1. This is not a lottery or gambling system; it is a simple cigar exchange. CigarPool  is open to residents of the United States of America who are age 18 or older. When you sign up for CigarPool you are certifying that you are at least 18. You also agree to abide by the statements on this page.  Apologies to those who live elsewhere, but shipping costs and customs regulations can be prohibitive when it comes to non-US residents. Console yourself with the thought that you can get Cuban cigars and we cannot!

2.  Each CigarPool participant is assigned a number between 00 and 99 (each member may have one or two numbers). Requests for specific numbers will be honored if possible. If the number requested is not available, another number will be assigned at random. The assigned number stays with you for as long as you participate in CigarPool.  If a member drops out, that number will be offered 1st - to the next person on the CigarPool waiting list, 2nd - to existing CigarPool members who would like to switch or add numbers, 3rd - to the various cigar newsgroups and bb's. The live lottery drawing is held at 10:25pm MST so all changes must be processed before then on the day of the drawing...if you wait until the last minute your change may not take effect until the next drawing.

3.  As the Drawing Schedule indicates, a lucky number holder will be named every other Wednesday, based on the last two digits of the three digit number drawn in the 10:25pm (MST) Arizona Lottery Daily Pick 3 Game. For example, on June 9th the number 908 was drawn, so member #08 would have been the CigarPool lucky number holder. If #08 was unassigned/ineligible on that date, the first two digits would have been used to determine a back-up lucky winner, and #90 would have received the cigars. If that number also was unassigned/ineligible, the 1st and 3rd digits would have been used and #98 would receive the cigars. In the event that all three of these combinations of the winning numbers are unassigned/ineligible there will be no lucky # and therefore no mailing for that drawing.

4.  As soon as possible following a scheduled drawing (usually Thursday), CigarPool members will receive an email containing the name and address of that week's lucky number holder. All other CigarPool members must snail-mail a cigar (or two) to that number holder before the next scheduled drawing. In other words, you have two weeks to mail & register your mailing.

5. TO BE A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING, YOU HAVE TWO DIRECT RESPONSIBILITIES:
     (Here's what you have to do to be eligible for each drawing)

    A: YOU MUST REGISTER YOUR MAILING. Click the "Member Login" link (available at the top of any CigarPool page), which will take you to a login page where you can register your mailing after you have logged in. If you fail to register your mailing before 12:00 Noon MST the Wednesday of the next drawing, you will not be eligible to win that drawing but you will still be expected to mail a cigar to the winner. Failure to deliver a cigar to a winner on two occasions will put your CigarPool membership at risk and your number may be made available to someone else. If you are traveling or have other commitments that prevent you from mailing the cigars in a timely fashion, please let the CigarPool administrator know...before the next drawing deadline! Please do not submit your registration unless your package already has been mailed. Too often our good intentions get waylaid, and the winner never gets his or her cigars.

    B: YOU MUST MAIL YOUR CIGARS TO THE LUCKY NUMBER HOLDER BY THE NEXT DRAWING.  That gives us two weeks to send the cigars to their destination... which should be plenty of time anywhere in the US. Through the first six months of the CigarPool, a number of lucky number holders never got the cigars shown. As I said, good intentions get waylaid, so the sooner we mail, the better the odds are that the mailing will actually be done.

6. The lucky number holder must track the packages received against the registered mailings, and report that the registered cigars have been received by logging them on the 'Mailings Received' grid on your Member Page. (please report any unreceived or damaged packages to the CigarPool administrator prior to the next drawing deadline). To be eligible for the drawing, each CigarPool member must send his or her gifted cigars to the lucky number holder before the deadline. Please understand that the rules are in place so that everyone has a good time participating. It is no fun to expect 100 cigars and never get them!

7.  When you join the CigarPool, you must provide your full name, a valid mailing address and a valid email address. It is your responsibility to keep your information current (which can be done on your Member Page after logging in) - if your information is not current and your number is drawn, you may have to forfeit your win. Privacy: Your mailing address will only be given to other CigarPool members when your number is drawn...it will NOT be published on the public web page or in any other public forum. Your email address will be linked in the member listing on the web page.

