Scott Braband

What started as a simple question from Master Sensei—“What should we call this show?”—has grown into one of the cigar world’s longest-running and most beloved live broadcasts. Now, Smoke Night LIVE reaches an incredible milestone: Episode 500.Over the years, the show has welcomed a true who’s who of the premium cigar industry, and for this special celebration many of those familiar faces return with surprise cameo appearances, stories, and memories to honor the journey. Join the Dojo crew as they look back at the moments, laughs, and cigars that helped shape five hundred unforgettable episodes of Smoke Night LIVE.This is more than just another episode—it’s a celebration of the community that made it all possible.X:https://x.com/cigardojoInstagram:https://instagram.com/cigardojoJoin the Dojoverse:https://dojoverse.comShop the merch:https://cigardojo.com/shopSmoke Night Live is part of the Cigar Dojo network.

“Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to ROYAL RUMBLE III!”The bell rings, the lists are locked in, and only ONE Cigar of the Year list can stand tall. In our annual year-end showdown, some of the biggest voices in cigar media collide in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy. This year’s combatants enter the ring: Cigar Coop, Halfwheel, Developing Palates, and Bob the Cigar Guy. Each list throws its best punches, each pick faces the crowd’s judgment, and only one will emerge victorious. The audience decides the winner in this 10 round heavy weight match. The trash talk will be loud. The takes will be hot. And the chaos will be glorious. Don’t miss the most unhinged, high-energy show of the year—ROYAL RUMBLE III is about to go off the top rope.

On this episode of Smoke Night Live, it’s awards night. Throw on the tuxedo and join us as we roll out the red carpet for our annual Cigar of the Year Awards Show. After a full year of smoking, reviewing, blind testing, and heated debate, the Top 20 Cigars of 2025 have officially been announced—and we’re breaking it all down.

On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, Master Sensei, Kid Producer Jordan, and Scotty Braband each reveal five cigars that every cigar hobbyist should always have in their humidor. That’s 15 total smokes the Cigar Dojo crew considers true Humidor Essentials. Tune in, join the conversation, and share your own must-have cigars as we kick off the first show of the new year.

It’s the day after Christmas, and Terence Reilly of Aganorsa Leaf joins Master Sensei and the Dojo crew as we recover from the holiday chaos by building the ultimate S-Tier holiday rankings, stacking every holiday from best to worst. We’ll also announce the winner of this week’s Flex for Christmas giveaway, featuring a 10-cigar Aganorsa Leaf sampler and an Aganorsa Axe.

Get ready for our 3rd epic AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Smoke Night LIVE! The audience takes the wheel, firing tough, fascinating questions at the Dojo crew: Master Sensei, Juan Cancel, Kid-Producer Jordan, Scotty Braband, and Matty Hall. Best of all, submit your question(s) for a chance to win a 10-count bundle of Protocol Jane Doe cigars! Drop your most compelling questions and join the fun!

Survey Says! Terence Reilly from Aganorsa Leaf joins the show to predict the results of our cigar consumer survey before we dive into the answers. How well does Terence understand the habits of premium cigar smokers? Tune in to find out! Plus, complete the survey for a chance to win a FLEX Sampler featuring 10 incredible Aganorsa Leaf cigars.

Let’s get ready to rumble! It’s time for one of the most highly anticipated episodes of the year, where we pit four of the top Cigar-of-the-Year lists against each other in a no-holds-barred battle royale. The best part? The viewing audience decides the outcome! Last year’s champion, Cigar Snob Magazine, returns to defend its crown against Cigar Press, How Bout That Cigar, and Smokin’ Tobacco. Which year-end list will reign supreme? Tune in to find out!

Hear ye, hear ye! As the calendar turns to the year of our Lord, 2025, the first gathering of this noble assembly shall commence anon, and thou art invited to take the reins! Yea, good folk, the gallant Dojo fellowship shall gather ’round the fabled ‘Table of Rounds’ to discourse upon the matters thou dost present. But hark! The merriment doth not end there. The most splendid query or topic proffered by the audience shall be deemed worthy of a grand prize. This princely reward includeth a bounteous collection of fine cigars from the venerable houses of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Foundation, Joya, Black Star Line, Room101, and others of renown. Moreover, the victor shall claim a coveted Squishy Sensei and a freshly forged Dojo Xikar Xi2 cutter, treasures fit for a sovereign. Come forth and join the revelry, for thine wit and wisdom may yet claim thee this glorious bounty!

