Mar 7–8, 2014 · Baton Rouge, LA
SMOKIN' N THE DARK won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on March 7, 2014 in Baton Rouge, LA, scoring 694.2284 in a field of 23 teams. CAJUN BLAZE took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.3712. Category winners: Chicken — BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ (176.5600); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN' N THE DARK (180.0000); Pork — C-N-B BAR-B-Q (176.0228); Brisket — C-N-B BAR-B-Q (173.1656). This is the 28th of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by BOOTYQUE; the next was held in 2014.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
SMOKIN' N THE DARK came in rated below the field's top team, LOTTA BULL BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was SMOKIN' N THE DARK's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 5th tracked contest.
4 of 125 tracked editions
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 125 tracked editions.
Chicken places 5–6: LOTTA BULL BBQ and JERRY KING MIDLAND TX tied on 172.5944 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: SMOKIN TRIGGERS and TEAM ALLEGRO tied on 169.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 2–3: SMOKIN' N THE DARK and CAVEMAN CUISINE tied on 170.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
C-N-B BAR-B-Q won Pork, Brisket — a double.
SMOKIN' N THE DARK took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
SMOKIN' N THE DARK turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 27 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: CAJUN BLAZE (won 2013), C-N-B BAR-B-Q (won 2013).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 172.5944 | 166.2400 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 172.5828 | 166.8572 |
| Pork | 176.0228 | 171.9772 | 168.5256 |
| Brisket | 173.1656 | 169.1200 | 165.1428 |
23 entries · top 694.2284 · median 654.7540
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 2 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 3 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | |
| 4 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 5 | C-N-B BAR-B-Q | |
| 6 | BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ | |
| 7 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 8 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 9 | LIBERTY BBQ | |
| 10 | TEAM ALLEGRO | |
| 11 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 12 | HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 14 | TEXAS TUMBLEWEED | |
| 15 | WILD BOAR SMOKERS | |
| 16 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 17 | JERRY KING MIDLAND TX | |
| 18 | WHO DAT SMOKERS | |
| 19 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 20 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN COONASSES | |
| 22 | THE KREWE OF BBQ | |
| 23 | KINGS SMOKE WAGON BBQ |
23 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ | |
| 2 | TEXAS TUMBLEWEED | |
| 3 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 4 | WILD BOAR SMOKERS | |
| 5 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | |
| 6 | JERRY KING MIDLAND TX | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 8 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 9 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 10 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 12 | HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ | |
| 13 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 14 | WHO DAT SMOKERS | |
| 15 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 16 | TEAM ALLEGRO | |
| 17 | LIBERTY BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 19 | SMOKIN COONASSES | |
| 20 | C-N-B BAR-B-Q | |
| 21 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 22 | KINGS SMOKE WAGON BBQ | |
| 23 | THE KREWE OF BBQ |
23 entries · top 180 · median 165.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 2 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 3 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 4 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 6 | HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ | |
| 7 | LIBERTY BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN COONASSES | |
| 9 | C-N-B BAR-B-Q | |
| 10 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 11 | TEAM ALLEGRO | |
| 12 | BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ | |
| 13 | TEXAS TUMBLEWEED | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 15 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 16 | WILD BOAR SMOKERS | |
| 17 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 18 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 19 | THE KREWE OF BBQ | |
| 20 | WHO DAT SMOKERS | |
| 21 | KINGS SMOKE WAGON BBQ | |
| 22 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 23 | JERRY KING MIDLAND TX |
23 entries · top 176.0228 · median 166.9144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C-N-B BAR-B-Q | |
| 2 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 3 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 4 | LIBERTY BBQ | |
| 5 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 7 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 8 | TEAM ALLEGRO | |
| 9 | BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ | |
| 10 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 11 | WHO DAT SMOKERS | |
| 12 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 13 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 14 | JERRY KING MIDLAND TX | |
| 15 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 16 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 17 | SMOKIN COONASSES | |
| 18 | HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ | |
| 19 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 20 | TEXAS TUMBLEWEED | |
| 21 | WILD BOAR SMOKERS | |
| 22 | THE KREWE OF BBQ | |
| 23 | KINGS SMOKE WAGON BBQ |
23 entries · top 173.1656 · median 162.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C-N-B BAR-B-Q | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 3 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 4 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 5 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 6 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | |
| 7 | TEAM ALLEGRO | |
| 8 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 9 | LIBERTY BBQ | |
| 10 | BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ | |
| 11 | HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ | |
| 12 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 13 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 15 | WILD BOAR SMOKERS | |
| 16 | JERRY KING MIDLAND TX | |
| 17 | WHO DAT SMOKERS | |
| 18 | TEXAS TUMBLEWEED | |
| 19 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN TRIGGERS | |
| 21 | KINGS SMOKE WAGON BBQ | |
| 22 | THE KREWE OF BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKIN COONASSES |