A new contest record
696.0228
highest overall ever cooked here
696.0228 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 689.1424 SHIGGIN & GRINNIN set in 2013.
- old record 689.1424
- set 2013 by SHIGGIN & GRINNIN
Minnesota in May 2014
May 16–17, 2014 · Falcon Heights, MN
A BOY & HIS BBQ won Grand Champion at the Minnesota in May on May 16, 2014 in Falcon Heights, MN, scoring 696.0228 in a field of 58 teams. SPITFIRE took Reserve Grand Champion with 674.7884. Category winners: Chicken — BUCKAROO BBQ (176.0344); Pork Ribs — A BOY & HIS BBQ (177.7372); Pork — A BOY & HIS BBQ (174.8800); Brisket — SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (174.2628). This is the 2nd of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2013 edition was won by SHIGGIN & GRINNIN; the next was held in 2015.
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.
581.11
median 646.79
696.02 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.03
- Pork Ribs 177.74
- Pork 174.88
- Brisket 174.26
132.54
177.74
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
58
4 judged meats
Top score
696.0228
Winning margin
21.2344
GC over RC
Field average
642.07
581.11696.02
median 646.79 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
663.9544
581.11696.02
10th place overall
Field spread
114.9144
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 49%
beats 51% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
45%
22 of 49 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.59 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,525
avg power rating going in · stronger than 18% 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 statement win
21.2344
points clear of the field
Wider than 99% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 21.2344 points — a wider margin than 99% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 12 tracked editions
Hot Daddys BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
- 2023
- 2024
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 8–9: BIG CITY BBQ and ANGRY JACK BBQ tied on 169.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: QUETOPIA and BEACH BUMS BBQ tied on 167.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: SUBTLE SMOKE and BIG CHAIN BBQ GANG tied on 166.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
A BOY & HIS BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
A BOY & HIS BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
- Chicken 7th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in pork ribs
177.7372
best pork ribs ever cooked here
A BOY & HIS BBQ turned in 177.7372 in pork ribs — past the 176.5714 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5714
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (won 2013).
- SHIGGIN & GRINNIN · 2013
One of the big ones
58
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 91% of the 5,482 contests in the data
58 teams — bigger than 91% of the 5,482 contests in the data.
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 17, 2013 | Faribault, MN | Faribault, MN | 49 | 689.1424 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | MONKEYS' UNCLES BBQ |
| May 16, 2014 ← this one | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55448 | 58 | 696.0228 | A BOY & HIS BBQ | SPITFIRE |
| May 15, 2015 | St. Paul, MN | St. Paul, MN 55346 | 60 | 692.5600 | SPITFIRE | QUETOPIA |
| May 13, 2016 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN | 71 | 690.2056 | QUETOPIA | HOGLINE |
| May 12, 2017 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 71 | 695.3484 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | RUB MY RACK |
| May 11, 2018 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 70 | 694.8344 | EGGSPERT BBQ MINNESOTA | ACES HIGH BBQ |
| May 10, 2019 | 3101 HWY 95 NE | 57 | 698.8000 | Totally Sauced | HOGLINE | |
| May 7, 2021 | Cambridge, MN | 301 MN-95 | 60 | 697.1544 | Hogline | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| May 12, 2023 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 59 | 698.2284 | Hot Daddys BBQ | Hogline BBQ |
| May 10, 2024 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 699.9772 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ |
| May 9, 2025 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 701.6688 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | Phoenix BBQ |
| May 8, 2026 | St. Peter, MN | Nicolett County Fair Grounds | 77 | 700.0004 | Burnt Trees BBQ | Smokin Suckers |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.0344 | 171.4400 | 169.1656 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7372 | 168.5716 | 166.8344 |
| Pork | 174.8800 | 170.8916 | 169.1200 |
| Brisket | 174.2628 | 171.9772 | 169.6684 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
58 entries · top 696.0228 · median 646.7942
Chicken
58 entries · top 176.0344 · median 163.4228
Pork Ribs
58 entries · top 177.7372 · median 158.2570
Pork
58 entries · top 174.8800 · median 163.4572
Brisket
58 entries · top 174.2628 · median 163.1028