Need some advice on what to do at my local hall

Here's a suggestion on format, if the matches are handicapped...

Have them play single elimination qualifiers in groups of four. The winner of the group gets into the second stage. The losers can re-enter and get into a later qualifier group.

You can start play as soon as you have four players signed up. (If Bill and Steve are buddies and don't want to be in the same group, one of them can hang back.) As soon as you have another four, maybe including some who lost in the first group, start another group.

The qualifiers stop at maybe 9pm and the second stage -- also single elim -- starts when the last prelims finish.

The players who qualify earliest get the byes, if any. They also get to match up while they're waiting for the second stage.

If someone enters the first group and loses early, it's possible they may enter two more times, time permitting.

If someone can't show up until 8PM, they can still play. If four players show up by 5:30, they can start then.

This format keeps people on the tables with lots of play and as little waiting as possible.
 
At my local hall there are eight 7' tables. The TAP league operator runs a "mini-cash" tournament on Mondays. I like the format.

It's a race to two: 10-ball, 8-ball, then if tied at 1-1, 9-ball. Most players go to two. Recognized strong players go to three. (If it's hill-hill after three racks, winner of the third rack chooses which game to play in the tiebreaker.) For instance, we have a few FR600+ players in our area that occasionally enter.

When I first entered, as a TAP 5, I had to go to two. I finished in the money (top three) like three out of six weeks, including winning once. Thereafter I had to go the three. I have had a drought in the last five or six times I entered, so they encouraged me to go back to racing to two. One week I volunteered to stay at going to three, and went two-and-out. Last week I agreed to revert, and I think I made it to one round short of the $. So I'm really on the cusp of needing to go to two or three, and I find it fair.

Regardless, it's a fun tournament. We usually have 12-20 entrants. It's double-elim, and officially starts at 8pm. Sometimes with league going long, we don't start until 8:30 (and a couple of times even past that), but as long as we keep the pace of play reasonable, we can be done by midnight or even sooner. Very often, the king of the hill and the second-place finisher agree to split the pot, especially if the challenger needs to win twice, or if it's getting late. It's very laid back, and friendly. The format of playing three different games keeps it interesting.
 
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