A day of perfect scores
6
perfect 180s
6 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- TWISTED PAIR BBQ · Brisket
- Smoke Central BBQ · Chicken
- SMOKIN SKULLIES · Chicken
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 2024
Oct 11–12, 2024 · Rocky Mount, NC · 📍 285 NE Main Street · State championship
Reps: Alan Rothrock, Doug Reid · Prize money: $18,900
Smoke Central BBQ won Grand Champion at the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down on October 11, 2024 in Rocky Mount, NC at 285 NE Main Street, scoring 702.7884 in a field of 26 teams. FRED VEGAS SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 700.5028. Category winners: Chicken — Smoke Central BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Smoke Central BBQ (180.0000); Pork — SMOKE N BREW (180.0000); Brisket — TWISTED PAIR BBQ (180.0000). This is the 8th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Swine 'N' Roses BBQ.
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.
558.23
median 678.17
702.79 🏆
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 🔥
128.55
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
702.7884
Winning margin
2.2856
GC over RC
Field average
666.84
558.23702.79
median 678.17 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
6 🔥
Tightest race
Chicken
3.4284 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
685.6000
558.23702.79
10th place overall
Field spread
144.5592
winner to last place
Prize money
$18,900
on the line
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 23%
beats 77% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
44%
12 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,590
avg power rating going in · stronger than 71% of contests
Storylines (6 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 dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 8 tracked editions
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 8 tracked editions.
- 2017
- 2018
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: Smoke Central BBQ and SMOKIN SKULLIES tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: FRED VEGAS SMOKERS and ELITE BBQ SMOKERS tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: North Meets South BBQ and SMOKE SHOW MAFIA tied on 176.5716 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Smoke Central BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Smoke Central BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 15th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 15th
- Brisket 6th
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Fred Vegas Smokers (won 2021), Swine 'N' Roses BBQ (won 2023).
- Fred Vegas Smokers · 2021
- Swine 'N' Roses BBQ · 2023
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 11, 2013 | Rocky Mount, NC | Rocky Mount, NC | 55 | 682.2744 | FatBacks BBQ & Rib Shack | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Rocky Mount, NC | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 50 | 701.0972 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | THE SMOKEHOUSE BANDITS!!! |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 39 | 682.7428 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church st | 32 | 705.1316 | Old Colony Smokehouse | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 8, 2021 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 26 | 702.2400 | Fred Vegas Smokers | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 705.1316 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 702.2400 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 ← this one | Rocky Mount, NC | 285 NE Main Street | 26 | 702.7884 | Smoke Central | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5716 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 175.4744 | 170.2744 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.8688 | 172.5600 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4172 | 170.8344 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 702.7884 · median 678.1714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 2 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 3 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 4 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 6 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 7 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 8 | North Meets South BBQ | |
| 9 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 10 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 11 | Ham Squad | |
| 12 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 13 | KC Grills | |
| 14 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 15 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 16 | PitStopQ | |
| 17 | ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 18 | BB Barbecue and Pits | |
| 19 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 20 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 21 | KenzielouQ | |
| 22 | Pig Pirates BBQ | |
| 23 | The Two-Six K.A. BBQ Team | |
| 24 | Japp's Chop House | |
| 25 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 26 | Paps |
Chicken
26 entries · top 180 · median 169.4058 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 3 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 4 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 5 | North Meets South BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 7 | Ham Squad | |
| 8 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 9 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 10 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 11 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 12 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 13 | KC Grills | |
| 14 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 15 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 16 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 17 | ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 18 | PitStopQ | |
| 19 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 20 | Paps | |
| 21 | KenzielouQ | |
| 22 | Pig Pirates BBQ | |
| 23 | BB Barbecue and Pits | |
| 24 | The Two-Six K.A. BBQ Team | |
| 25 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 26 | Japp's Chop House |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 180 · median 167.6858 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 2 | KC Grills | |
| 3 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 5 | BB Barbecue and Pits | |
| 6 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 7 | Ham Squad | |
| 8 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 10 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 11 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 12 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 13 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 14 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 15 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 16 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 17 | North Meets South BBQ | |
| 18 | The Two-Six K.A. BBQ Team | |
| 19 | PitStopQ | |
| 20 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 21 | ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 22 | Pig Pirates BBQ | |
| 23 | KenzielouQ | |
| 24 | Japp's Chop House | |
| 25 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 26 | Paps |
Pork
26 entries · top 180 · median 168.5314 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 2 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 3 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 4 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 5 | Pig Pirates BBQ | |
| 6 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 7 | North Meets South BBQ | |
| 8 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 9 | BB Barbecue and Pits | |
| 10 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 11 | PitStopQ | |
| 12 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 13 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 14 | KenzielouQ | |
| 15 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 16 | Japp's Chop House | |
| 17 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 18 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | Ham Squad | |
| 20 | ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 21 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 22 | The Two-Six K.A. BBQ Team | |
| 23 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 24 | KC Grills | |
| 25 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 26 | Paps |
Brisket
26 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 3 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 4 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 6 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 7 | ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 8 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 9 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 10 | Ham Squad | |
| 11 | North Meets South BBQ | |
| 12 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 13 | KC Grills | |
| 14 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 15 | PitStopQ | |
| 16 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 17 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 18 | BB Barbecue and Pits | |
| 19 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 20 | KenzielouQ | |
| 21 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 22 | The Two-Six K.A. BBQ Team | |
| 23 | Pig Pirates BBQ | |
| 24 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 25 | Japp's Chop House | |
| 26 | Paps |