Nicknamed "Professor", Howard Lederer, known for his calm demeanor at the table, won his first bracelet in 2000 WSOP by finishing first in a $5000 buy-in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event.

Howard won his second bracelet the following year in the $5000 Deuce to Severn WSOP.Howard also won 2 WPT titles in 2002 and 2003. He added 3 more championship titles to his list of accomplishments by winning two $2500 buy-in No-limit Hold'em events at the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, Howard also won the $5000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event.