A statement win
12.5600
points clear of the field
Wider than 93% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.5600 points — a wider margin than 93% of championships in the data.
Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition 2014
May 9–10, 2014 · Green Lane, PA
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition on May 9, 2014 in Green Lane, PA, scoring 672.5716 in a field of 54 teams. FINN'S FINEST BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 660.0116. Category winners: Chicken — PIGHEADED BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ (177.7600); Pork — FINN'S FINEST BBQ (177.1544); Brisket — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (178.2972). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2016.
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.
538.17
median 619.26
672.57 🏆
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 177.76
- Pork 177.15
- Brisket 178.30
122.27
180
Entries
53
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
672.5716
Winning margin
12.5600
GC over RC
Field average
613.57
538.17672.57
median 619.26 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
9.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
641.0400
538.17672.57
10th place overall
Field spread
134.4000
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 95%
beats 5% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.59 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,523
avg power rating going in · stronger than 16% 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 8 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 6–7: HERDING SMOKE and SMOKOPOLIS BBQ tied on 166.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: THE BBQ GURU edged Hawg Nation by 0.0116. Brisket places 4–5: FINN'S FINEST BBQ edged BRISKET BURNERS by 0.0116.
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0116
- Brisket 4–5 · 0.0116
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0228
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 19th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 19th
- Pork 13th
- Brisket 1st
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.
- PIGHEADED BBQ · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2014 ← this one | Green Lane, PA | Green Lane, PA 18054 | 54 | 672.5716 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | FINN'S FINEST BBQ |
| May 6, 2016 | Greenlane, PA | Walnut St. | 47 | 682.7196 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ | THE BBQ GURU |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 168.5256 | 164.0116 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7600 | 166.2972 | 162.3084 |
| Pork | 177.1544 | 167.4400 | 164.0228 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 166.2856 | 162.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
53 entries · top 672.5716 · median 619.2572
Chicken
53 entries · top 180 · median 155.9428 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
53 entries · top 177.7600 · median 152
Pork
53 entries · top 177.1544 · median 154.8000
Brisket
53 entries · top 178.2972 · median 152.5372
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Master Series — Chef'S Choice
15 entries · top 177.1772 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 3 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 4 | 2 LITTLE PIGGY'S | |
| 5 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 6 | Smoken Dudes BBQ | |
| 7 | SHADY CREW | |
| 8 | SWINE AND CHEESE | |
| 9 | PHILLY SMOKE | |
| 10 | 5-0 BBQ | |
| 11 | A to Z | |
| 12 | TASTY LICKS BBQ SUPPLY | |
| 13 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 14 | BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM | |
| 15 | BONES & BIBS SWINE TEAM |
Master Series — Dessert
17 entries · top 177.7028 · median 167.4400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FEEDING FRIENDZ | |
| 2 | 5-0 BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ | |
| 5 | TASTY LICKS BBQ SUPPLY | |
| 6 | Smoken Dudes BBQ | |
| 7 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 8 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 9 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 10 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 11 | SHADY CREW | |
| 12 | SWINE AND CHEESE | |
| 13 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 14 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 15 | 2 LITTLE PIGGY'S | |
| 16 | A to Z | |
| 17 | BONES & BIBS SWINE TEAM |