A statement win
16.0920
points clear of the field
Wider than 97% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 16.0920 points — a wider margin than 97% of championships in the data.
3rd Annual Holbrook
Jul 12–13, 2013 · Holbrook, AZ
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the 3rd Annual Holbrook on July 12, 2013 in Holbrook, AZ, scoring 694.3088 in a field of 27 teams. THE SMOKING HILLS took Reserve Grand Champion with 678.2168. Category winners: Chicken — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (174.8688); Pork Ribs — LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ (177.7372); Pork — RHYTHM 'N QUE (175.4172); Brisket — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (180.0000).
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.
472.54
median 641.65
694.31 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 174.87
- Pork Ribs 177.74
- Pork 175.42
- Brisket 180 🔥
20
180
Entries
27
4 judged meats
Top score
694.3088
Winning margin
16.0920
GC over RC
Field average
639.41
472.54694.31
median 641.65 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
4.0116 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
653.6340
472.54694.31
10th place overall
Field spread
221.7716
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 56%
beats 44% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,534
avg power rating going in · stronger than 25% of contests
Storylines (4 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.
Photo finishes
0.0116
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 5–6: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ edged THE SMOKING HILLS by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 7–8: STEEL CITY BBQ edged LEFT COAST Q by 0.0116. Chicken places 4–5: MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ edged RANCH 13 BBQ by 0.0228.
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0116
- Chicken 4–5 · 0.0228
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0228
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 6th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 5th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 2nd
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- BIG POPPA SMOKERS · Brisket
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 174.8688 | 170.8572 | 166.2284 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7372 | 169.7144 | 163.9772 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 170.8456 | 166.8112 |
| Brisket | 180 | 171.4172 | 166.2972 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 694.3088 · median 641.6456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 3 | LITTLE MISS BBQ | |
| 4 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 5 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | KARNIVOROUS | |
| 7 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | |
| 8 | RANCH 13 BBQ | |
| 9 | LEFT COAST Q | |
| 10 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 11 | STEEL CITY BBQ | |
| 12 | FORK U BBQ | |
| 13 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 14 | SIN CITY SMOKERS | |
| 15 | TRAILHOUND SMOKERS | |
| 16 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 17 | LUCKY 13 BARBEQUE | |
| 18 | OL' FELLA'S BAR-B-Q | |
| 19 | SWEET PEPPERS | |
| 20 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 21 | THE COWBOY WAY AZ | |
| 22 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 23 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 24 | WICKED SWINE BBQ | |
| 25 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 26 | DANG! BBQ | |
| 27 | B.B.Q_U |
Chicken
27 entries · top 174.8688 · median 162.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | KARNIVOROUS | |
| 3 | THE COWBOY WAY AZ | |
| 4 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | RANCH 13 BBQ | |
| 6 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 7 | LEFT COAST Q | |
| 8 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | |
| 9 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 10 | LUCKY 13 BARBEQUE | |
| 11 | OL' FELLA'S BAR-B-Q | |
| 12 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 13 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 14 | FORK U BBQ | |
| 15 | LITTLE MISS BBQ | |
| 16 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 17 | TRAILHOUND SMOKERS | |
| 18 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 19 | SWEET PEPPERS | |
| 20 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 21 | STEEL CITY BBQ | |
| 22 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 23 | SIN CITY SMOKERS | |
| 24 | WICKED SWINE BBQ | |
| 25 | B.B.Q_U | |
| 26 | DANG! BBQ | |
| 27 | PHIL THE GRILL |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 177.7372 · median 161.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 2 | KARNIVOROUS | |
| 3 | SIN CITY SMOKERS | |
| 4 | LITTLE MISS BBQ | |
| 5 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 6 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 7 | STEEL CITY BBQ | |
| 8 | LEFT COAST Q | |
| 9 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 10 | WICKED SWINE BBQ | |
| 11 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | |
| 12 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 13 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 14 | RANCH 13 BBQ | |
| 15 | FORK U BBQ | |
| 16 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 17 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 18 | TRAILHOUND SMOKERS | |
| 19 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 20 | OL' FELLA'S BAR-B-Q | |
| 21 | SWEET PEPPERS | |
| 22 | B.B.Q_U | |
| 23 | LUCKY 13 BARBEQUE | |
| 24 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 25 | DANG! BBQ | |
| 26 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 27 | THE COWBOY WAY AZ |
Pork
27 entries · top 175.4172 · median 158.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | |
| 2 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 3 | LUCKY 13 BARBEQUE | |
| 4 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 5 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 6 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 7 | LITTLE MISS BBQ | |
| 8 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 9 | RANCH 13 BBQ | |
| 10 | STEEL CITY BBQ | |
| 11 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 12 | THE COWBOY WAY AZ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 14 | OL' FELLA'S BAR-B-Q | |
| 15 | FORK U BBQ | |
| 16 | WICKED SWINE BBQ | |
| 17 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 18 | KARNIVOROUS | |
| 19 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 20 | LEFT COAST Q | |
| 21 | SIN CITY SMOKERS | |
| 22 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 23 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 24 | SWEET PEPPERS | |
| 25 | DANG! BBQ | |
| 26 | B.B.Q_U | |
| 27 | TRAILHOUND SMOKERS |
Brisket
27 entries · top 180 · median 161.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 2 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 3 | TRAILHOUND SMOKERS | |
| 4 | LITTLE MISS BBQ | |
| 5 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | LEFT COAST Q | |
| 7 | SWEET PEPPERS | |
| 8 | FORK U BBQ | |
| 9 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 10 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 11 | KARNIVOROUS | |
| 12 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 13 | RANCH 13 BBQ | |
| 14 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 15 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | |
| 16 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 17 | SIN CITY SMOKERS | |
| 18 | STEEL CITY BBQ | |
| 19 | OL' FELLA'S BAR-B-Q | |
| 20 | THE COWBOY WAY AZ | |
| 21 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 22 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 23 | LUCKY 13 BARBEQUE | |
| 24 | DANG! BBQ | |
| 25 | WICKED SWINE BBQ | |
| 26 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 27 | B.B.Q_U |