I run a Thursday 9 ball tournament. We have anywhere between 16 to 32 players on any given night. Entry fee is $10 and we add $100. We also have a break pot that is really high up there.
I recommend sticking to the same venue as it will encourage the tournament to grow. You also need to learn to walk before you run so I'd stick with a $10-$20 entree and $100 added. Talk to a bar or pool hall and tell then you are starting a tournament, their alcohol sales will go up and the place will get busier become more popular etc. There is a good chance that they will add $100. Now, if you get to 32 players, I encourage you to try and get access to 5-6 tables. I have had tournaments run from 8 pm to 2 am plenty of times.
When it comes to pay outs, we only play 3 places. The reason being is that there is a fine line between paying out to multiple spots and not paying top 2 enough to both playing.
If you can start a Calcutta or break-pot you have some serious potential to bring more people in.
