I don't know much about snooker. If snooker fans stand or sit and watch a match for 5 or more hours straight then they are lunatics imo.
Just kidding of course but I will say that from what I have seen of snooker they have some great promoters behind them. Lots of media connections with professionally produced shows and entertainment to keep fans excited and entertained well beyond when some event ends and before the next one begins. Tell me because I don't know... would Earl be a superstar if he were a snooker player getting that kind of media coverage? Had he not already made his mark on Europe through his Mosconi Cup appearances, and had he been born and raised a snooker star I would have to think he would be in the news damn near daily with tons of fans that love him and a ton also who don't, and they would be talking all about it. I would imagine the media and the promoters would love the attention he just naturally brings though.
As to your point about a 32 man round robin... I have said before that shorter events that tie together are much better than one off events. Leave the audience wanting more. You said Caras/Mosconi covered 10 cities? That is much better than trying to fit their event into one city, playing hours at a time ____ days in a row, with the same limited number of fans in that city as your target market.
Shorter events, better advertisement, let the fans have fun at the events, leave the fans wanting more at the end of the day, the days event shouldn't be monotonous either... same two players playing race to nine 10 ball for hours and hours. The Mosconi cup is the best event pool has and it has been for a while.