The International Pool Tour attracted players from all corners of the globe. This tournament was one of the first multi-million dollar tournaments that was aired on television, and it aimed to bring pool into the mainstream. Kevin Trudeau founded it. He was an avid gamer of pool, and was already a successful man when he came up with the idea for IPT.
This was a professional sporting tour featuring bright lights, professional production, pool pros, and top players. This was a crucial step for pool as the sport was not well organized at the time. Players would play several race-to-8 sets a day, but only two players per group advanced to the next round.
Trudeau was determined to give the game a serious shot. He began the tour with $13million in funding. Although it was a short-lived venture, it helped bring the sport into the spotlight. The tour paid out more than $6,000,000 in prizes during its existence.
In its first year, there were four events. One of the events was the King of the Hill Eightball Shootout with a prize fund of $200K. A second was the North American Open with a $2million purse. Other tournaments included the IPT Players 8-Ball Championship, which was scheduled for October 22-29. 2007: The tour was cancelled due to problems at the facility.
The tour's first year featured the highest amount of prize money in history. Reyes was awarded $500K for beating Roderick Morris at the World Open Eightball Championship. For his victory over Niels Feijen, Reyes was awarded a $163k prize.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. Known as Bata, he is the king of the billiards hotshots. His nickname stems from his reputation as "running the tables." He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a silver medal in eight-ball at 2002 Asian Games.
He used to make $500 an hour teaching pool when he was younger. His sudden entrance into pool was not expected. He became a tournament professional a few decades ago. He was the face IPT. He is the current color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines during the World Cup of Pool. They defeated Roderick Morse and Earl Strickland. They also won Dr. Louis Pannullo's Award.
Several other stars were included in the International Pool Tour, including Mike Sigel. Sigel was an importer and a gambler before he became a professional. He began competing after hearing about the league. He won two world championships during his tenure and was a two-time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau, an avid pool fan, thought of the tour after hearing a radio advertisement for a Chicago-area tournament. The tour originally planned to hold a challenge game in August 2005. However, it was cancelled after negotiations broke down with the facility.