10th Annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge

May 23–24, 2014 · Boulder City, NV

🥇

LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ

687.9196 · Master Series — Overall

🥈

BIG POPPA SMOKERS

686.2396 · Master Series — Overall

🥉

GRILL OF HIS DREAMS

683.3600 · Master Series — Overall

LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ won Grand Champion at the 10th Annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on May 23, 2014 in Boulder City, NV, scoring 687.9196 in a field of 35 teams. BIG POPPA SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.2396. Category winners: Chicken — KARNIVOROUS (176.5716); Pork Ribs — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (176.0000); Pork — Memphis Barbecue (178.8572); Brisket — RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ (176.5600).

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.

600.95 median 658.16 687.92 🏆

How the meats cooked

Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.

Chicken 176.57
Pork Ribs 176
Pork 178.86
Brisket 176.56

135.92 178.86

Entries

4 judged meats

Top score

687.9196

Winning margin

1.6800

GC over RC

Field average

651.02

600.95687.92

median 658.16 · last place to winner

Perfect 180s

Tightest race

Brisket

2.8228 pts across the top 5

Top-10 cutoff

667.3604

600.95687.92

10th place overall

Field spread

86.9712

winner to last place

Most consistent

LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ

avg finish 5.75 across 4 meats

Double threats

teams with 2+ top-5 calls

Widest winning margin

Pork Ribs

won by 2.8800 pts — BIG POPPA SMOKERS

How hot was the win?

Top 76%

beats 24% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data

Form held

Strong

ρ = -0.63 between pre-contest rating and finish

Field strength

1,529

avg power rating going in · stronger than 21% of contests

Top-rated in the field

BIG POPPA SMOKERS

rated 1674 pre-contest

Storylines (3 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 razor-thin finish

1.6800 points between champion and reserve

Closer than 75% of the 4,714 championships in the data

The Grand Championship was decided by 1.6800 points — closer than 75% of every championship in the data.

LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ
BIG POPPA SMOKERS

Won without a category win

4 of 4 meats called to the stage

LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.

Chicken 3rd
Pork Ribs 9th
Pork 7th
Brisket 4th

Photo finishes

0.0116 closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point

Pork Ribs places 3–4: SIN CITY SMOKERS edged SATISFIED HOGS by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 4–5: SATISFIED HOGS edged GRILL OF HIS DREAMS by 0.0228. Chicken places 2–3: RHYTHM 'N QUE edged LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ by 0.0344.

Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
Pork Ribs 4–5 · 0.0228
Chicken 2–3 · 0.0344
Chicken 8–9 · 0.0688

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)

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)

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Category	1st	5th	10th
Chicken	176.5716	172.0228	169.7256
Pork Ribs	176	172.5600	166.8572
Pork	178.8572	173.1544	167.4172
Brisket	176.5600	173.7372	168.0344

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

35 entries · top 687.9196 · median 658.1600

#	Team	Score
1	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	687.9196
2	BIG POPPA SMOKERS	686.2396
3	GRILL OF HIS DREAMS	683.3600
4	SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER	681.7256
5	SIN CITY SMOKERS	679.9888
6	RHYTHM 'N QUE	677.0856
7	RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	670.8344
8	H&D BBQ	667.5088
9	ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	667.3712
10	JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	667.3604
11	SATISFIED HOGS	665.6568
12	THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	665.6344
13	Jessie Rae's	660
14	KARNIVOROUS	659.3600
15	SMOKEIT BBQ & CATERING	658.2972
16	Infinite Smoke	658.1944
17	SWIMMIN IN SMOKE	658.1712
18	Memphis Barbecue	658.1600
19	COW TIPPIN BBQ	657.0628
20	The BBQ Asylum	653.0396
21	REFINED REDNECK BBQ	650.1716
22	VOODOO ZOMBQUE	648.5032
23	TRAILHOUND SMOKERS	647.2800
24	SMOKE ON THE WATER	646.8456
25	SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	638.1944
26	Fox Smokehouse BBQ	636
27	MONTANA Q	628.4116
28	STOKED TO SMOKE	627.8860
29	VOODOO PIT BBQ	627.4280
30	BUTTS-N-RACKS	625.7716
31	BULLPEN BBQ TEAM	619.9084
32	THE BBQ NERDS	616.9824
33	Max's Pig 'n' Pie BBQ	605.0280
34	PIKE INTERNATIONAL GRILLERS & SMOKERS	603.2340
35	ROLLIN SMOKE BARBEQUE	600.9484

