Why Isn't Elky a Bounty?

Photo: Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier (left) was eliminated earlier in this tournament by Joe Nguyen (right), but re-entered.

You may remember the Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier started this tournament as a Shooting Star with a $2,500 bounty on his head. But Grospellier was eliminated early on Day 1B by Joe Nguyen — who is still in the tournament and currently fifth in chips.

Grospellier then took advantage of the re-entry format to buy back into the tournament, and he’s survived to the final 18.

Since Nguyen claimed the bounty on Grospellier, he is no longer a Shooting Star. But with both players still alive in this event (though at different tables), there may be a rematch at some point.

There are three Shooting Stars still left in the field: Antonio Esfandiari, Christian Harder, and Erik Seidel.