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Super Bowl Pool 2019

thinde

Lobstah; the other white meat!
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
4,481
I figured I’d write this now while its all still fresh in our minds. I’m sure everyone will agree that Tall Paul has done an outstanding job with the Super Bowl Pool for the past 4 years, but he says he’s done. It’s been a struggle to fill the pool the last couple of years. I don’t know if that’s due to the general lack of interest on the board or it being Cuban’s only. It shouldn’t be price point because AF Hemingway’s, Anjeo’s and Opus along with Illusions and Tat’s cost as much, if not more than a Monti’s Parti’s, ERdM and H Upmann Mag of comparable vitolas.

This thread is to gage interest in next year’s pool and ask for opinions as to what we should be putting up per box. I though this year worked out fine. We went up until almost half of the boxes were filled and knowing we were never going to fill the rest of them everyone doubled up leaving 6 or 8 to be filled. I’m not a huge sports fan but I do like a game of chance and it helps keep my interest through the game I’m in on.

Should we keep it all CC? Open it to the sticks mentioned above, (larger than petit corona)? Should it be one stick per box with a max of 8 boxes? I’m looking for opinions and I know this place if full of them so don’t be shy, what do you think?
 
Yes aged pineapple and grape white owls!

In all seriousness I would do a mix and match of cigars in the $12-15 range regardless of country of origin. You can put a list of cigars to exclude and get agreement before the person ships their cigars. Good to start the conversation. Plus everyone should send in 4 bits to cover shipping out of the winnings, that way no one is caught holding the bag. Just my thoughts, YMMV.
 
2 sticks - set a price per - move along.

Base it on MSRP's for the most part.
The only difference from past pools, you'd be running it and still putting in 4 sticks for me!


:p

(btw - I've 4 Jose Piedra's for ya)
 
The only difference from past pools, you'd be running it and still putting in 4 sticks for me!

After all of the stick you've passed off to me over the years I'd be shocked if I'm close!
 
Tom, I totally agree with your analysis. As long as the stick meets the threshold, it should be ok as not everyone has CC's. Also, agree that Paul has done a great job running this pool.

I will throw in one more recommendation. The person who wins the final score is next year's host and foots the shipping. Those are my thoughts and I'm certainly willing to do this if the masses agree.

Thanks for the thread and to Paul once again.
 
Thats the thing, it could bring more people to expand it outside of CCs. But others, like myself, would likely avoid it if it were not all CCs. I know I didn't participate this year which was due to some family stuff that came up, but that is my 2 cents for future years.
 
I like mixing it up. CCs or Non, as long as a price threshold is met.

It would probably mean some wouldn’t participate, but I would guess not as many as currently don’t participate due to it being strictly CC.

I enjoyed it back when Swifty ran it as Anejo/Opus X and I’ve enjoyed it as Paul has run it CC only. But it could probably go for a wider audience now.

I like Clint’s idea too. You win the big pot and you host it next year.
 
Perhaps doing one as a CC, one can be player choice within set limitations. I also like the idea of passing host duties.
 
I didn’t get to really participate this year as I had a lot going on at work and honestly thought there was a chance it was going to go mixed cc and nc’s from the start. By the time I was able to read through it and see Paul was clear that it would be cc’s only and check my stash there was only one box left.

If this went mixed with just a price point for NC’s Iwould be out. If it’s CC’s, Opus, Anejo and Padrons that’s a different story. I know which NC’s I enjoy and don’t enjoy. The idea of winning a pot with a whole bunch of cigars where I might only smoke 1/4 of doesn’t appeal to me.

I played the opus/Anejo pool and had fun as I knew what the prize was. Same with Paul’s CC pool.

Now there is another option. You could just run it as a cash pool. $10 a square, 5 square max or 5 square buy in. Prize could be cash or to keep it cigar related, the host purchases 4 boxes of Cubans and each quarter has a specific box that is sent. Ex 1st and 3rd quarter each win a box of bolivar PC’s about $150 a box. Half time wins a box of JL# 1 about $225 a box. Final wins a box of Cohiba Robustos. About $425 a box. The remaining $50 is used to cover shipping costs to the winners. You would of course choose boxes that are available, order once all the money was received, and post the idea of what boxes where to be prior to ordering.
 