Why the web site changes?
The CigarPool is supposed to be fun for all members - including the administrator. Maintaining the CigarPool requires much time and effort on the part of the administrator, much of which is working on repetitive chores. These chores have been automated to free up valuable time to be spent on other aspects of the CigarPool.

What other changes are ahead?
The look and feel of the site will be updated, and other changes to increase member fun are planned. If you have any suggestions, please email the administrator.

How do I use the message board?
Only CigarPool members may add to the message board. Use the 'Member Login' link on any CigarPool page to log in, then scroll down to the "Add A Message To The Message Board" form, then enter your message and hit the "Add A Message" button. To put a smiley in your message, just put a :) in the message, it will automatically change to a smiley on the board.

How can I display my home page on the 'Members and Numbers' page for all to see?
You can now add your homepage to your user profile to share it with other CigarPoolers. Just log in, scroll to the bottom, and click the 'Change' button next to the Home Page section and follow the instructions (you can use this to stop displaying your home page also). Then check the 'Members & Numbers' page! ENJOY!!!

Hey, an Internet friend of mine is in the pool and I'd like to send him/her some cigars as a surprise. Could you send me his snail mail address?
Please do NOT ask me for another member's snail mail address unless you are in the pool and their number was drawn and you deleted the email announcing their address and you are sending the required cigar pool package. Other than that case, although your intentions are probably honorable, I will not give out address information without permission.

What do I get if my number is drawn?
That depends on the other members of the pool.  If the pool numbers are all spoken for and everyone cooperates, you should receive at least 99 cigars. If all the numbers are not taken or we have a few deadbeats, you should still get a lot of cigars!

What happens if the pool is not full?
If an unassigned/ineligible number is drawn then the first two digits or 1st and 3rd digits drawn will be used to select a backup lucky number (see # 3 above). If those numbers are also unassigned/ineligible there will be no lucky # and therefore no mailing for that drawing. The pool will operate as long as at least 30 people are participating. If participation drops below 30 and new members can't be recruited the pool will be discontinued.

Can my # be selected more than once?
Yes but we'll all hate you for it ;-) As long as you are a member in good standing (see #5 above) the rest of us will send you cigars every time your number is drawn. The third time your number is drawn we all send you "dog rockets".

Can I have more than one number to increase my luck?
Yes, if spots are available. But on your unlucky weeks, you must send at least one cigar for each number you hold.

If I join the pool late, do I owe cigars to the previous lucky # holders?
No, that was the responsibility of the previous owner of your number. You only owe cigars for all future drawings that happen while you are a pool member. That's why another person's name may be displayed next to your number on the lucky #'s page while your name appears on the member page.

Do I keep the same pool number every week?
Yes, but see the next FAQ.

Can I change my pool number?
The pool administrator would like to do as little work as possible and would prefer that you keep the same number forever. However, if a number becomes available, and no one is waiting in the wings to join the pool, you will be given a chance to change to or add that number.

I wasn't lucky this week and I can't find the lucky number holder's snail mail address anywhere on the web site, why not?
You weren't lucky because your number wasn't drawn...oh, you mean why can't you find the lucky number holder's address. The current winner's information is posted on the bottom of the Member Page - they are not posted on any public web page.  Current pool members will also receive the lucky person's name and address via email after each drawing.

What types of cigars should I send the lucky number holder?
Send something you would smoke, something from your daily rotation, something you would share with another cigar lover, something you would like to receive if you won. Don't send dog rockets because the Winners Page will list the cigar(s) you send for all to see.

Can we all just send a supply/box of cigars to the administrator and have him mail them out each week?
That idea sounds good because it guarantees that the lucky number holder gets the cigars and it consolidates the shipping costs. However it also presents some problems. First, the CigarPool administrator has a life. And a day job. Second, people come and go from the pool almost every week and tracking and returning the cigars would present a logistical nightmare (see also reason number 1).

How should I send the cigar(s)?
The best way seems to be USPS Priority Mail. The postage will run you $3.85 but the mailing boxes are free and very nicely sized for cigars, and the priority packages do arrive faster. Place the cigar in a zip-lock baggy and cushion it in the priority mailer with "peanuts" or even paper towels. By the way, you can purchase sheets of the $3.85 Priority stamps at the Post Office or order online for only $1.00 delivery charge. Then simply grab one of the free boxes, stick on a stamp, and mail your cigars from the comfort of your own home. No need for biweekly trips to the PO.

If you do not want to pay priority postage, please note:  CigarPool lucky number holders have reported that paper towel tubes and padded envelopes DO NOT make good cigar mailers. The cigars packaged that way typically arrive crushed and unsmokable.

If you have a favorite method that guarantees safe delivery of a cigar, feel free to use it and share it!

One pool member has advised -- "If you turn the priority mail video box inside out, you can mail it First Class for about a buck instead of the $3.50, and it usually gets anywhere in the US within 2-3 days." One caveat ... be careful with this method. A tale was posted on ASC about someone who tried this and the postal worker made him pay priority postage because it was a USPS box. You might want to wrap the priority box in plain brown paper (that'll really make the postal carrier wonder what's up...99 brown paper packages arriving!)

Another pool member suggested -- "I have found that the best way to mail a single cigar is to go to the hardware store and get a piece of PVC pipe.  Cut to the size of the cigar and tape off both ends. Postage is right around $1.00 and it is almost impossible to crush. Plus, if you receive one the pipe is small enough to save and when you need to mail one cigar, just retape it, readdress it, and send it on its way."

What does this pool cost me?
A maximum of 26 times a year you will need to mail a package containing at least one cigar. That's a little more than one box or bundle per year. If you lose every drawing for a year the priority postage would run you $83.20. Add the price of 26 cigars and you can get by for under $200. If your number is selected once and 99 cigars arrive at your door, you will have quickly recovered your costs.

My cigars never reached the winner, what should I do?  Should I resend the package?
- If this is an isolated incident just chalk it up to bad luck. Each member can decide if they want to resend or not. Resending a mailing is not a requirement of the pool (unless an individual member has a history of missing mailings).

- If this is a pattern, consider sending your packages using the USPS delivery confirmation system. Here's the USPS FAQ on this option http://usps.com/consumers/domestic.htm#delconf. Please do NOT use the "signature required" option (available only for insured $50 value or registered mail) as it would be unfair to expect a winner to be available to sign for 99 packages in a two week period. The USPS also offers a tracking feature but only on "express" mail and that's much more expensive than priority.  Insurance is another option and will cost you $1.30 to insure the package for up to $50 value.

- If several of your mailings are missing please contact your mailing location (USPS, Mailboxes, Etc. or wherever you mail or ship). They may have a theft problem and the thief counts on you assuming it was "lost in the mail".

- Be sure to place a return address and your CigarPool number on the package. That way the winner knows who sent it and the USPS can return the package to you in the event you got the winner's address wrong on the mailing label.

Will the lucky number holder confirm receipt of the packages?
CigarPool winners now report the receipt of all packages (or if a registered package has not shown up). Winners are required to fill out an on-line form which updates the Winner's page. Personally, if someone were to send me a cigar in the mail at:

The burden of timely and safely shipping the cigars is and should be on the sender. Therefore the sender should consider the options offered by the USPS and weigh their cost against the cost of having to resend packages if several of their mailings end up lost. It is the sender's responsibility to securely package the cigars, and mail them in a timely fashion. And don't be upset if the lucky number holder sends you an email in 2 or 3 weeks and says "Umm, I don't want to be greedy, but I never got the cigar you said you sent..."

How long must I stay in the pool?
You may leave the pool at any time by clicking on the CigarPool administrator link on the home page, and sending me an email... Be sure to include your name and pool number in the message. Please note that leaving the pool guarantees that your number will come up in the next drawing. Quitting the week after you get lucky also buys you lots of enemies ;-)