A dynasty in the making
4×
wins at this contest
4 of 125 tracked editions
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 125 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
- 2017
- 2017
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 2015
Mar 6–7, 2015 · Shreveport, LA
FIRE DANCER BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on March 6, 2015 in Shreveport, LA, scoring 687.9776 in a field of 29 teams. INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.2172. Category winners: Chicken — FIRE DANCER BBQ (176.0116); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN' N THE DARK (177.7144); Pork — THE OUTLAWS (176.5600); Brisket — INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE (177.7028). This is the 53rd of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by JACK'S OLD SOUTH; 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.
606.70
median 665.57
687.98 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.01
- Pork Ribs 177.71
- Pork 176.56
- Brisket 177.70
139.38
177.71
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
29
4 judged meats
Top score
687.9776
Winning margin
1.7604
GC over RC
Field average
660.15
606.70687.98
median 665.57 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
4.5944 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
670.7656
606.70687.98
10th place overall
Field spread
81.2808
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 76%
beats 24% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,552
avg power rating going in · stronger than 39% 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 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 8–9: ROUX 165 BBQ and SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: MIKE and EPIC BBQ CRU tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: LONGNECK SIPPERS edged Lil John's BBQ by 0.0116.
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
FIRE DANCER BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 10th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 10th
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKIN' N THE DARK (won 2014).
- SMOKIN' N THE DARK · 2014
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 →
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.0116 | 171.4172 | 169.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 172 | 167.9772 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 171.9656 | 169.7028 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.1084 | 167.9772 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 687.9776 · median 665.5656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 2 | INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE | |
| 3 | SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 5 | EPIC BBQ CRU | |
| 6 | THE OUTLAWS | |
| 7 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 8 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 9 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 10 | LONGNECK SIPPERS | |
| 11 | SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | |
| 12 | CAN'T SMOKE THIS | |
| 13 | MOE CASON BBQ | |
| 14 | WUTZ SMOKIN | |
| 15 | MIKE | |
| 16 | Lil John's BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 18 | BLIND HOG BBQ | |
| 19 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 20 | HEAD COUNTRY II | |
| 21 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 22 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 23 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 24 | GOOD CHEW BBQ | |
| 25 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 26 | SCALDED HOG BBQ | |
| 27 | TEX'S SMOKE | |
| 28 | TWO SLABAHOLICS BBQ TEAM | |
| 29 | MITCHELL 2000 |
Chicken
29 entries · top 176.0116 · median 167.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 2 | THE OUTLAWS | |
| 3 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 4 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 5 | SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 7 | EPIC BBQ CRU | |
| 8 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 9 | SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ | |
| 10 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 11 | INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 13 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | MOE CASON BBQ | |
| 15 | BLIND HOG BBQ | |
| 16 | Lil John's BBQ | |
| 17 | WUTZ SMOKIN | |
| 18 | LONGNECK SIPPERS | |
| 19 | MITCHELL 2000 | |
| 20 | TEX'S SMOKE | |
| 21 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 22 | MIKE | |
| 23 | CAN'T SMOKE THIS | |
| 24 | HEAD COUNTRY II | |
| 25 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 26 | GOOD CHEW BBQ | |
| 27 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 28 | TWO SLABAHOLICS BBQ TEAM | |
| 29 | SCALDED HOG BBQ |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 177.7144 · median 165.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 2 | EPIC BBQ CRU | |
| 3 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 4 | LONGNECK SIPPERS | |
| 5 | Lil John's BBQ | |
| 6 | INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE | |
| 7 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 8 | SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | |
| 9 | MOE CASON BBQ | |
| 10 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 11 | HEAD COUNTRY II | |
| 12 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 13 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 14 | SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ | |
| 15 | CAN'T SMOKE THIS | |
| 16 | THE OUTLAWS | |
| 17 | MIKE | |
| 18 | WUTZ SMOKIN | |
| 19 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 20 | TWO SLABAHOLICS BBQ TEAM | |
| 21 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 22 | BLIND HOG BBQ | |
| 23 | GOOD CHEW BBQ | |
| 24 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 25 | TEX'S SMOKE | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 27 | SCALDED HOG BBQ | |
| 28 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 29 | MITCHELL 2000 |
Pork
29 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE OUTLAWS | |
| 2 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 3 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 4 | HEAD COUNTRY II | |
| 5 | SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ | |
| 6 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 7 | MIKE | |
| 8 | EPIC BBQ CRU | |
| 9 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 11 | GOOD CHEW BBQ | |
| 12 | INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE | |
| 13 | SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | |
| 14 | CAN'T SMOKE THIS | |
| 15 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 16 | BLIND HOG BBQ | |
| 17 | WUTZ SMOKIN | |
| 18 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 19 | MOE CASON BBQ | |
| 20 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 21 | SCALDED HOG BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 23 | LONGNECK SIPPERS | |
| 24 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 25 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 26 | Lil John's BBQ | |
| 27 | TEX'S SMOKE | |
| 28 | MITCHELL 2000 | |
| 29 | TWO SLABAHOLICS BBQ TEAM |
Brisket
29 entries · top 177.7028 · median 164.5484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | INDIAN TERRITORY SMOKE | |
| 2 | DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | |
| 3 | ROUX 165 BBQ | |
| 4 | SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' N THE DARK | |
| 6 | HABITUAL SMOKERS | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES | |
| 8 | CAN'T SMOKE THIS | |
| 9 | LONGNECK SIPPERS | |
| 10 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | |
| 11 | WUTZ SMOKIN | |
| 12 | MIKE | |
| 13 | Lil John's BBQ | |
| 14 | MOE CASON BBQ | |
| 15 | SCALDED HOG BBQ | |
| 16 | BLIND HOG BBQ | |
| 17 | EPIC BBQ CRU | |
| 18 | THE OUTLAWS | |
| 19 | SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | |
| 20 | HEAD COUNTRY II | |
| 21 | TWO SLABAHOLICS BBQ TEAM | |
| 22 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 23 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 24 | BIG BEE'S BBQ | |
| 25 | TEX'S SMOKE | |
| 26 | GOOD CHEW BBQ | |
| 27 | NCOGNITO COOKERS | |
| 28 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 29 | MITCHELL 2000 |