A new contest record
701.7144
highest overall ever cooked here
701.7144 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 697.6684 CAVEMAN CUISINE set in 2013.
- old record 697.6684
- set 2013 by CAVEMAN CUISINE
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) 2014
Sep 5–6, 2014 · Southaven, MS
PIG WHISPERERS won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) on September 5, 2014 in Southaven, MS, scoring 701.7144 in a field of 30 teams. LANG BBQ SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6112. Category winners: Chicken — THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE (180.0000); Pork Ribs — QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N (177.7372); Pork — BOOTYQUE (175.4172); Brisket — BOOTYQUE (179.4400). This is the 9th of 26 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by CHECKERED FLAG 500 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.
656.39
median 679.59
701.71 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 177.74
- Pork 175.42
- Brisket 179.44
147.92
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
701.7144
Winning margin
8.1032
GC over RC
Field average
680.09
656.39701.71
median 679.59 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
684.4456
656.39701.71
10th place overall
Field spread
45.3260
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 25%
beats 75% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Weak
ρ = 0.07 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,634
avg power rating going in · stronger than 92% of contests
Storylines (10 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.
An upset on the books
26-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100
PIG WHISPERERS came in rated below the field's top team, QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1622
- top seed 1801
Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
PIG WHISPERERS won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 15th
- Brisket 2nd
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 26 tracked editions
RHYTHM 'N QUE has won this contest 2 times across its 26 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
A stacked field
1634
average power rating going in
Stronger than 92% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1634 power rating going in — stronger than 92% of every contest tracked.
- top seed QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N (1801)
- 30 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: PIG WHISPERERS and WINK'S BARBEQUE tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: ALL RACKED UP BBQ and FIRE DANCER BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: MOONSWINERS and Organizer Portal tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
BOOTYQUE won Pork, Brisket — a double.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 8 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 8 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MOONSWINERS (won 2013).
- MOONSWINERS · 2013
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.
- THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE · Chicken
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2013 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 667.4280 | TOMBSTONE BBQ | GQUE |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Rockford, IL | Rockford, IL | 30 | 683.9544 | TheBBQSuperStore.com | GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA |
| Sep 6, 2013 | Chesapeake, VA | Chesapeake, VA | 30 | 673.6796 | Rhode Hog BBQ | SMOKE THIS |
| Sep 13, 2013 | Hendersonville, TN | Hendersonville, TN | 30 | 697.0972 | MOONSWINERS | Swamp Boys |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 697.6684 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2014 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 685.7140 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | SLAP YO' DADDY BBQ |
| Aug 1, 2014 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 689.1316 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | iBQ'n |
| Aug 29, 2014 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 673.0740 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | THE BBQ GURU |
| Sep 5, 2014 ← this one | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.7144 | PIG WHISPERERS | LANG BBQ SMOKERS |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 29 | 694.2288 | CLARK CREW BBQ | CAVEMAN CUISINE |
| Apr 24, 2015 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 702.8576 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 694.8344 | THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
| Sep 4, 2015 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 688.5488 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.1200 | CAJUN BLAZE | EAT MOR BUTT BBQ |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 694.2632 | CLARK CREW BBQ | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 695.4172 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | SMOKIN MO'S BBQ |
| May 20, 2016 | Southhaven, MS | Southhaven, MS | 29 | 696.5028 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | SOUTHERN SMOKERS |
| Jul 1, 2016 | Marietta, GA | Marietta, GA | 30 | 697.6572 | CONTAGIOUS Q | Organizer Portal |
| Aug 26, 2016 | N. Charleston, SC | N. Charleston, SC | 30 | 695.3484 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 705.7144 | LUCKY'S Q | TOTALLY SAUCED |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 698.8572 | JAESTAR BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 706.8572 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| Jun 30, 2017 | Bartlett, TN | Bartlett, TN | 30 | 704.5488 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | RAZORRACKS |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 29 | 698.8228 | SMOKING BUTT HEADS | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 685.1432 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | iBQ'n |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Edmond, OK | Edmond, OK | 30 | 709.7260 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | JAESTAR BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7372 | 175.4400 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 174.2628 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 176.5828 | 171.9656 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 701.7144 · median 679.5942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIG WHISPERERS | |
| 2 | LANG BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 3 | BARRY & ERICA | |
| 4 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 5 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 6 | BOOTYQUE | |
| 7 | Organizer Portal | |
| 8 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 9 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | |
| 10 | ALL RACKED UP BBQ | |
| 11 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 12 | MOONSWINERS | |
| 13 | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 14 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | |
| 15 | SOUTHERN SMOKED SWINE | |
| 16 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 17 | KILLER B'S BBQ | |
| 18 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 19 | TENACIOUS Q | |
| 20 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 21 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 22 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 23 | CURLY TAILS BBQ | |
| 24 | THE LOONEY PIT | |
| 25 | THE BLUE BLOODS | |
| 26 | SWAMP BOYS | |
| 27 | Good Buddies BBQ | |
| 28 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 29 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 30 | WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 2 | PIG WHISPERERS | |
| 3 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 4 | BARRY & ERICA | |
| 5 | ALL RACKED UP BBQ | |
| 6 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 7 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | |
| 8 | LANG BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 9 | MOONSWINERS | |
| 10 | Organizer Portal | |
| 11 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | |
| 12 | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 13 | KILLER B'S BBQ | |
| 14 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 15 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 16 | TENACIOUS Q | |
| 17 | Good Buddies BBQ | |
| 18 | SOUTHERN SMOKED SWINE | |
| 19 | SWAMP BOYS | |
| 20 | THE BLUE BLOODS | |
| 21 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 22 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 23 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 24 | CURLY TAILS BBQ | |
| 25 | THE LOONEY PIT | |
| 26 | WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA | |
| 27 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 28 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 29 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 30 | BOOTYQUE |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 177.7372 · median 169.4058
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | |
| 2 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 3 | PIG WHISPERERS | |
| 4 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 5 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 6 | Organizer Portal | |
| 7 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 8 | BARRY & ERICA | |
| 9 | ALL RACKED UP BBQ | |
| 10 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 11 | THE BLUE BLOODS | |
| 12 | Good Buddies BBQ | |
| 13 | LANG BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 14 | BOOTYQUE | |
| 15 | WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA | |
| 16 | THE LOONEY PIT | |
| 17 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 18 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | SWAMP BOYS | |
| 20 | MOONSWINERS | |
| 21 | CURLY TAILS BBQ | |
| 22 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 23 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 24 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 25 | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 26 | TENACIOUS Q | |
| 27 | KILLER B'S BBQ | |
| 28 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 29 | SOUTHERN SMOKED SWINE | |
| 30 | HICKORY PRIME |
Pork
30 entries · top 175.4172 · median 168.5428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOOTYQUE | |
| 2 | KILLER B'S BBQ | |
| 3 | MOONSWINERS | |
| 4 | SOUTHERN SMOKED SWINE | |
| 5 | LANG BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 6 | WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA | |
| 7 | SWAMP BOYS | |
| 8 | THE LOONEY PIT | |
| 9 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 10 | BARRY & ERICA | |
| 11 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 12 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 13 | Organizer Portal | |
| 14 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 15 | PIG WHISPERERS | |
| 16 | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 17 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 18 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 19 | THE BLUE BLOODS | |
| 20 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 21 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | |
| 22 | CURLY TAILS BBQ | |
| 23 | TENACIOUS Q | |
| 24 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | |
| 25 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 26 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 27 | ALL RACKED UP BBQ | |
| 28 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 29 | Good Buddies BBQ | |
| 30 | MIDNIGHT BURN |
Brisket
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.6684
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOOTYQUE | |
| 2 | PIG WHISPERERS | |
| 3 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 4 | CURLY TAILS BBQ | |
| 5 | TENACIOUS Q | |
| 6 | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 7 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 8 | LANG BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 9 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 10 | SOUTHERN SMOKED SWINE | |
| 11 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 12 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 13 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | |
| 15 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 16 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 17 | THE LOONEY PIT | |
| 18 | FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | |
| 19 | Good Buddies BBQ | |
| 20 | ALL RACKED UP BBQ | |
| 21 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 22 | KILLER B'S BBQ | |
| 23 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | |
| 24 | THE BLUE BLOODS | |
| 25 | Organizer Portal | |
| 26 | BARRY & ERICA | |
| 27 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 28 | MOONSWINERS | |
| 29 | SWAMP BOYS | |
| 30 | WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA |