Bernie, I agree with you. Putting up a small sum to help sponsor the event might be the way to go. Also, you don't have to use the same name to get the event relocated somewhere else if Mark is no longer interested in holding the event. You can call it what you like to get the same results. How about the National One Pocket Championships or Americas One Pocket Championship or any number of other titles? Lastly, Mark can charge $500 to enter and see about limiting it to 32 players. I also think some sponsorship could be obtained for the added monies as well.
Why not a World One Pocket Championship. The winner would be the World Champion.
My idea on how to make it happen would be to make it the members of One Pocket Orgs responsibility. Put together a chain of command.
Have qualifiers everywhere in the U.S. (and other areas of the world if they exist) where one pocket has serious players. Charge $100 per player for the qualifier with an 8 player qualifier making $800 entry to the winner. Winners go to wherever the finals are being played. Have the finals be 32 player field @ $800 per = $25,600 + whatever added money the chain of command can work out.
(note: this is just a rough idea which I am sure others could improve upon)
Have One Pocket Org members figure out who the top 10 (or so) one pocket players in the world are and make them ineligible for the qualifiers but eligible to pay their $800 and play in the final. The other 22 spots coming from qualifiers or people paying the $800 to enter.
I know I could run a qualifier in Los Angeles and get 8 players at $100 and probably another couple of qualifiers also. I am sure the same could happen in a lot of areas (Northern Cal., Arizona, Chicago, St. Louis, several cities in the South and the East Coast etc. etc.)
If the interest was high instead of having a 32 player final, you could have 4 regional finals (easy travel for everyone) with the top 2 regional winners going to a final of 8 where they would all be making money.
The end result A World Champion.