[GoatLocker]

Trying to poke all the way through is risky unless you are smoking short fat cigars, but then, they don't typically have many draw issues... I'm not a big believer in draw tools, but I would only poke as far as needed, from the end closest to the problem.

There really isn't any single solution for a cigar that won't give up the goods. Some are just rolled too tight, and can be helped to some degree by dry boxing.

Some are plugged, where there is a localized obstruction somewhere in the cigar. If you can poke through this plug, you might get a cigar to draw, but it's usually for a short time.

Frequently, the problem is a tight or twisted spot where the roller holds the leaves as he/she bunches the tobacco. This is usually pretty close to the location of the band. Again, if you can poke through this, it can fix a cigar, but it's usually a short lived fix. I have had better success using a 1/8" drill bit than my draw poker, as it actually removes tobacco, so the draw doesn't close back up after a few minutes.

All that said, like pmp, I usually pitch a stick that gives me any trouble.