A new contest record
690.8572
highest overall ever cooked here
690.8572 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 682.8570 BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ set in 2013.
- old record 682.8570
- set 2013 by BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ
Smokin' on the Water 2013
Aug 23–24, 2013 · Lakeport, CA
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smokin' on the Water on August 23, 2013 in Lakeport, CA, scoring 690.8572 in a field of 20 teams. HOG ISLAND PITMASTERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 683.9316. Category winners: Chicken — TOO ASHAMED TO NAME (177.1428); Pork Ribs — BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ (178.3200); Pork — SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL (174.2628); Brisket — SMOKIN YANKEES (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2013 edition was won by BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ; 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.
522.89
median 655.38
690.86 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.14
- Pork Ribs 178.32
- Pork 174.26
- Brisket 180 🔥
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2015 — this edition picked out.
Entries
20
4 judged meats
Top score
690.8572
Winning margin
6.9256
GC over RC
Field average
648.11
522.89690.86
median 655.38 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
656.4912
522.89690.86
10th place overall
Field spread
167.9656
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 68%
beats 32% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 37 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.77 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,523
avg power rating going in · stronger than 16% 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 5 tracked editions
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 5 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2015
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 8–9: Mr. Applejacks and HOG ISLAND PITMASTERS tied on 167.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS edged PIG LOVE by 0.0228. Pork places 7–8: TOO ASHAMED TO NAME edged Smokey and the Pirate by 0.0228.
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · 0.0228
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0228
- Brisket 9–10 · 0.0228
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 10th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 10th
A contest record in chicken
177.1428
best chicken ever cooked here
TOO ASHAMED TO NAME turned in 177.1428 in chicken — past the 174.2858 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 174.2858
- across 1 past editions
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.
- SMOKIN YANKEES · 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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2013 | Liberty, IN | Liberty, IN | 37 | 682.8570 | BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ | IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE |
| Aug 23, 2013 ← this one | Lakeport, CA | Lakeport, CA | 20 | 690.8572 | BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ | HOG ISLAND PITMASTERS |
| May 3, 2014 | Liberty, IN | Liberty, IN 47353 | 43 | 701.7372 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | ONE2BBQ |
| Aug 22, 2014 | Lakeport, CA | Lakeport, CA 95453 | 17 | 685.6452 | SON OF SMOKE | Smokey and the Pirate |
| May 2, 2015 | Liberty, IN | Liberty, IN 47353 | 36 | 695.9660 | BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ | SMOKIN' HOOKERS BAR-B-Q LLC |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1428 | 170.2628 | 165.1656 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.3200 | 169.1544 | 165.1544 |
| Pork | 174.2628 | 170.8228 | 163.9544 |
| Brisket | 180 | 173.7600 | 170.2744 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
20 entries · top 690.8572 · median 655.3828
Chicken
20 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.1598
Pork Ribs
20 entries · top 178.3200 · median 165.1200
Pork
20 entries · top 174.2628 · median 163.4058
Brisket
20 entries · top 180 · median 169.1486 · 🔥 perfect 180