A big mistake a novice cigar aficionado can make is to puff away on their stick as if they were trying to blow down a house of bricks. Not only does it look weird, it's a fast and furious way to ruin a great cigar. Why? Constant puffing will overheat your cigar and cause it to become bitter. And in most cases, the bitterness cannot be reversed. How often should you puff? A good rule of thumb is to puff once every 30 to 60 seconds. Remember! Smoking a fine cigar is all about savoring the moment, so leave the huffing and puffing to the big, bad wolf.