The International Pool Tour attracted many top players from all around 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 gamer of pool, and was already a successful man when he came up with the idea for IPT.
The professional sports tour featured bright lights, professional production and the best pool players in the world. This was an important step for pool, as it was a sport that 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 that the game would be a success. The tour was funded with $13million. Even though it was short-lived, it helped bring the sport to the forefront. The tour was worth more than $6 million over its lifetime.
The inaugural year of the tour saw four events. One of the most popular events was the King of the Hill Eightball Shootout. This event had a prize money of $200K. The North American Open featured a $2 million prize pool. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship took place from October 22-29. 2007: The tour was cancelled due to problems at the facility.
The first year of this tour had the highest prize money in pool history. Reyes won $500K total for his win over Roderick Morse in the World Open Eightball Championship. He also won $163k for his victory against Niels Fijen in Predator World 14.1 Championship.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. Bata is his name. His nickname is "running the table". He has won 14 tournaments. For the 2002 Asian Games, he won a bronze medal in eight-ball.
He used to make $500 an hour teaching pool when he was younger. He was surprised when he entered the world of pool. A few years ago, he decided to become a tournament pro. He became the face and voice of IPT. He currently serves as the color commentator in U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines at the World Cup of Pool. They beat Roderick Morris and Earl Strickland. They also won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Award.
Many other stars participated in the International Pool Tour including Mike Sigel. Before he became a pro, Sigel sold imported products and was a road gambler. He started to play after the word got out about the league. He was the winner of two world championships, and a two time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau, who had been a long-time fan of pool, conceived of the tour when he heard a radio ad for a Chicago area pool tournament. The tour originally planned to hold a challenge game in August 2005. It was cancelled by the facility after negotiations failed.