Another year has gone by, and Smoke Night LIVE host, Master Sensei, is celebrating another birthday! How do we mark this special occasion, you ask? By giving away some tasty cigars! That’s right, folks – we’re giving away one premium cigar for every year Sensei has been on this wild ride of life. So, one lucky winner will walk away with 59 premium cigars just for tuning in live to this episode. Prize pack includes cigars from: Aganorsa Leaf, Espinosa, Alec Bradley, J.C. Newman, Hoya de Monterrey, Partagas, Drew Estate, Micallef, Oliva, Asylum, Macanudo, and more.

The 13th Annual Cigarebecue is this Sunday, May 26th, featuring amazing prizes from the fine folks at Camacho. On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, we get the ball rolling with pitmaster Randy Griggs as we discuss how we will be celebrating this year’s event. We will also be giving away a great prize on this episode to one lucky winner, so make sure to tune in and participate!

Do you ever wonder what a machine-made cigar tastes like? How do they differ from a premium, hand-made cigar? The Dojo crew takes a dive into some popular machine-made cigars to see what they have to offer, and we will review and rate them live on the show.

What is the most iconic video game of all time? On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, we are fixin’ to find out. Titles from Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, Sega, and even old-school stand-up arcade games will battle it out for supremacy. Protocol’s Juan Cancel and Alex Tavella from Smoke Inn join the Dojo crew to argue and debate a 16-team bracket until a winner is determined. Make sure to tune in, because the live audience will have a big role in shaping the final bracket.

It’s 3AM and you’ve been driving for 13 hours. You pull into the gas station with an incredible case of the munchies but you only have enough spare change for one snack. What’s it gonna be??? Illusione’s Fred Rewey joins Flavor Odyssey’s Randy Griggs and the Dojo team as they determine which snack rules them all. In the final four, the YouTube and Facebook audience get to help determine the winner, so you’d better tune in and make your voice heard.

Here’s the dilemma… your friend hands you three premium cigars, but the catch is: you have to throw one of them away, you can stash one for later, and you get to smoke one of them right away. How do you choose? The Dojo crew along with William “Cigar Coop” Cooper will be faced with several of these scenarios, and will be forced to decide on the spot. Do they…. Smoke, Stash, or Trash?

Every cigar gets just one chance to make a good first impression. This week on Smoke Night LIVE, we will “speed date” a few cigars we haven’t tried yet. Our expert panel will review and rate each cigar live on the spot. William “Cigar Coop” Cooper and Alex Tavella from Smoke Inn join the Dojo crew for this “must-see TV” episode.

This week on Smoke Night LIVE, Abe Dababneh from Smoke Inn, Nick Libretti from JR Cigar, and Scott Braband from Trinity Cigar Mobile Lounge join the show to discuss the state of cigar retailing in the current market. We also attempt to foresee what the future holds for selling and marketing premium cigars.

Put on your tuxedo and stroll down the red carpet with us as we announce the Dojo members that will be eternally enshrined into the Dojo Hall of Fame. Ten Dojo members, three industry giants, and two Dojo groups will join the rarest club of all: the Cigar Dojo Hall of Fame.

A panel of experts determine if you should BUY, SELL, or HOLD stock in some of your favorite cigar brands. William [Cigar Coop] Cooper, Bear [El Oso Fumar] Duplisea, and Scott [Trinity Cigar Lounge] Braband join the show and discuss the trajectory of several cigar brands.

It’s time to “speed date” some cigars. Yes, that’s right, it’s the 6th edition of our First Impressions Show, where we try new cigars for the first time and review and rate them live on the show. Emmett Malone from Blind Man’s Puff joins Eric and Jordan on this show, which will also feature a blind bourbon tasting.