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
Jul 31 – Aug 1, 2015 · Des Moines, IA
BIG T'Z Q CRU won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on July 31, 2015 in Des Moines, IA, scoring 685.6572 in a field of 30 teams. PELLET ENVY took Reserve Grand Champion with 683.3716. Category winners: Chicken — TRUE SMOKE BBQ (176.5828); Pork Ribs — BIG T'Z Q CRU (174.8688); Pork — TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW (176.0000); Brisket — TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS (177.7028). This is the 71st of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD; 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.
615.31
median 658.77
685.66 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.58
- Pork Ribs 174.87
- Pork 176
- Brisket 177.70
141.09
177.70
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
685.6572
Winning margin
2.2856
GC over RC
Field average
655.04
615.31685.66
median 658.77 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7256 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.6916
615.31685.66
10th place overall
Field spread
70.3428
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 81%
beats 19% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.58 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,571
avg power rating going in · stronger than 55% 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 7 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: SPITFIRE and PELLET ENVY tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 5–6: SPITFIRE and MARK'S SMOKIN QUE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 6–7: MARK'S SMOKIN QUE and WNW BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
- Brisket 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · 0.0228
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
BIG T'Z Q CRU took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 12th.
- Chicken 10th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 12th
- Brisket 2nd
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS (won 2014).
- TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS · 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 | 176.5828 | 174.8572 | 167.9884 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8688 | 168.5600 | 165.0856 |
| Pork | 176 | 171.4056 | 167.9656 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.1200 | 169.6916 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 685.6572 · median 658.7656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 2 | PELLET ENVY | |
| 3 | TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW | |
| 4 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 5 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 6 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | Plowboys BBQ | |
| 8 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 9 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 10 | WNW BBQ | |
| 11 | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 12 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 13 | Jumpin' Jim's BBQ | |
| 14 | BEACH BUMS BBQ LLC | |
| 15 | SPITFIRE | |
| 16 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA | |
| 18 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 19 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 20 | Outer Limits BBQ | |
| 21 | NO LABEL BBQ | |
| 22 | JUDGE NUMBER 6 | |
| 23 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 24 | STP BBQ | |
| 25 | CLAXON'S PIG DADDIES | |
| 26 | KLASSY KREW BBQ | |
| 27 | JDS | |
| 28 | MO BBQ | |
| 29 | SASSY'S BBQ | |
| 30 | GOOD 'N SAUCED |
Chicken
30 entries · top 176.5828 · median 164.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | PELLET ENVY | |
| 5 | TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW | |
| 6 | Jumpin' Jim's BBQ | |
| 7 | Plowboys BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 9 | Outer Limits BBQ | |
| 10 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 11 | SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA | |
| 12 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 13 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 14 | WNW BBQ | |
| 15 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 16 | STP BBQ | |
| 17 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 18 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 19 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 20 | SASSY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | BEACH BUMS BBQ LLC | |
| 22 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 23 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 24 | KLASSY KREW BBQ | |
| 25 | JDS | |
| 26 | CLAXON'S PIG DADDIES | |
| 27 | GOOD 'N SAUCED | |
| 28 | MO BBQ | |
| 29 | JUDGE NUMBER 6 | |
| 30 | NO LABEL BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 174.8688 · median 162.5430
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 2 | JUDGE NUMBER 6 | |
| 3 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 4 | Jumpin' Jim's BBQ | |
| 5 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 6 | Plowboys BBQ | |
| 7 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 8 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 9 | TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW | |
| 10 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 11 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 13 | WNW BBQ | |
| 14 | CLAXON'S PIG DADDIES | |
| 15 | BEACH BUMS BBQ LLC | |
| 16 | PELLET ENVY | |
| 17 | NO LABEL BBQ | |
| 18 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 19 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 20 | Outer Limits BBQ | |
| 21 | MO BBQ | |
| 22 | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 23 | SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA | |
| 24 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 25 | SASSY'S BBQ | |
| 26 | JDS | |
| 27 | STP BBQ | |
| 28 | GOOD 'N SAUCED | |
| 29 | KLASSY KREW BBQ | |
| 30 | SPITFIRE |
Pork
30 entries · top 176 · median 163.1314
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW | |
| 2 | PELLET ENVY | |
| 3 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 4 | NO LABEL BBQ | |
| 5 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 6 | SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA | |
| 7 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 8 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 9 | SPITFIRE | |
| 10 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 11 | BEACH BUMS BBQ LLC | |
| 12 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 13 | JUDGE NUMBER 6 | |
| 14 | STP BBQ | |
| 15 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 16 | WNW BBQ | |
| 17 | SASSY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 19 | CLAXON'S PIG DADDIES | |
| 20 | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 21 | Outer Limits BBQ | |
| 22 | Jumpin' Jim's BBQ | |
| 23 | Plowboys BBQ | |
| 24 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 25 | GOOD 'N SAUCED | |
| 26 | JDS | |
| 27 | KLASSY KREW BBQ | |
| 28 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 29 | MO BBQ | |
| 30 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 164.2456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 2 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 3 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 7 | WNW BBQ | |
| 8 | PELLET ENVY | |
| 9 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 10 | BEACH BUMS BBQ LLC | |
| 11 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 12 | NO LABEL BBQ | |
| 13 | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 14 | Plowboys BBQ | |
| 15 | TOAD HOLLAR BBQ CREW | |
| 16 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 17 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 18 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 19 | SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA | |
| 20 | Jumpin' Jim's BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | KLASSY KREW BBQ | |
| 23 | MO BBQ | |
| 24 | JUDGE NUMBER 6 | |
| 25 | Outer Limits BBQ | |
| 26 | CLAXON'S PIG DADDIES | |
| 27 | STP BBQ | |
| 28 | JDS | |
| 29 | GOOD 'N SAUCED | |
| 30 | SASSY'S BBQ |