Who is Annie Duke?
The sister of poker pro Howard Lederer, Annie Duke is a great poker player in her own right. She was born into a competitive family and frequently plays poker against her brother, who was known for playing professionally for FullTilt Poker.
The Young Annie Duke
Annie Duke was born in Concord, NH on September 13, 1965. Card games were a frequent occurrence in the Lederer household, sparking a competitive desire in the young Annie just like it did with her brother Howard. Each member of the family did their best to win, and no one took losing lightly. This built the foundation for Annie Duke’s poker life.
Annie Duke moved to Montana in the early 90s with her husband, Ben Duke. Annie began playing poker in the card rooms in Billings, her brother Howard helping her out with both coaching and financing.
Annie’s First WSOP
In 1994 Annie Duke moved to Las Vegas to play poker full time, after taking 13th in her first World Series of Poker tournament, knocking out her brother in the process. Ironically, it was Howard who suggested that Annie play in the event.
A Streak of Wins
At the World Series of Poker in 2000, Annie finished the Main Event in 10th place, one spot short of the final table, while she was eight months pregnant with her third child. In 2004 Annie won the $2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split event for her first WSOP bracelet. Later in the year, at the inaugural winner-take-all invitation only World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, Annie Duke took the first place price of $2 million. She had to beat her brother Howard, Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, and several other poker greats to win the event.
Annie and Howard frequently faced each other in 2004, with Annie eliminating Howard from four separate WSOP events.
Business Ventures
In 2005, Howard and Annie promoted some video poker games which feature the two siblings as characters in the games. Annie also endorses the ESPN Poker Club line of products, which includes chip sets, tables, and other poker accessories.
Annie Duke and UltimateBet
Annie Duke used to be a member of the UltimateBet team. Annie has written an autobiography, “Annie Duke: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed and Won Millions at the World Series of Poker.” UltimateBet.com was an online poker site where players could play online poker for real money