Natural8 recently welcomed Adrian Attenborough to their team of professional poker ambassadors.
If you have been following the annual World Series of Poker, you would have known him as well, for he created quite a stir with his bold and daring play during the prestigious WSOP Main Event. The Australian eventually emerged as the runner-up of WSOP 2022.
Adrian Attenborough’s, who also goes by his Natural8 nickname “Knightgeee”, return to Natural8 was first noticed when he wore the Natural8 patch at the final table of the Main Event. His performance in the 53rd WSOP was nothing short of spectacular. Of some of the hands that he played in the Main Event, two from when he was up against Matija Dobric were considered by PokerNews to be “Two of the Gutsiest Plays of the 2022 WSOP”.
During the final heads-up between Adrian Attenborough and eventual champion Espen Jorstad, Attenborough deliberated for almost 8 minutes before calling with J-4 offsuit. Even though Attenborough lost to Jorstad, he gained the latter’s respect when Jorstad admitted that Attenborough was “a really tough opponent, plays aggressively and finds good hero calls.”
Natural8 was able to conduct a short interview with Attenborough regarding his time at the 53rd WSOP.
The Interview
Natural8: You deliberated on the last hand for a long time. What was on your mind when you called Jorstad’s all-in?
Adrian Attenborough: I was not prepared for those long days at all. I can’t remember playing for so many hours. When I play, it’s mostly live cash and I have never played longer than 5-6 hours. The 17-hour session on Day 8 really mentally fatigued me, and by Day 10, I was so tired I could barely get out of bed before starting the 3-handed table. It’s mostly a fog in my memory of that final day.
Natural8: Did you review your play from the final table and the heads-up? Now that you have time to digest it, would you have done anything differently?
Adrian Attenborough: I haven’t watched anything back. I’d much rather spend my time playing on Natural8 than reviewing spots I get into trouble the most. My game is far from perfect. I expected to make a lot of mistakes so I don’t really see the point in reviewing [the session that was played] when we were all so mentally fatigued.
Natural8: What was happening in your mind when you reached the Final Table, and what was your strategy against the other players?
Adrian Attenborough: My strategy is always to just take each hand as it comes. Adjust to the many different styles, and, most of all, don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the moment because that can make you scared. Managing your expectations and emotions is really important because, ultimately, we can’t control what’s going to happen.
Natural: How did you prepare for the final days with all the pressure and the media attention?
Adrian Attenborough: The hype comes and goes in this game. I just try to be myself and to take in the moments and understand I’m very lucky to be in this situation which is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience…
Natural8: What advice can you give to players who are just starting out?
Adrian Attenborough: Take your time! People try to rush things and allow ego to take over. You can’t rush this game; it’s something that just takes time to learn, and variance can often provide you a false narrative. There are so many tools to help you improve and putting in the hours off the tables is always going to get you the best results on the tables. This game forgets you easily, and money can come and go fast, so being consistent and humble with your approach is important too.
Natural8: What is the major difference between online and live poker?
Adrian Attenborough: In live poker, you must do everything yourself. Memorizing strategies, following charts, and don’t be scared to bluff, etc. Especially when you’re sitting in that chair and people are staring at you. You must construct ranges with no help, calculate the pot, control your emotions, etc. Players fall into this shell. In live poker, you must be able to make quick strategy adjustments on the fly. And that’s a big factor that separates live from online. For online poker, you have a lot more rigid balanced styles. In live poker, some players might never do X or Y… And in live poker, making those reads and finding the difference in styles and players are very important because you can make those assumptions with very high accuracy. You really can put a lot more pressure on. Live is when the online nerds become the nits!
Natural8: What’s the one thing about Natural8 that stands out to you?
Adrian Attenborough: The consistency of how often the games are running. I also love that you can’t use a HUD, so it makes poker more raw. I love the shorter MTT times. It’s crazy when you have to sit and play some online MTT for more than 10 hours.
Natural8: Since finishing runner-up in the WSOP Main Event, have your personal and career plans changed? What is in store for you in the near future?
Adrian Attenborough: My plans haven’t changed. I took a step back for a couple of years. It’s helped me to understand where my life is right now and what my goals need to be. I just turned 29 so I want to just keep my head down and keep giving poker my best shot. I still make too many mistakes, so I have a lot of work to do. I’m just motivated and hungry and excited to see where my journey keeps going. It’s been a crazy ride so far.