The International Pool Tour was a tournament that attracted some of the most renowned players around the world. This tournament was one among the first multimillion-dollar tournaments that were aired live on television. It was designed to introduce pool to the mainstream. Kevin Trudeau founded it. He was an avid pool player who was already a successful businessman when he conceived of IPT.
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. There were eight sets of race-to-8 matches per day. Only two players in each group advanced to next round.
Trudeau was determined give the game a serious shot. The tour began with $13 Million in funding. Although it was a short-lived venture it did help bring the sport into the public eye. Over $6 million was awarded in prize money during the tour's existence.
The inaugural year of the tour saw 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. The facility had problems in 2007, so the tour was cancelled.
The first year was the most lucrative in pool history. Reyes won a total of $500K for his victory over Roderick Morris in the World Open Eight-ball Championship. He also won $163k for his victory against Niels Fijen in Predator World 14.1 Championship.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. He is known as Bata and is considered the king among billiards hotshots. His reputation for "running the tables" is what gave him his nickname. He has won fourteen tournaments. He was awarded a bronze medal for eight-ball at the 2002 Asian Games.
When he was younger, he used to earn $500 an hour as a pool teacher. 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. At that point, he became the face of IPT. He is currently the color commentaryator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines at the World Cup of Pool. They beat Roderick Morris and Earl Strickland. They won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Prize.
Several other stars were included in the International Pool Tour, including Mike Sigel. Sigel used to be a road gambler and sold imported products before becoming a pro. But after word of the league got out, he started competing. He was the winner of two world championships, and a two time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau, a long-time player of pool, came up with the idea of the tour when he was exposed to a Chicago tournament. Initial plans for the tour were to host a match against opponents in August 2005. After negotiations with the facility, it was cancelled.