A statement win
9.1772
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.1772 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 2015
Jul 17–18, 2015 · Auburn Hills, MI
YELLOW RIVER BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on July 17, 2015 in Auburn Hills, MI, scoring 693.1656 in a field of 28 teams. SMOKIN' IN THE D took Reserve Grand Champion with 683.9884. Category winners: Chicken — YELLOW RIVER BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK (176.5944); Pork — YELLOW RIVER BBQ (177.7144); Brisket — TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI (177.1544). This is the 69th of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by HUG HOGS; 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.
590.83
median 657.08
693.17 🏆
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 176.59
- Pork 177.71
- Brisket 177.15
129.14
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
693.1656
Winning margin
9.1772
GC over RC
Field average
654.23
590.83693.17
median 657.08 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
5.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
669.1428
590.83693.17
10th place overall
Field spread
102.3316
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 60%
beats 40% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 28 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.73 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,575
avg power rating going in · stronger than 59% of contests
Storylines (6 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 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
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 7–8: BRINGIN' THE HEAT and T-MAC SMOKIN tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 4–5: iBQ'n and BIG BROTHERS BBQ tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: BIG BROTHERS BBQ edged OMG-BBQ-TX by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
- Brisket 6–7 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
YELLOW RIVER BBQ won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
YELLOW RIVER BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 13th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 13th
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.
- YELLOW RIVER 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 →
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 171.4172 | 167.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5944 | 170.2972 | 167.4400 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 172 | 166.2516 |
| Brisket | 177.1544 | 170.2628 | 166.8456 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 693.1656 · median 657.0800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' IN THE D | |
| 3 | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI | |
| 4 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 5 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 6 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 7 | iBQ'n | |
| 8 | BRINGIN' THE HEAT | |
| 9 | SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK | |
| 10 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 11 | BREW-B-Q | |
| 12 | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | |
| 13 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 14 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 15 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 17 | JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 18 | BILLY G SMOKE SHACK | |
| 19 | UNCLE BUB'S BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 21 | OMG-BBQ-TX | |
| 22 | 40 CALIBER BBQ | |
| 23 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 24 | STINKY D'S BBQ | |
| 25 | QUBED | |
| 26 | BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE | |
| 27 | WHA' DA BADA BBQ | |
| 28 | TEAM STEINY'S |
Chicken
28 entries · top 180 · median 165.9828 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' IN THE D | |
| 3 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 4 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 5 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 6 | OMG-BBQ-TX | |
| 7 | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | |
| 8 | BILLY G SMOKE SHACK | |
| 9 | SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK | |
| 10 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 11 | 40 CALIBER BBQ | |
| 12 | iBQ'n | |
| 13 | JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 14 | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI | |
| 15 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 16 | BRINGIN' THE HEAT | |
| 17 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 18 | QUBED | |
| 19 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 21 | BREW-B-Q | |
| 22 | TEAM STEINY'S | |
| 23 | STINKY D'S BBQ | |
| 24 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 25 | BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE | |
| 26 | WHA' DA BADA BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 28 | UNCLE BUB'S BBQ |
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 176.5944 · median 164.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK | |
| 2 | iBQ'n | |
| 3 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 4 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 5 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | BRINGIN' THE HEAT | |
| 8 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 9 | BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE | |
| 10 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 11 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 12 | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' IN THE D | |
| 14 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 15 | UNCLE BUB'S BBQ | |
| 16 | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | |
| 17 | BREW-B-Q | |
| 18 | BILLY G SMOKE SHACK | |
| 19 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 20 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 21 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 22 | QUBED | |
| 23 | OMG-BBQ-TX | |
| 24 | 40 CALIBER BBQ | |
| 25 | JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 26 | STINKY D'S BBQ | |
| 27 | WHA' DA BADA BBQ | |
| 28 | TEAM STEINY'S |
Pork
28 entries · top 177.7144 · median 164.3028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 2 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 3 | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI | |
| 4 | BRINGIN' THE HEAT | |
| 5 | BREW-B-Q | |
| 6 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' IN THE D | |
| 8 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 9 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 10 | SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK | |
| 11 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 12 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 13 | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | |
| 14 | UNCLE BUB'S BBQ | |
| 15 | JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | iBQ'n | |
| 18 | QUBED | |
| 19 | STINKY D'S BBQ | |
| 20 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 21 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 22 | BILLY G SMOKE SHACK | |
| 23 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 24 | TEAM STEINY'S | |
| 25 | 40 CALIBER BBQ | |
| 26 | OMG-BBQ-TX | |
| 27 | BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE | |
| 28 | WHA' DA BADA BBQ |
Brisket
28 entries · top 177.1544 · median 163.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' IN THE D | |
| 3 | BREW-B-Q | |
| 4 | iBQ'n | |
| 5 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 6 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 8 | UNCLE BUB'S BBQ | |
| 9 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 10 | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | |
| 11 | BRINGIN' THE HEAT | |
| 12 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 13 | YELLOW RIVER BBQ | |
| 14 | JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 15 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 16 | OMG-BBQ-TX | |
| 17 | 40 CALIBER BBQ | |
| 18 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 19 | WHA' DA BADA BBQ | |
| 20 | BILLY G SMOKE SHACK | |
| 21 | SWEET T'S BBQ SHACK | |
| 22 | T-MAC SMOKIN | |
| 23 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 25 | STINKY D'S BBQ | |
| 26 | TEAM STEINY'S | |
| 27 | BROTHERHOOD OF SWINE | |
| 28 | QUBED |