Aug 7–8, 2015 · Madison, WI
THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) on August 7, 2015 in Madison, WI, scoring 694.8344 in a field of 30 teams. BIG T'Z Q CRU took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.2284. Category winners: Chicken — BIG T'Z Q CRU (177.1428); Pork Ribs — YELLOW RIVER BBQ (175.4288); Pork — BRINGIN' THE HEAT (177.1772); Brisket — YELLOW RIVER BBQ (177.1544). This is the 14th of 27 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by RHYTHM 'N QUE; the next was held in 2015.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 87% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.6060 points — closer than 87% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, YELLOW RIVER BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
This was THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 38th tracked contest.
2 of 27 tracked editions
RHYTHM 'N QUE has won this contest 2 times across its 27 tracked editions.
Stronger than 97% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1659 power rating going in — stronger than 97% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 1–2: BIG T'Z Q CRU and DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 5–6: HUG HOGS and BERKEE RAE'S BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 3–4: TIPPYCANOE BBQ CREW and THE SMOKE HUNTERS tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
YELLOW RIVER BBQ won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: THE SMOKE HUNTERS (won 2013), BIG BROTHERS BBQ (won 2014).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2013 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 667.4280 | TOMBSTONE BBQ | GQUE |
| Jul 5, 2013 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 670.8570 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | SMOKERS PURGATORY |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Rockford, IL | Rockford, IL | 30 | 683.9544 | TheBBQSuperStore.com | GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA |
| Sep 6, 2013 | Chesapeake, VA | Chesapeake, VA | 30 | 673.6796 | Rhode Hog BBQ | SMOKE THIS |
| Sep 13, 2013 | Hendersonville, TN | Hendersonville, TN | 30 | 697.0972 | MOONSWINERS | Swamp Boys |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 697.6684 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2014 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 685.7140 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | SLAP YO' DADDY BBQ |
| Jul 11, 2014 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 29 | 685.0972 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | SECOND CITY SMOKE |
| Aug 1, 2014 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 689.1316 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | iBQ'n |
| Aug 29, 2014 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 673.0740 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | THE BBQ GURU |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.7144 | PIG WHISPERERS | LANG BBQ SMOKERS |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 29 | 694.2288 | CLARK CREW BBQ | CAVEMAN CUISINE |
| Apr 24, 2015 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 702.8576 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Aug 7, 2015 ← this one | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 694.8344 | THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
| Sep 4, 2015 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 688.5488 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.1200 | CAJUN BLAZE | EAT MOR BUTT BBQ |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 694.2632 | CLARK CREW BBQ | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 695.4172 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | SMOKIN MO'S BBQ |
| Jul 1, 2016 | Marietta, GA | Marietta, GA | 30 | 697.6572 | CONTAGIOUS Q | Organizer Portal |
| Aug 26, 2016 | N. Charleston, SC | N. Charleston, SC | 30 | 695.3484 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 705.7144 | LUCKY'S Q | TOTALLY SAUCED |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 698.8572 | JAESTAR BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 706.8572 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| Jun 30, 2017 | Bartlett, TN | Bartlett, TN | 30 | 704.5488 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | RAZORRACKS |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 29 | 698.8228 | SMOKING BUTT HEADS | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 685.1432 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | iBQ'n |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Edmond, OK | Edmond, OK | 30 | 709.7260 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | JAESTAR BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1428 | 174.8456 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4288 | 174.2628 | 172.5716 |
| Pork | 177.1772 | 172.5600 | 170.2628 |
| Brisket | 177.1544 | 174.8456 | 169.7256 |
30 entries · top 694.8344 · median 669.0570
30 entries · top 177.1428 · median 169.9886
30 entries · top 175.4288 · median 168.2686
30 entries · top 177.1772 · median 167.6800
30 entries · top 177.1544 · median 166.2514
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
10 entries · top 175.4400 · median 163.9542