The International Pool Tour attracted players from all corners of the globe. This tournament was one the first multi-million-dollar tournaments to be aired on television. It aimed to make pool more mainstream. Kevin Trudeau was the founder. Kevin Trudeau was an avid player of pool and was already a successful businessman at the time he founded IPT.
This was a professional sporting tour featuring bright lights, professional production, pool pros, and top players. This was an important step for pool, as it was a sport that was not well-organized 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 give the game a serious shot. He began the tour with $13million in funding. Although it was a short-lived venture it did help bring the sport into the public eye. The tour was worth more than $6 million over its lifetime.
The inaugural year of the tour saw four events. The King of the Hill Eightball Shootout had a $200K prize pot. The North American Open featured a $2 million prize pool. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship took place from October 22-29. In 2007, the tour was canceled due to problems with the facility.
The first year of the tour featured the most prize money in the history of pool. Reyes won $500K for his win against Roderick Moor 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 Ries is considered a legend. Known as Bata, he is the king of the billiards hotshots. His reputation as "running all the tables" is his nickname. He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a medal in eightball for the 2002 Asian Games.
He earned $500 an hr as a pool instructor when he was younger. He was surprised when he entered the world of pool. He decided to make it a career as a pro tournament player several years ago. He became the face and voice of IPT. He is currently the color commentaryator on U.S. broadcasts.
The World Cup of Pool was a tournament where Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented the Philippines. They defeated Roderick Moor and Earl Strickland. They won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Prize.
The International Pool Tour also featured Mike Sigel and several other celebrities. Sigel, before he was a pro, sold imported goods and gambled on the road. After hearing of the league, he began competing. He won two World Championships during his tenure.
Trudeau had been a long-time enthusiast of pool and thought up the tour after seeing a radio advertisement for a Chicago region pool tournament. Initial plans called for a August 2005 challenge match. It was cancelled by the facility after negotiations failed.