A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 7 tracked editions
SMOKEY HOG ISLAND LUV has won this contest 2 times across its 7 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2016
Smoke On The River 2013
Sep 6–7, 2013 · Quincy, IL
GILLY'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke On The River on September 6, 2013 in Quincy, IL, scoring 684.5368 in a field of 28 teams. THE SMOKING HILLS took Reserve Grand Champion with 679.9656. Category winners: Chicken — BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ (173.7372); Pork Ribs — GILLY'S BBQ (174.2628); Pork — THE SMOKING HILLS (177.1428); Brisket — GILLY'S BBQ (173.1428). This is the 1st of 7 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.
466.98
median 647.91
684.54 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 173.74
- Pork Ribs 174.26
- Pork 177.14
- Brisket 173.14
131.39
177.14
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
684.5368
Winning margin
4.5712
GC over RC
Field average
641.00
466.98684.54
median 647.91 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
660.6516
466.98684.54
10th place overall
Field spread
217.5536
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 83%
beats 17% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,533
avg power rating going in · stronger than 24% 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 4–5: LION 'BOUT THE Q and ONE2BBQ tied on 167.9884 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: THE SMOKING HILLS and SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS and POLITICAL PORK tied on 170.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · 0.0112
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
GILLY'S BBQ won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
GILLY'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 8th.
- Chicken 8th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 5th
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2013 ← this one | Quincy, IL | Quincy, IL | 28 | 684.5368 | GILLY'S BBQ | THE SMOKING HILLS |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Quincy, IL | Quincy, IL 62301 | 21 | 685.7260 | ONE2BBQ | SMOKIN' BUTTS |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento, CA 95818 | 26 | 687.3484 | SMOKEY HOG ISLAND LUV | MY SMOKIN GRILLFRIEND |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento, CA 95816 | 49 | 678.2856 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | MY SMOKIN GRILLFRIEND |
| Oct 14, 2016 | Sacramento, CA | Miller Park, 2710 Ramp Wa | 38 | 702.2972 | SMOKEY HOG ISLAND LUV | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME |
| Sep 1, 2023 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 20 | 699.9544 | GETTIN' BASTED | JANKY LEG BBQ |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 28 | 707.3944 | Slaps BBQ | Can Country Outlaw BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 173.7372 | 167.9884 | 166.2856 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 167.4056 | 165.0972 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 170.2856 | 167.4056 |
| Brisket | 173.1428 | 169.7028 | 164.5828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 684.5368 · median 647.9086
Chicken
28 entries · top 173.7372 · median 165.1200
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 174.2628 · median 163.4400
Pork
28 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.7028
Brisket
28 entries · top 173.1428 · median 159.9714