IPT Pool Tour Goes off With a Bang

When Kevin Trudeau, the self made billionaire, announced that he was launching the International Pool Tour (IPT) many doubted the initial hype. What added further heat to the flames was that the first event on the IPT calendar was dubbed the World 8-ball Championships and yet it was played between two aging and long past-their-best professionals, in Mike Sigel and Lori Jon Jones. In their time they were two of the greats so why risk such criticism and not play to up-to-date legends? I myself was skeptical and yet having seen the result of that first event I can now see where My Trudeau is coming from.

His tour will in it's first year guarantee a total of $7 million in prize money. This is all money being put up my Mr Trudeau and in no way affects players pockets. It is quite a statement to try and put Pool alongside other corporate sports like Golf and Tennis. What it does mean though is that Pool has rightfully been brought to the big time and the select few players that do play on the tour will be able to earn proper money without the need for extraneous entry fee's or gambling. In addition the TV coverage that runs alongside the tour will propel all of the players into global stars overnight. The tour has had so much interest that players like Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White have been selected and decided to give it a go. Not even Snooker offers this much prize money or coverage for a cue sports player.

The first (and only) tournament in the IPT 2005 calendar has just been completed with a selection of 43 players battling for a share of the $1 million prize purse. The winner, Efren Reyes, walked away with $200,000, larger than any other pool tournament ever, even if you got selected to play you were guaranteed $6,800 which in most Pool tournaments would be around the first place prize money. With $7 million guaranteed for next year players who are on the tour will earn a minimum of $20,000 each with the potential to earn in excess of $1 million in prize money.

My opinion is that this is a step in the right direction for pool, it will mean tournament promoters will have to compete for the best players by offering more prize money and with this means more corporate sponsorship further enhancing the global pull of the sport. TV ratings will go up and with it sales of pool and billiards equipment as non-players gain a fascination for the sport. It will also produce a wealth of new talent as young players aspire to play on the biggest tour in the world, it may also bring a few hustlers out of the pool rooms and into tournaments when they realize they can earn a proper living from the game. One thing is for sure, we should all keep an eye on the IPT over the next year and beyond, I may even dust off my pool cues!