Chris Murrman Shares Poker Strategy for Defending Hands and Late-Stage Play

Chris Murrman, a seasoned poker player, shares his strategies for defending hands in various positions and playing aggressively in the late stages of tournaments. His insights provide valuable guidance for both online and live poker enthusiasts.

Defending Hands in Different Positions

Murrman advises defending hands that are easy to play post-flop and do not fall under domination against a raise from an early position. This includes pairs, suited connectors, and broadway cards. Against a raise from a middle position, he suggests defending a wider range of hands due to better pot odds and a weaker opponent's range. For late positions, Murrman recommends defending very widely, especially when the button opens 80-90% of hands.

Late-Stage Tournament Play

In the late stages of MTTs, Murrman advises pushing the bubble to the final table. Players are eager to make it to the final table, making this an ideal time to build a big stack. He also suggests playing more aggressively but less frequently against aggressive opponents, avoiding trying to punish them. For 3-betting, Murrman prefers hands with good potential but not strong enough for a call, such as Kxs and Qxs. When all players before have folded and you have hands from the top 20%, Murrman suggests opening with a mini-raise rather than open-pushing.