The International Pool Tour attracted many top players from all around the globe. This tournament was one of the first multi-million dollar tournaments that was aired on television, and it aimed to bring pool into the mainstream. Kevin Trudeau was the founder. He was an avid pool player who was already a successful businessman when he conceived of IPT.
It was a professional sports tour that featured bright lights, professional production, and some of the world's best pool players. This was a major step forward for pool, which at that time was not well-organized. Players would play several race-to-8 sets a day, but only two players per group advanced to the next round.
Trudeau was determined that the game would be a success. He started the tour with $13 million in funding. Although the tour was short-lived it brought the sport back into the limelight. The tour paid out more than $6,000,000 in prizes during its existence.
The tour hosted four events in its inaugural year. One was the King of the Hill Eight-ball Shootout, which had a $200K prize fund. The North American Open had a purse of $2 million. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship was also scheduled for October 22-29. 2007: The tour was cancelled due to problems at the facility.
The first year of the tour saw the largest pool prize money ever. Reyes was awarded $500K for beating Roderick Morris at the World Open Eightball Championship. For his victory over Niels Feijen, Reyes was awarded a $163k prize.
Efren Reyes is considered to be a superstar. 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 medal in eightball for the 2002 Asian Games.
When he was younger, he used to earn $500 an hour as a pool teacher. His emergence into the world of pool was unexpected. He decided to make it a career as a pro tournament player several years ago. He became the face and voice of IPT. Currently, he serves as the color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines in the World Cup of Pool. They beat Roderick 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. He began competing after hearing about the league. He won two world championships during his tenure and was 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. After negotiations with the facility, it was cancelled.