The second full week of the 2021 World Series of Poker promises plenty of action with events that guarantee some of poker’s brightest stars will make an appearance at the Rio. It’s a healthy schedule of mixed games, marquee recreational events, and, perhaps, one of the toughest tournaments of the series. Here’s what you can look forward to in Week Two of the WSOP.

Spotlight Tournament

Event #25 – $5,000 Six-Handed NLHE

The $5K Six-Max could be the toughest tournament of the entire series. Traditionally, it brings out the best and brightest young wizards in search of a fast-paced, massive payday. The $5,000 buy-in tends to keep most recreational players at bay but is also cheap enough to attract top-tier talent that has padded their bankroll with wins but aren’t rolled for $10K+ high rollers.

In the 2019 WSOP, the $5K Six-Max drew 400 runners and had an elite final six that included Russian online destroyer Arsenii Karmatckii, Maria Ho, Ali Imsirovic, Serbian pro Ognjen Sekularac, Shannon Shorr, and, eventual winner Daniel Strelitz who took home $442,385 for with the win.

The field may be down a little this year, as many fields are, but a talent-packed final table is guaranteed. Tune in to PokerGO on Friday, October 15 to see how it plays out.

Complete Weekly Schedule

Other Events To Keep An Eye On

Event #22 – $10K ($1,000) Ladies NLHE Championship

The Ladies NLHE Championship will kick off the week. Often touted as one of the most fun events of the series, all women receive a $9,000 discount on the $10,000 posted entry making it a $1K for most. It’s a celebration for the women who help make the game great. With some luck, this year there won’t be the random player (who doesn’t identify as a woman) looking to pony up the full $10K in order to get in a tournament where they clearly don’t belong.

Event #29 – $10K Short Deck

Another tournament that is likely to be packed with pros is the $10,000 Short Deck. The variant at one time looked like it was going to be the new hot ticket, however over the past year or so the hype on the game has trended towards the game being an action variant that attracts high rollers. And those high rollers are likely to turn out for this one – names you might see in the field include new GGPoker Global Ambassador Jason Koon, Andrew Robl, Galen Hall, and Kane Kalas.

In 2019, 114 runners took a shot in this same event with Alex Epstein winning it all for $296,227. This year, don’t be surprised to see a drastic decrease in field size with travel restrictions keeping many players where Short Deck is extremely popular from attending.

Event #30 – $1,500 MONSTER STACK

A top-tier tournament for the Weekend Warrior, the $1,500 Monster Stack gives players heaps of starting chips, hour-long levels, and two starting days to choose from. It’s a pure freezeout and, as we’ve said in the past, is probably the tournament most comparable to the Main Event with a lower buy-in. This one attracts recreational players and pros alike. The recs love the slow play as it makes them feel they get better “bang-for-the-buck” in terms of playtime. Mid-tier pros enjoy it because the longer they play, the more they get to extract their edge.

The downside to the Monster is…it’s a long tournament. If you play Day 1A and win the event it’s a full six days. The upside, in the past it’s made someone a millionaire. In 2019, Kainalu McCue-Unciano bested a field of 6,035 runners to take home just over $1 million. This year’s first-place is unlikely to be $1 million but will still be close to $600,000 if the current trend in attendance stays the course.