I used to play the Blue Sq bubble tourneys which, if you dont know were free roll tourneys you would be entered into if you bubbled in a MTT or STT and I would guess 70%+ of the entrants never showed up to play. One particular month I started at a table of absent players and was clearing up like this. the occasional player turned up who wanted to carve the chips up but as I was playing for a $1000 first prize I just went into my HU game and went for there chips too. I got 4th for $360 and it wasnt until about 3 tables out that I was sat at a table with more than two other present players.
I guess a similar thing is happening here