Chicken

35 entries · top 176.5716 · median 165.7144

#	Team	Score
1	KARNIVOROUS	176.5716
2	RHYTHM 'N QUE	175.4400
3	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	175.4056
4	SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER	173.7028
5	BIG POPPA SMOKERS	172.0228
6	JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	171.4172
7	ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	170.8456
8	Jessie Rae's	170.3200
9	SIN CITY SMOKERS	170.2512
10	RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	169.7256
11	SMOKEIT BBQ & CATERING	168.5716
12	SMOKE ON THE WATER	166.8572
13	BULLPEN BBQ TEAM	166.2856
14	The BBQ Asylum	166.2856
15	Infinite Smoke	166.2744
16	THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	166.2400
17	SATISFIED HOGS	166.2284
18	REFINED REDNECK BBQ	165.7144
19	VOODOO ZOMBQUE	165.6800
20	GRILL OF HIS DREAMS	165.0856
21	MONTANA Q	162.8572
22	Memphis Barbecue	161.6456
23	SWIMMIN IN SMOKE	161.1200
24	H&D BBQ	158.8456
25	Max's Pig 'n' Pie BBQ	157.7256
26	COW TIPPIN BBQ	157.7028
27	SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	157.6688
28	BUTTS-N-RACKS	157.2000
29	TRAILHOUND SMOKERS	156.5600
30	VOODOO PIT BBQ	155.9996
31	STOKED TO SMOKE	155.9656
32	Fox Smokehouse BBQ	154.8456
33	ROLLIN SMOKE BARBEQUE	152.5028
34	PIKE INTERNATIONAL GRILLERS & SMOKERS	150.2856
35	THE BBQ NERDS	145.0972

Pork Ribs

35 entries · top 176 · median 162.3088

#	Team	Score
1	BIG POPPA SMOKERS	176
2	SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER	173.1200
3	SIN CITY SMOKERS	172.5944
4	SATISFIED HOGS	172.5828
5	GRILL OF HIS DREAMS	172.5600
6	SWIMMIN IN SMOKE	171.4056
7	REFINED REDNECK BBQ	170.2972
8	JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	168.5600
9	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	167.4056
10	Fox Smokehouse BBQ	166.8572
11	SMOKEIT BBQ & CATERING	165.1428
12	COW TIPPIN BBQ	164.5600
13	H&D BBQ	163.4516
14	ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	163.4172
15	Infinite Smoke	162.8344
16	TRAILHOUND SMOKERS	162.8116
17	RHYTHM 'N QUE	162.8000
18	RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	162.3088
19	THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	161.7144
20	STOKED TO SMOKE	161.6804
21	Jessie Rae's	161.1200
22	MONTANA Q	161.0972
23	SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	155.4056
24	THE BBQ NERDS	154.2512
25	SMOKE ON THE WATER	153.7256
26	VOODOO ZOMBQUE	153.7032
27	The BBQ Asylum	153.0628
28	BUTTS-N-RACKS	152.0344
29	KARNIVOROUS	151.9772
30	ROLLIN SMOKE BARBEQUE	151.3600
31	BULLPEN BBQ TEAM	150.8572
32	Memphis Barbecue	150.2744
33	PIKE INTERNATIONAL GRILLERS & SMOKERS	149.6572
34	VOODOO PIT BBQ	147.4744
35	Max's Pig 'n' Pie BBQ	135.9200

