A statement win
23.4856
points clear of the field
Wider than 100% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 23.4856 points — a wider margin than 100% of championships in the data.
Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) 2013
Jul 26–27, 2013 · Morton, IL
QUAU won Grand Champion at the Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) on July 26, 2013 in Morton, IL, scoring 704.6172 in a field of 45 teams. ONE2BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 681.1316. Category winners: Chicken — QUAU (178.2972); Pork Ribs — YELLOW RIVER BBQ (177.1772); Pork — FIDDLIN' FATBACK (177.1544); Brisket — QUAU (179.4400). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2014.
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.
544.61
median 639.32
704.62 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 177.18
- Pork 177.15
- Brisket 179.44
111.45
179.44
Entries
44
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
704.6172
Winning margin
23.4856
GC over RC
Field average
637.20
544.61704.62
median 639.32 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.3200 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.1084
544.61704.62
10th place overall
Field spread
160.0116
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 15%
beats 85% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.54 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,519
avg power rating going in · stronger than 13% 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
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM and YELLOW RIVER BBQ tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: MEATSMACK and THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: GILLY'S BBQ edged THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS by 0.0116.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0116
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
QUAU won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
QUAU took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 6th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 1st
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2013 ← this one | Morton, IL | Morton, IL | 45 | 704.6172 | QUAU | ONE2BBQ |
| Jul 25, 2014 | Morton, IL | Morton, IL 61550 | 48 | 680.5484 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 172 | 168.5944 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1772 | 174.8572 | 169.1200 |
| Pork | 177.1544 | 171.9884 | 169.6916 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 172 | 167.4400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
44 entries · top 704.6172 · median 639.3200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUAU | |
| 2 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 3 | THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS | |
| 4 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 5 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 6 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 7 | GILLY'S BBQ | |
| 8 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 9 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 10 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 11 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 12 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 13 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 14 | DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES | |
| 15 | Boss Hawg BBQ - OK | |
| 16 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 17 | Whitey's BBQ | |
| 18 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 19 | RIB TIP TUESDAY | |
| 20 | LAZY DOG BBQ | |
| 21 | KEN'S BURNT ENDS | |
| 22 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 23 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 24 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 25 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 26 | CHERRY RED ROASTERS | |
| 27 | CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE | |
| 28 | Smoke Brothers BBQ - IL | |
| 29 | LeRoy Master Basters | |
| 30 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 31 | MEATSMACK | |
| 32 | Happy Smoke | |
| 33 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 34 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 35 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 37 | Burnt BBQ | |
| 38 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 39 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 40 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 41 | QUE MUCH FUN | |
| 42 | MANNA BBQ | |
| 43 | What's The Rush BBQ | |
| 44 | Dad's Famous BBQ | |
| 45 | Remax Unlimited BBQ |
Chicken
44 entries · top 178.2972 · median 162.2572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUAU | |
| 2 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 3 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 4 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 5 | DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES | |
| 6 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 7 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 8 | Whitey's BBQ | |
| 9 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 10 | Smoke Brothers BBQ - IL | |
| 12 | RIB TIP TUESDAY | |
| 13 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 14 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 15 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 16 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 17 | GILLY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | LAZY DOG BBQ | |
| 19 | CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE | |
| 20 | THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS | |
| 21 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 22 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 23 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 24 | Boss Hawg BBQ - OK | |
| 25 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 26 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 27 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 28 | What's The Rush BBQ | |
| 29 | KEN'S BURNT ENDS | |
| 30 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 31 | Happy Smoke | |
| 32 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 33 | LeRoy Master Basters | |
| 34 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 35 | CHERRY RED ROASTERS | |
| 36 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 37 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 38 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 39 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 40 | MANNA BBQ | |
| 41 | MEATSMACK | |
| 42 | Burnt BBQ | |
| 43 | QUE MUCH FUN | |
| 44 | Dad's Famous BBQ | |
