It’s hard to believe but the 2021 World Series of Poker Main Event is right around the corner. In less than two weeks, the hallways of the Rio will be packed with players hoping to be crowned the new World Champion. But for many recreational players, Week 4 of the WSOP features their own personal Main Event as a pair of the most popular, rec-friendly tournaments of the schedule highlight the coming week.

In contrast, it should be expected that a number of big names will also be collecting some new hardware in the next seven days or so with two more Championship events and a $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha all ready to go.

So, let’s break down everything you need to keep an eye on in Week 4 of the 2021 WSOP.

Spotlight Tournament

Event #60 $50,000 Poker Players Championship

For many of poker’s elite, if you asked them they would say that the $50K Poker Players Championship is the tournament they really want to win each and every year. It’s the biggest buy-in mixed game event on the schedule, testing skill in all the games against the toughest competition.

In 2019, Phillip Hui outlasted the 74 entry field to win $1.1 million. The final table included a murder’s row of talent including Josh Arieh, John Esposito, Bryce Yockey, Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates, Phil Ivey, and Shaun Deeb.

READ: First-Round Picks: The 2021 WSOP $50K Poker Players Championship

One should expect just as many superstars to enter the event this year. While the fields have been down due to COVID, don’t be surprised to see this event come close to its 2019 size as the $50K PPC is just one of those events that people force into their schedule.

Storylines will include how Hellmuth, Zinno, and Negreanu do, what effect, if any, the PPC will have on the incredibly tight Player of the Year race, and if any big names that haven’t been in the Rio (Ivey) will make a showing.

The action kicks off on October 31 and everyone can tune into the finale next week on November 5 on PokerGO.

Complete WSOP Week 4 Schedule

The Rio Is A Rec Center

Event #55 – $400 COLOSSUS

When the Colossus first debuted in 2015, it was a massive hit. It broke records for the largest live tournament ever held and it made a name for Cord Garcia when he outlasted the 22,374 other runners to turn his $565 ticket into a $638,880 score.

In subsequent years, the WSOP dropped the price to $400, making it the most inexpensive buy-in for a live bracelet event on the schedule. While over the years, attendance for the event continued to decline, the field was still massive. In 2019, 13,109 players pushed the prize pool to more than $4.3 million and Sejin Park earned $451,272.

What we’re getting at is that even under the current conditions, the recreational player will likely be ready to come out in force to turn a couple of hundred bucks into a (potentially) life-changing payday. Again, field size for this one is likely to take a hit, but it does have the potential – with two starting flights and one re-entry per flight – to crack the 10K runner mark.

Event #52 – $1,000 Seniors Event

The 50+ crowd will be coming to town this week with the start of the very popular Seniors Event. Not only is the Seniors Event often packed with players but those longtime grinders often spill over into the Daily Deepstacks making the prize pools of side events surge even more than normal.

The combination of the Seniors Event and the Colossus (even though they are two days apart) could make for an extremely busy week in terms of getting and waiting in lines, so here’s a reminder to choose off-peak times to register if you aren’t using a credit card and a kiosk. Plus, make sure to have all your vaccination status sorted and the CLEAR app installed if you plan on using that as well.

Big Stars, Huge Paydays

Event #53 – $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha

There are so many events that could be the “one to watch” this week, but Event #53 ($25,000 High Roller PLO) has all the makings of one that’s guaranteed to have an action-packed ending.

In 2019, Stephen Chidwick bested the 278-entry field for a massive $1,618,417 score and topped a final table packed with star power including Erik Seidel, Robert Mizrachi, and Matthew Gonzales among others. It will be interesting to see if the field attracts enough runners to promise a million-dollar payday for the winner, but one thing is for sure and that’s the best and brightest “great game” players will be bringing their A-game for a shot at the one of the biggest PLO event so of the year.

The action kicks off on Wednesday, October 27 with the final table being available to watch on PokerGO on Saturday, October 30.

Event #56 – 6-Handed NLHE Championship

Next week, the official “Mini Main Event” will kick off, but if you want to see players splashing around in a $10K tournament then you are in luck when the NLHE wizards come out to play in the 6-Handed NLHE Championship.

It’s hard to imagine anything other than a who’s who of poker’s best battling in what is almost sure to have a final table full of crushers.