The International Pool Tour attracted the best players from all over the globe. 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. It was founded by Kevin Trudeau. When IPT was founded, Trudeau was an avid pool player. He was also a successful businessman.
The professional sports tour featured bright lights, professional production and the best pool players in the world. 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 wanted to give the game serious consideration. 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. The tour offered more than $6M in prize money over its life span.
In its first year, there were four events. One of the events was the King of the Hill Eightball Shootout with a prize fund of $200K. The North American Open featured a $2 million prize pool. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship took place from October 22-29. The facility problems caused the 2007 cancellation of the tour.
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 was also awarded the $163k first prize in the Predator World 14.1 Championship for his win over Niels Fiesen.
Efren is considered a star. Known as Bata, he is the king of the billiards hotshots. His reputation as "running all the tables" is 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 sudden entrance into pool was not expected. He became a tournament professional a few decades ago. He was then the face of 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 Morse and Earl Strickland. They also won Dr. Louis Pannullo's Award.
The International Pool Tour included several stars including Mike Sigel. Sigel was an importer and a gambler before he became a professional. He started to play after the word got out 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. Initial plans called for a August 2005 challenge match. It was cancelled by the facility after negotiations failed.