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I was thinking after reading what Wyatt just said. With Swifty's trademark of Opus/Anejo...and Paul making Cuban cigars his. It's sort of cool how each person put their mark on the event. When you think about it, each one was as special for the selection of cigars as it was for the event it was created for. Point being, do we stay with a theme to keep it interesting?...while not killing it. Like a Padron 26/64...45, 46. etc. event? All Nicaraguans? All Robustos?...all with a minimum value. Something to think about....
 
Thank you guys for the kind words. I have really enjoyed running it but I feel like every year I was begging more and more for people to join. I like the mixed idea. Last year when I chose to switch it to mixed I got alot of grief from a few members because they only joined due to only cc's. This year I wanted to make sure that didn't happen as no matter what i knew I would step down on running it next year in preparation for baby #2 arriving this summer. So tom Pmed me at the perfect time. Thank you Tom for stepping up.

As for a rotation on the host the main problem I see with this is all the logistics that Brice would have to do each year. And then a new host needs to learn how to work the grid each year. The host (Tom) should stay the same but maybe the big winner fronts the money on the shipping costs via Paypal to tom. Personally I never worried about the shipping costs for two major reasons. 1 is you all paid to ship your entry to me and I have no initial shipping cost. 2 alot of you are extremely generous and always have added a smoke or two or more for me for hosting which is completely unnessasary but much appreciated and that value Trump's the shipping costs.

Thanks again Tom and I am in for whatever max number of squares you choose and the buy in doesn't matter to me. 2 per mixed seems like the best option.

Paul
 
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Josh’s idea sounds like a good one. I would be open to that. We would just have to start it earlier to order the cigars.
 
I like Josh's idea of cash entries for boxes of CCs. That would solve the problem of people who want to participate but don't have the sticks to enter. It would also provide known prizes, which would solve the mixed bag problem.
 
I also like the idea of it being a cash entry and the host decides what Cuban box to buy based on the winning prize amount for each quarter. That way everyone can participate, there's no discrepancy on value, and I'm sure we would all be happy with the winnings :D

I think it would be very hectic to rotate hosts, especially when any member is allowed to participate, both new and inactive too. I'm not saying anyone isn't reliable, but you never know, especially when some people come and go.
 
I also like the idea of it being a cash entry and the host decides what Cuban box to buy based on the winning prize amount for each quarter. That way everyone can participate, there's no discrepancy on value, and I'm sure we would all be happy with the winnings :D

I think it would be very hectic to rotate hosts, especially when any member is allowed to participate, both new and inactive too. I'm not saying anyone isn't reliable, but you never know, especially when some people come and go.
Another great point on the rotation!
 
I didn’t get to really participate this year as I had a lot going on at work and honestly thought there was a chance it was going to go mixed cc and nc’s from the start. By the time I was able to read through it and see Paul was clear that it would be cc’s only and check my stash there was only one box left.

If this went mixed with just a price point for NC’s Iwould be out. If it’s CC’s, Opus, Anejo and Padrons that’s a different story. I know which NC’s I enjoy and don’t enjoy. The idea of winning a pot with a whole bunch of cigars where I might only smoke 1/4 of doesn’t appeal to me.

I played the opus/Anejo pool and had fun as I knew what the prize was. Same with Paul’s CC pool.

Now there is another option. You could just run it as a cash pool. $10 a square, 5 square max or 5 square buy in. Prize could be cash or to keep it cigar related, the host purchases 4 boxes of Cubans and each quarter has a specific box that is sent. Ex 1st and 3rd quarter each win a box of bolivar PC’s about $150 a box. Half time wins a box of JL# 1 about $225 a box. Final wins a box of Cohiba Robustos. About $425 a box. The remaining $50 is used to cover shipping costs to the winners. You would of course choose boxes that are available, order once all the money was received, and post the idea of what boxes where to be prior to ordering.
This to me is the best idea for many reasons. I would be game for this as well. $10 a square a 5 square buy in per member.

This would have to be started at mid season or earlier to one get it full and two order the smokes.

Paul
 
One of the best things doing it this way for Tom is dealing with the potential of member sending in cigars that are damaged or don't meet the requirements. I've had this happen a couple times and then I had to ship them back to that person.
 
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