Pork

35 entries · top 178.8572 · median 163.9884

#	Team	Score
1	Memphis Barbecue	178.8572
2	H&D BBQ	177.1772
3	SIN CITY SMOKERS	176.5944
4	COW TIPPIN BBQ	176
5	JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	173.1544
6	GRILL OF HIS DREAMS	171.9772
7	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	170.8456
8	THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	168.5372
9	SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	168
10	REFINED REDNECK BBQ	167.4172
11	The BBQ Asylum	166.2628
12	ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	166.2512
13	SWIMMIN IN SMOKE	165.6800
14	Infinite Smoke	164.5600
15	SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER	164.5600
16	Jessie Rae's	164.5600
17	TRAILHOUND SMOKERS	164.5372
18	KARNIVOROUS	163.9884
19	VOODOO PIT BBQ	163.9884
20	RHYTHM 'N QUE	163.4056
21	BIG POPPA SMOKERS	163.3712
22	Fox Smokehouse BBQ	162.2856
23	RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	162.2400
24	SMOKEIT BBQ & CATERING	160.5828
25	BUTTS-N-RACKS	159.4516
26	VOODOO ZOMBQUE	158.8572
27	SATISFIED HOGS	158.2628
28	SMOKE ON THE WATER	158.2628
29	MONTANA Q	157.0628
30	BULLPEN BBQ TEAM	156.5372
31	ROLLIN SMOKE BARBEQUE	154.2856
32	THE BBQ NERDS	153.0740
33	Max's Pig 'n' Pie BBQ	151.9540
34	STOKED TO SMOKE	149.1200
35	PIKE INTERNATIONAL GRILLERS & SMOKERS	149.0856

Brisket

35 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164

#	Team	Score
1	RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	176.5600
2	RHYTHM 'N QUE	175.4400
3	BIG POPPA SMOKERS	174.8456
4	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	174.2628
5	GRILL OF HIS DREAMS	173.7372
6	SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER	170.3428
7	VOODOO ZOMBQUE	170.2628
8	THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	169.1428
9	SATISFIED HOGS	168.5828
10	H&D BBQ	168.0344
11	SMOKE ON THE WATER	168
12	The BBQ Asylum	167.4284
13	Memphis Barbecue	167.3828
14	ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	166.8572
15	KARNIVOROUS	166.8228
16	THE BBQ NERDS	164.5600
17	Infinite Smoke	164.5256
18	SMOKEIT BBQ & CATERING	164
19	Jessie Rae's	164
20	TRAILHOUND SMOKERS	163.3712
21	STOKED TO SMOKE	161.1200
22	SIN CITY SMOKERS	160.5488
23	SWIMMIN IN SMOKE	159.9656
24	VOODOO PIT BBQ	159.9656
25	Max's Pig 'n' Pie BBQ	159.4284
26	COW TIPPIN BBQ	158.8000
27	SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	157.1200
28	BUTTS-N-RACKS	157.0856
29	JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	154.2288
30	PIKE INTERNATIONAL GRILLERS & SMOKERS	154.2056
31	Fox Smokehouse BBQ	152.0116
32	MONTANA Q	147.3944
33	REFINED REDNECK BBQ	146.7428
34	BULLPEN BBQ TEAM	146.2284
35	ROLLIN SMOKE BARBEQUE	142.8000

10th Annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge

The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)

How the field scored

How the meats cooked

Entries

Top score

Winning margin

Field average

Perfect 180s

Tightest race

Top-10 cutoff

Field spread

Most consistent

Double threats

Widest winning margin

How hot was the win?

Form held

Field strength

Top-rated in the field

Storylines (3 found in this contest's numbers)

A razor-thin finish

Won without a category win

Photo finishes

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)

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

Chicken

Pork Ribs

Pork

Brisket