poker after dropping out of Columbia University, shortly before moving to New York. He qualified for his first WSOP event in 1987, and moved to Las Vegas in 1993 to continue developing his poker skills.
He is also the most controversial figure of the Full Tilt Pokerscandal. This is the reason why he no longer frequently participates in major live poker events, with his last significant cash finish being in 2011 when he placed 24th in the Aussie Millions event.
He only attempted to return to the WSOP once after the Full Tilt Poker controversy, in 2016. He was received with great criticism and hate, which caused him to permanently avoid live poker events after the incident.
How Did Howard Lederer Get Rich?
Howard Lederer mostly got rich because of his poker skills, which allowed him to reach 81 different cash finished throughout his career. Lederer was a mainstay in the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour, winning two of each.
Lederer earned $1,823,847 by playing in the WSOP, whilst the earned $678,748 in the World Poker Tour. Considering all of the events that he was a part of, he amassed winnings totalling more than $5,500,000.
Full Tilt Poker Controversy
Leaderer was one of the founding members of Tiltware LLC, the company that founded the online poker website known as Full Tilt Poker, launched in 2004. The company operated freely until 2011 where, in a day known to the poker community as “Black Friday”, the website was closed to players and its license was revoked.
The US government accused the company of money laundering and fraud. Lederer, alongside two other board members, were accused of funneling money to their personal accounts from the company, basically robbing players of their own money in something similar to a Ponzi scheme.
Lederer allegedly received $42 million from Full Tilt Poker, which is part of the reason why him and Chris Ferguson (fellow co-founder and pro poker player) took most of the heat from the operation and were basically blacklisted by the poker community.
Lederer’s involvement in Full Tilt Poker is part of the reason why his net worth is so big - even years after not playing in the WSOP or the World Poker Tour.
How Does Howard Lederer Like to Gamble?
Poker commentator Jesse May gave Lederer the nickname for which he came to be known across the poker world: “The Professor”. This was due to the way Lederer player the game: he wasn’t an aggressive player from the get-go. Instead, he opted for a cautious approach, slowly reading his opponents and deciphering them before going for the killer blow.
His calm style of playing led him to a world of success in the poker community. He started showing his true abilities in the late 90s, becoming a mainstay in No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments across the United States.
How Does Howard Lederer Spend His Money?
It is unclear what Howard Lederer is doing at the moment. As per reports, it seems that the vitriol directed towards him when he tried to return to the WSOP in 2016 really affected him. He does no longer frequent poker tournaments, and seems to prefer staying away from the public eye.
Before his disappearance into oblivion, he wasn’t known for any extravagant purchases or controversial money-spending sprees. However, he and his wife did host a few poker tournaments for charity, such as:
- The 2009 Fundraiserfor the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
- The Suzie and Howard Lederer Celebrity Charity Tournament, in 2009 and 2010
Lederer, before retiring from professional poker, also played in multiple poker events, including the DC Charity Poker.
Gambling Stats
- Biggest Win: Lederer’s biggest win in a poker event came in the 2008 Aussie Millions A$100,000 Poker Championship. He walked away with a payout of $1,098,785, recording the biggest tournament win in his career.
- Biggest Loss: Although he never lost any significant money in poker events, his biggest loss seems to have been when he forfeited $2.5 million in assets to the US government as part of the Full Tilt Poker settlement.
Howard Lederer, the Most Hated Man in Poker
For better or for worse, Howard Lederer left a great legacy to the poker world. He appeared in multiple TV shows, created guides, and wrote books - all because of how good a poker player he was. The Full Tilt Poker controversy destroyed what was shaping to be one of the most successful poker careers of all time.
Nowadays, even if Full Tilt Poker became part of the PokerStars network, there are many other casinos in which you can play poker online against other players. Choose a reliable website and avoid the issues that afflicted Full Tilt Poker players for many years!
