The International Pool Tour attracted many top players from all around 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 created it. When IPT was founded, Trudeau was an avid pool player. He was also a successful businessman.
It was a professional sports tour that featured bright lights, professional production, and some of the world's best pool players. This was a crucial step for pool as the sport was not well organized at the time. There were eight sets of race-to-8 matches per day. Only two players in each group advanced to next round.
Trudeau was determined give the game a serious shot. The tour began with $13 Million in funding. Although it was a short-lived venture, it helped bring the sport into the spotlight. The tour offered more than $6M in prize money over its life span.
The tour had four events during its first year. One of the most popular events was the King of the Hill Eightball Shootout. This event had a prize money of $200K. Another was the North American Open, which had a $2 million purse. Other tournaments included IPT Players 8-Ball Championship which was set for October 22-29. The facility had problems in 2007, so the tour was cancelled.
The first year of the tour featured the most prize money in the history of pool. 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 Reyes is considered to be a superstar. 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.
When he was younger, he used to earn $500 an hour as a pool teacher. His sudden entrance into pool was not expected. He made the decision to become a professional tournament player a few years ago. At that point, he became the face of 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 Moor and Earl Strickland. They won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Prize.
The International Pool Tour featured several other stars, including Mike Sigel. Sigel used to be a road gambler and sold imported products before becoming a pro. But after word of the league got out, he started competing. 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. The tour originally planned to hold a challenge game in August 2005. However, it was cancelled after negotiations broke down with the facility.