The International Pool Tour attracted many top players from all around 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 created 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 tour of pool that featured professional production and bright lights. This was an important step in the history of pool. It was a sport that was not well organised at the time. The players would play multiple race-to-8 sets per day, but only two of them advanced to the next round.
Trudeau was determined to give the game a serious shot. He started the tour with $13 million in funding. Although it was a short-lived venture it did help bring the sport into the public eye. The tour paid out more than $6,000,000 in prizes during its existence.
The tour hosted four events in its inaugural year. The King of the Hill Eightball Shootout had a $200K prize pot. The North American Open had a purse of $2 million. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship was also scheduled for October 22-29. Due to issues with the facility, the tour was cancelled in 2007.
The first year of the tour saw the largest pool prize money ever. Reyes won $500K for his win against Roderick Moor in the World Open Eightball Championship. He also received a $163k first prize for his win against Niels Feijen in the Predator World 14.1 Championship.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. Known as Bata, he is the king of the billiards hotshots. His reputation for "running the tables" is what gave him his nickname. He has won 14 tournaments. He won a silver medal in eight-ball at 2002 Asian Games.
As a young man, he earned $500 an hour as a teacher of pool. It was a surprise that he found his way into the pool world. He became a tournament professional a few decades ago. He was soon the face IPT. He is the current color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines on 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. He began competing after hearing about the league. During his tenure, he won two world championships and is a two-time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau, an avid pool fan, thought of the tour after hearing a radio advertisement for a Chicago-area tournament. Initially, the tour planned to have a challenge match in August 2005. The tour was cancelled following negotiations with the facility.