The International Pool Tour attracted players from all corners of the globe. This tournament was one among the first multimillion-dollar tournaments that were aired live on television. It was designed to introduce pool to the mainstream. Kevin Trudeau was the founder. He was an avid pool player who was already a successful businessman when he conceived of IPT.
It was a professional sports tour that featured bright lights, professional production, and some of the world's best pool players. This was an important step in the history of pool. It was a sport that was not well organised at the time. Although players could play many race-to-8 sets in a single day, only two players from each group progressed to the next round.
Trudeau was determined and eager to give the game a serious chance. He started the tour with $13 million in funding. Even though it was short-lived, it helped bring the sport to the forefront. Over $6 million was awarded in prize money during the tour's existence.
During its initial year, the tour featured four events. One of the events was the King of the Hill Eightball Shootout with a prize fund of $200K. The North American Open had a purse of $2 million. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship took place from October 22-29. The facility had problems in 2007, so the tour was cancelled.
The tour's first year featured the highest amount of prize money in history. Reyes won a total of $500K for his victory over Roderick Morris in the World Open Eight-ball Championship. For his victory over Niels Feijen, Reyes was awarded a $163k prize.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. He is known as Bata and is considered the king among billiards hotshots. His reputation as "running all the tables" is his nickname. He has won 14 tournaments. He won a bronze medal in eight ball at the 2002 Asian Games.
He was a pool teacher when he grew up. His sudden entrance into pool was not expected. He decided to turn pro at tournaments a few years back. He was the face IPT. He is the current color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines on the World Cup of Pool. They defeated Roderick Moor and Earl Strickland. They also won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Award.
Many other stars participated in the International Pool Tour including Mike Sigel. Sigel was an importer and a gambler before he became a professional. He started to play after the word got out about the league. He won two World Championships during his tenure.
Trudeau, a long-time player of pool, came up with the idea of the tour when he was exposed to a Chicago tournament. Initially, the tour planned to have a challenge match in August 2005. The tour was cancelled following negotiations with the facility.