Decided by a tiebreaker
Tie
identical totals at the top
The top two teams finished on identical totals — the Grand Championship came down to the KCBS tiebreaker rules.
MN Masters BBQ
2025-08-22 – 2025-08-23 · Pierz, MN · 📍 68 Main St N · State championship
Reps: JOHN SCHARFFBILLIG, LAURIE TWETEN · Prize money: $10,050.00
Grand Champion: Son of a Boar BBQ (699.3944) · 26 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 HOT DADDY'S 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.
614.13
median 669.58
699.39 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 178.30
- Pork 178.86
- Brisket 177.14
140.56
178.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
699.3944
Winning margin
Tie
identical totals — KCBS tiebreaker
Field average
666.40
614.13699.39
median 669.58 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
4.5716 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
674.2284
614.13699.39
10th place overall
Field spread
85.2684
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,050.00
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 35%
beats 65% of 4707 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
70%
19 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1583
avg power rating going in · stronger than 66% of contests
Storylines (9 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 new contest record
699.3944
highest overall ever cooked here
699.3944 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 697.6688 Son of a Boar BBQ set in 2024.
- old record 697.6688
- set 2024 by Son of a Boar BBQ
Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Son of a Boar BBQ won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2024
- 2025
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 3 tracked editions
Son of a Boar BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
- 2024
- 2025
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 4–5: PO PO PORK and SIX BUTT BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: SIX BUTT BBQ and SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: Steel Smoke BBQ and Good Grefe! tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
- Brisket 2–3 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Son of a Boar BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 13th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 13th
A contest record in pork ribs
178.2972
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Son of a Boar BBQ turned in 178.2972 in pork ribs — past the 176.5944 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5944
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Son of a Boar BBQ (won 2024).
- Son of a Boar BBQ · 2024
They keep coming back
70%
of last edition’s field returned
19 of 27 teams from 2024-08-23 came back
19 of the 27 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-23 | Pierz, MN | 68 Main St N | 27 | 697.6688 | Son of a Boar BBQ | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| 2025-08-22 ← this one | Pierz, MN | 68 Main St N | 26 | 699.3944 | Son of a Boar BBQ | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| 2026-08-28 | Pierz, MN | 68 Main St N | 22 | 698.2400 | RUB MY RACK | Spitfire |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 173.7028 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 172.5600 | 169.6800 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 174.2856 | 171.9656 |
| Brisket | 177.1428 | 169.7028 | 167.9772 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 699.3944 · median 669.5828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 2 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | |
| 4 | SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | |
| 6 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 7 | NECTAR OF THE HOGS | |
| 8 | SMOKE IN THE EYE | |
| 9 | PO PO PORK | |
| 10 | Smokin Big | |
| 11 | KPG SMOKIN' | |
| 12 | Steel Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 14 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 15 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 16 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 17 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 18 | Good Grefe! | |
| 19 | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 20 | Sugar Shack | |
| 21 | Don't Tread on Meat | |
| 22 | Smokin G's BBQ | |
| 23 | FERNANDO'S RIB COMPANY | |
| 24 | Hooligan BBQ | |
| 25 | Numb Numb BBQ | |
| 26 | Prairie Smoke BBQ |
Chicken
26 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.7030
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | KPG SMOKIN' | |
| 5 | Sugar Shack | |
| 6 | Steel Smoke BBQ | |
| 7 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | |
| 8 | SMOKE IN THE EYE | |
| 9 | PO PO PORK | |
| 10 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokin Big | |
| 12 | NECTAR OF THE HOGS | |
| 13 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 15 | Don't Tread on Meat | |
| 16 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 17 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 18 | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 19 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 20 | Good Grefe! | |
| 21 | Smokin G's BBQ | |
| 22 | Prairie Smoke BBQ | |
| 23 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 24 | Hooligan BBQ | |
| 25 | Numb Numb BBQ | |
| 26 | FERNANDO'S RIB COMPANY |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 178.2972 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 2 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | |
| 4 | PO PO PORK | |
| 5 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 6 | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 7 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | |
| 8 | Steel Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | KPG SMOKIN' | |
| 10 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 11 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 12 | Smokin Big | |
| 13 | SMOKE IN THE EYE | |
| 14 | Sugar Shack | |
| 15 | Good Grefe! | |
| 16 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 17 | Don't Tread on Meat | |
| 18 | FERNANDO'S RIB COMPANY | |
| 19 | Smokin G's BBQ | |
| 20 | NECTAR OF THE HOGS | |
| 21 | SPITFIRE | |
| 22 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 24 | Numb Numb BBQ | |
| 25 | Prairie Smoke BBQ | |
| 26 | Hooligan BBQ |
Pork
26 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NECTAR OF THE HOGS | |
| 2 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKE IN THE EYE | |
| 4 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Hooligan BBQ | |
| 6 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 8 | Steel Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Good Grefe! | |
| 10 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | |
| 11 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 12 | Don't Tread on Meat | |
| 13 | Smokin G's BBQ | |
| 14 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | |
| 15 | FERNANDO'S RIB COMPANY | |
| 16 | SPITFIRE | |
| 17 | Smokin Big | |
| 18 | KPG SMOKIN' | |
| 19 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 20 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 21 | PO PO PORK | |
| 22 | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 23 | Sugar Shack | |
| 24 | Prairie Smoke BBQ | |
| 25 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 26 | Numb Numb BBQ |
Brisket
26 entries · top 177.1428 · median 164.5200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 2 | SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 4 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | |
| 5 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | |
| 6 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 7 | Smokin Big | |
| 8 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 9 | NECTAR OF THE HOGS | |
| 10 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 12 | PO PO PORK | |
| 13 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 14 | Numb Numb BBQ | |
| 15 | Good Grefe! | |
| 16 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 17 | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 18 | KPG SMOKIN' | |
| 19 | SMOKE IN THE EYE | |
| 20 | Sugar Shack | |
| 21 | Smokin G's BBQ | |
| 22 | Don't Tread on Meat | |
| 23 | Steel Smoke BBQ | |
| 24 | FERNANDO'S RIB COMPANY | |
| 25 | Hooligan BBQ | |
| 26 | Prairie Smoke BBQ |