The International Pool Tour was an event that attracted top players from around the world. This tournament was the first to be broadcast on TV and was intended to promote pool as a mainstream sport. Kevin Trudeau was the founder. 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. The players would play multiple race-to-8 sets per day, but only two of them advanced to the next round.
Trudeau wanted to give the game serious consideration. He began the tour with $13million in funding. 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 had four events during its first year. One of the four events was the King of the Hill Eight Ball Shootout. It had a prize pool of $200K. Another was the North American Open, which had a $2 million purse. The IPT Players 8-Ball Championship took place from October 22-29. In 2007, the tour was canceled due to problems with the facility.
The tour's first year featured the highest amount of prize money in history. Reyes received $500K in total for his victory against Roderick Moss in the World Open Eightball Championship. For his victory over Niels Feijen, Reyes was awarded a $163k prize.
Efren Reyes has been called a celebrity. He is known as Bata and is considered the king among billiards hotshots. His reputation as "running all the tables" is his nickname. He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a bronze medal in eight ball at the 2002 Asian Games.
He used to make $500 an hour teaching pool when he was younger. 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 in the World Cup of Pool. They defeated Roderick Morse and Earl Strickland. They were also awarded the Dr. Louis Pannullo award.
The International Pool Tour also featured Mike Sigel and several other celebrities. Before he became a pro, Sigel sold imported products and was a road gambler. He began competing after hearing about the league. He was the winner of two world championships, and a two time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau had been a long-time enthusiast of pool and thought up the tour after seeing a radio advertisement for a Chicago region pool tournament. Initial plans were to host a challenge match in August 2005. The tour was cancelled following negotiations with the facility.