| 45 | Remax Unlimited BBQ |
Pork Ribs
44 entries · top 177.1772 · median 158.8456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 2 | RIB TIP TUESDAY | |
| 3 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 4 | QUAU | |
| 5 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 6 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 7 | GILLY'S BBQ | |
| 8 | THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS | |
| 9 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 10 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 11 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 12 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 13 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 14 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 15 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 16 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 17 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 18 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 19 | Dad's Famous BBQ | |
| 20 | Burnt BBQ | |
| 21 | What's The Rush BBQ | |
| 22 | LAZY DOG BBQ | |
| 23 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 24 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 25 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 26 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 27 | Whitey's BBQ | |
| 28 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 29 | MEATSMACK | |
| 30 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 31 | KEN'S BURNT ENDS | |
| 32 | DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES | |
| 33 | CHERRY RED ROASTERS | |
| 34 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 35 | MANNA BBQ | |
| 36 | Happy Smoke | |
| 37 | Smoke Brothers BBQ - IL | |
| 39 | LeRoy Master Basters | |
| 40 | Boss Hawg BBQ - OK | |
| 41 | QUE MUCH FUN | |
| 42 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 43 | CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE | |
| 44 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 45 | Remax Unlimited BBQ |
Pork
44 entries · top 177.1544 · median 163.9828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 2 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 3 | MEATSMACK | |
| 4 | THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS | |
| 5 | Boss Hawg BBQ - OK | |
| 6 | QUAU | |
| 7 | DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES | |
| 8 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 9 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 10 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 11 | KEN'S BURNT ENDS | |
| 12 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 13 | CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE | |
| 14 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 15 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 16 | GILLY'S BBQ | |
| 17 | Happy Smoke | |
| 18 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 19 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 20 | Burnt BBQ | |
| 21 | Smoke Brothers BBQ - IL | |
| 22 | CHERRY RED ROASTERS | |
| 23 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 24 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 25 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 26 | Whitey's BBQ | |
| 27 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 28 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 29 | QUE MUCH FUN | |
| 30 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 31 | LeRoy Master Basters | |
| 32 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 33 | MANNA BBQ | |
| 34 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 35 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 36 | LAZY DOG BBQ | |
| 37 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 38 | Remax Unlimited BBQ | |
| 39 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 40 | RIB TIP TUESDAY | |
| 42 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 43 | What's The Rush BBQ | |
| 44 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 45 | Dad's Famous BBQ |
Brisket
44 entries · top 179.4400 · median 158.8058
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUAU | |
| 2 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 3 | Boss Hawg BBQ - OK | |
| 4 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 5 | THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS | |
| 6 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 8 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 9 | LAZY DOG BBQ | |
| 10 | GILLY'S BBQ | |
| 11 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 12 | LeRoy Master Basters | |
| 13 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 14 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 15 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 16 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 17 | KEN'S BURNT ENDS | |
| 18 | CHERRY RED ROASTERS | |
| 19 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 20 | Whitey's BBQ | |
| 21 | CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE | |
| 22 | DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES | |
| 23 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 24 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 25 | QUE MUCH FUN | |
| 26 | RIB TIP TUESDAY | |
| 27 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 28 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 29 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 30 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 32 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 33 | Happy Smoke | |
| 34 | MEATSMACK | |
| 35 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 36 | Remax Unlimited BBQ | |
| 37 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 38 | Smoke Brothers BBQ - IL | |
| 39 | Dad's Famous BBQ | |
| 40 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 41 | Burnt BBQ | |
| 42 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 43 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 44 | MANNA BBQ | |
| 45 | What's The Rush BBQ |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Master Series — Sides
15 entries · top 175.4056 · median 165.1312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silver Bullet Smokers | |
| 2 | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE | |
| 3 | BBQ BREW CREW | |
| 4 | Three Big Pigs | |
| 5 | Sauced-N-Smoked | |
| 6 | Join Us Out Here BBQ | |
| 7 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 8 | BERGIE BBQ | |
| 10 | BIGED'S BBQ | |
| 11 | Daddy Badz BBQ | |
| 12 | All Pork'd Up | |
| 13 | Shantastic BBQ and the Smoked Bird | |
| 14 | Remax Unlimited BBQ | |
| 15 | TEXAS BUTT RUBBERS | |
| 16 | MANNA BBQ |