The International Pool Tour attracted many top players from all around the globe. This tournament was the first to be broadcast on TV and was intended to promote pool as a mainstream sport. Kevin Trudeau started it. Kevin Trudeau was an avid player of pool and was already a successful businessman at the time he founded IPT.
It was a professional sport tour that featured bright lights and professional production. The event also included some of the most talented pool players around. This was a significant step in pool's history, which was not well-organized. There were eight sets of race-to-8 matches per day. Only two players in each group advanced to 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 was worth more than $6 million over its lifetime.
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 was another, with a $2,000,000 purse. Other tournaments include the IPT Players 8-Ball Championship. It 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 won $500K total for his win over Roderick Morse in the World Open Eightball Championship. He was also awarded the $163k first prize in the Predator World 14.1 Championship for his win over Niels Fiesen.
Efren Reyes has been called a celebrity. He is known as Bata and is considered the king among billiards hotshots. His nickname is "running the table". He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a bronze medal in eight ball at the 2002 Asian Games.
He earned $500 an hr as a pool instructor when he was younger. His entrance into the world pool was an unexpected one. A few years ago, he decided to become a tournament pro. He was soon 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 Moor and Earl Strickland. They won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Trophy.
Several other stars were included in the International Pool Tour, including Mike Sigel. Sigel, before he was a pro, sold imported goods and gambled on the road. After word spread about the league, Sigel began to compete. He was the winner of two world championships, and a two time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau was a long-time pool fan and came up with the idea for the tour after he saw a radio advertisement about a Chicago pool tournament. Initial plans were to host a challenge match in August 2005. The tour was cancelled following negotiations with the facility.