A new contest record
703.9656
highest overall ever cooked here
703.9656 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.4172 BIG POPPA SMOKERS set in 2017.
- old record 699.4172
- set 2017 by BIG POPPA SMOKERS
Best Dam BBQ 2025
May 23–24, 2025 · Boulder City, NV · State championship
Reps: Kathleen McIntosh, Kelly McIntosh · Prize money: $8,500
Tuffy's BBQ won Grand Champion at the Best Dam BBQ on May 23, 2025 in Boulder City, NV, scoring 703.9656 in a field of 29 teams. Meat Candy Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.0856. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ (177.7144); Pork Ribs — Cool Beans BBQ (178.8572); Pork — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — Cherry Anchor BBQ (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by BIG POPPA SMOKERS; the next was held in 2026.
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.
607.79
median 678.75
703.97 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.71
- Pork Ribs 178.86
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 180 🔥
146.26
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
29
4 judged meats
Top score
703.9656
Winning margin
2.8800
GC over RC
Field average
675.35
607.79703.97
median 678.75 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
684.5372
607.79703.97
10th place overall
Field spread
96.1716
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,500
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 18%
beats 82% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
19%
7 of 37 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,576
avg power rating going in · stronger than 60% 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.
An upset on the books
15-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100
Tuffy's BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Meat Candy Q, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1546
- top seed 1850
Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Tuffy's BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 12th
- Brisket 2nd
A first Grand Championship
12
tracked contests to get there
This was Tuffy's BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 12th tracked contest.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 18 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: Cherry Anchor BBQ and GIRLS CAN GRILL tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: GIRLS CAN GRILL and Tuffy's BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Bourbon & Blues BBQ and SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ won Chicken, Pork — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
A contest record in pork ribs
178.8572
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Cool Beans BBQ turned in 178.8572 in pork ribs — past the 176.5828 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5828
- across 1 past editions
The contest returns
8 yrs
since the last edition
This contest was away for 8 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2017-05-26.
- previous edition 2017-05-26
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Cherry Anchor BBQ · Brisket
- Tuffy's BBQ · Brisket
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 26, 2017 | Boulder City, NV | Colorado St | 37 | 699.4172 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ |
| May 23, 2025 ← this one | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 29 | 703.9656 | Tuffy's BBQ | Meat Candy Q |
| May 23, 2026 | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 33 | 700.4912 | Big Johns BBQ Company | Uncle Jesse's BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7144 | 175.4172 | 173.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 174.8572 | 173.7144 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 176.5600 | 175.4056 |
| Brisket | 180 | 173.1084 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 703.9656 · median 678.7540
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 4 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 5 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 6 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 7 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 8 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 9 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 10 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 11 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 12 | KG Cookers | |
| 13 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 14 | Cool Beans BBQ | |
| 15 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 16 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 17 | Smokin SinBin BBQ | |
| 18 | All About Smokin Q | |
| 19 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 20 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 21 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 22 | Slowpokes | |
| 23 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 24 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 25 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 26 | Bad Rabbit BBQ | |
| 27 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 28 | Churchill Downs Smokers | |
| 29 | Rue-Do BBQ |
Chicken
29 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 2 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 3 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 4 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 5 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 6 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 7 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 8 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 10 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 11 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 12 | Bad Rabbit BBQ | |
| 13 | KG Cookers | |
| 14 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 15 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 16 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 17 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 19 | Slowpokes | |
| 20 | All About Smokin Q | |
| 21 | Cool Beans BBQ | |
| 22 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 23 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 24 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 25 | Churchill Downs Smokers | |
| 26 | Smokin SinBin BBQ | |
| 27 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 28 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 29 | Rue-Do BBQ |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cool Beans BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 4 | Smokin SinBin BBQ | |
| 5 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 6 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 7 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 8 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 9 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 11 | KG Cookers | |
| 12 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 14 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 15 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 16 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 18 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 19 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 20 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 21 | All About Smokin Q | |
| 22 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 23 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 24 | Slowpokes | |
| 25 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 26 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 27 | Churchill Downs Smokers | |
| 28 | Bad Rabbit BBQ | |
| 29 | Rue-Do BBQ |
Pork
29 entries · top 178.2972 · median 171.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 2 | Cool Beans BBQ | |
| 3 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 4 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 6 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 7 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 8 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 9 | All About Smokin Q | |
| 10 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 11 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 12 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 13 | Slowpokes | |
| 14 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 15 | Smokin SinBin BBQ | |
| 16 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 17 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 18 | KG Cookers | |
| 19 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 20 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 21 | Bad Rabbit BBQ | |
| 22 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 23 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 24 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 25 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 27 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 28 | Rue-Do BBQ | |
| 29 | Churchill Downs Smokers |
Brisket
29 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 3 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 4 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 6 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 7 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 9 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 10 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 11 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 12 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 13 | KG Cookers | |
| 14 | All About Smokin Q | |
| 15 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | Smokin SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 18 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 19 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 20 | Slowpokes | |
| 21 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 22 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 23 | Bad Rabbit BBQ | |
| 24 | Churchill Downs Smokers | |
| 25 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 26 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 27 | Cool Beans BBQ | |
| 28 | Rue-Do BBQ | |
| 29 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ |