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 founded it. When he created IPT, he was an avid pool player and was already a successful entrepreneur.
This was a professional sporting tour featuring bright lights, professional production, pool pros, and top players. This was a significant step in pool's history, which was not well-organized. 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 and eager to give the game a serious chance. The tour began with $13 Million 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.
During its initial year, the tour featured four events. One was the King of the Hill Eight-ball Shootout, which had a $200K prize fund. The North American Open was another, with a $2,000,000 purse. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship was also scheduled for October 22-29. In 2007, the tour was canceled due to problems with the facility.
The first year of this tour had the highest prize money in pool history. 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 Ren Reyes is a worldwide superstar. Bata is his name. His nickname stems from his reputation as "running the tables." He has won fourteen 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. He was surprised when he entered the world of pool. He made the decision to become a professional tournament player a few years ago. He became the face and voice of IPT. He is the current color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines during the World Cup of Pool. They defeated Roderick Moor and Earl Strickland. They also won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Award.
Several other stars were included 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 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. Initially, the tour planned to have a challenge match in August 2005. It was cancelled after negotiations with the facility.