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 started it. He was an avid pool player who was already a successful businessman when he conceived of 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 crucial step for pool as the sport was not well organized at the time. Players would play several race-to-8 sets a day, but only two players per group advanced to the 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 offered more than $6M in prize money over its life span.
The tour hosted four events in its inaugural year. One of the four events was the King of the Hill Eight Ball Shootout. It had a prize pool of $200K. The North American Open was another, with a $2,000,000 purse. Other tournaments included the IPT Players 8-Ball Championship, which 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 received $500K in total for his victory against Roderick Moss in the World Open Eightball Championship. He also won $163k for his victory against Niels Fijen in Predator World 14.1 Championship.
Efren Ren Reyes is a worldwide superstar. Bata is his name. His reputation for "running the tables" is what gave him his nickname. He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a medal in eightball for the 2002 Asian Games.
He was a pool teacher when he grew up. His entrance into the world pool was an unexpected one. He made the decision to become a professional tournament player a few years ago. He was the face IPT. He is currently the color commentator for 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 Dr. Louis Pannullo's Award.
The International Pool Tour included several stars 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 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.