A razor-thin finish
1.1772
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 78% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1772 points — closer than 78% of every championship in the data.
- Kermit's Ex
- COWBOY Q
Go Hog Wild BBQ 2023
Oct 6–7, 2023 · Sheridan, AR · 📍 204 North Oak · State championship
Reps: Karen Jane Williams, Ralph Williams · Prize money: $7,600
Kermit's Ex won Grand Champion at the Go Hog Wild BBQ on October 6, 2023 in Sheridan, AR at 204 North Oak, scoring 709.7144 in a field of 26 teams. COWBOY Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 708.5372. Category winners: Chicken — RAZORRACKS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Ahh Townley BBQ (180.0000); Pork — BLIND HOG BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Piggin' Whiskey.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
479.33
median 657.01
709.71 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
20
180
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
709.7144
Winning margin
1.1772
GC over RC
Field average
656.28
479.33709.71
median 657.01 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
3.4284 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
687.3256
479.33709.71
10th place overall
Field spread
230.3888
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,600
on the line
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 3%
beats 97% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
46%
12 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,557
avg power rating going in · stronger than 44% of contests
Storylines (9 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A new contest record
709.7144
highest overall ever cooked here
709.7144 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 702.8344 Piggin' Whiskey set in 2022.
- old record 702.8344
- set 2022 by Piggin' Whiskey
An upset on the books
21-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100
Kermit's Ex came in rated below the field's top team, RAZORRACKS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1675
- top seed 1906
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Kermit's Ex won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 9th
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 2nd
A first Grand Championship
63
tracked contests to get there
This was Kermit's Ex's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 63rd tracked contest.
A day of perfect scores
5
perfect 180s
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ · Brisket
- RAZORRACKS · Chicken
- BLIND HOG BBQ · Pork
A knife fight at the top
4.6172
points across the top five
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.6172 points.
- 1st Kermit's Ex
- 2nd COWBOY Q
- 3rd WOOD HOOK BBQ
- 4th BLIND HOG BBQ
- 5th RAZORRACKS
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 2–3: WOOD HOOK BBQ and BLIND HOG BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: BLIND HOG BBQ and COWBOY Q tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 3–4: WOOD HOOK BBQ and BLIND HOG BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Brisket 3–4 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
RAZORRACKS turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 172.5600 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 172.5600
- across 1 past editions
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2022 | Sheridan, AR | 204 North Oak | 26 | 702.8344 | Piggin' Whiskey | RAZORRACKS |
| Oct 6, 2023 ← this one | Sheridan, AR | 204 North Oak | 26 | 709.7144 | Kermit's Ex | COWBOY Q |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Sheridan, AR | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4172 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5716 | 173.1200 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 171.9656 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 709.7144 · median 657.0114
Chicken
26 entries · top 180 · median 167.1086 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 180 · median 168.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
26 entries · top 180 · median 165.9828 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
26 entries · top 180 · median 165.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180