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 started it. He was an avid pool player who was already a successful businessman when he conceived of IPT.
The professional sports tour featured bright lights, professional production and the best pool players in the world. This was an important step in the history of pool. It was a sport that was not well organised at the time. Each day, players played several races-to-8 sets. However, only two teams advanced to round 2.
Trudeau was determined give the game a serious shot. The tour was funded with $13million. 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 featured a $2 million prize pool. Other tournaments included IPT Players 8-Ball Championship which was set for October 22-29. The facility had problems in 2007, so the tour was cancelled.
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 also won $163k for his victory against Niels Fijen in Predator World 14.1 Championship.
Efren is considered a star. Bata is his name. His reputation as "running all the tables" is his nickname. He has won 14 tournaments. He won a silver medal in eight-ball at 2002 Asian Games.
When he was younger, he used to earn $500 an hour as a pool teacher. It was a surprise that he found his way into the pool world. A few years ago, he decided to become a tournament pro. He was soon the face 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 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. After word spread about the league, Sigel began to compete. He won two World Championships during his tenure.
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. The tour originally planned to hold a challenge game in August 2005. However, it was cancelled after negotiations broke down with the facility.