A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Dooms Day BBQ · Brisket
- Kermit's Ex · Chicken
- Kermit's Ex · Pork
Balloons and Barbeque
Oct 17–18, 2025 · Poteau, OK · 📍 501 South Broadway · State championship
Reps: Karen Jane Williams, Ralph Williams · Prize money: $10,000
Kermit's Ex won Grand Champion at the Balloons and Barbeque on October 17, 2025 in Poteau, OK at 501 South Broadway, scoring 712.5484 in a field of 15 teams. Dooms Day BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.1432. Category winners: Chicken — Kermit's Ex (180.0000); Pork Ribs — MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ (177.7028); Pork — Kermit's Ex (180.0000); Brisket — Dooms Day BBQ (180.0000).
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.
605.49
median 686.77
712.55 🏆
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 177.70
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
141.68
180
Entries
15
4 judged meats
Top score
712.5484
Winning margin
7.4052
GC over RC
Field average
672.95
605.49712.55
median 686.77 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8340 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
682.7312
605.49712.55
10th place overall
Field spread
107.0632
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.67 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,601
avg power rating going in · stronger than 78% of contests
Storylines (5 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 rookie on the podium
2nd
at their first tracked contest
Dooms Day BBQ finished 2nd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 5–6: HOLLOW Q and BURNIN' SANDS BBQ tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ and Smoked & Furious tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: Smoked & Furious and DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Kermit's Ex won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Kermit's Ex took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 4th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 4th
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 173.7028 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 174.8688 | 172.5716 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 165.0856 |
| Brisket | 180 | 173.1084 | 167.3828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
15 entries · top 712.5484 · median 686.7656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 2 | Dooms Day BBQ | |
| 3 | BrewsCue | |
| 4 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 7 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | |
| 8 | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | |
| 9 | BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | |
| 10 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 11 | DAL BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Pink BBQ | |
| 13 | MK BBQ | |
| 14 | 5 Oak Smoke | |
| 15 | Wood Chip BBQ LLC |
Chicken
15 entries · top 180 · median 171.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 2 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | |
| 3 | BrewsCue | |
| 4 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 5 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 6 | BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | |
| 7 | DAL BBQ | |
| 8 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 9 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 10 | Dooms Day BBQ | |
| 11 | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | |
| 12 | MK BBQ | |
| 13 | Big Pink BBQ | |
| 14 | 5 Oak Smoke | |
| 15 | Wood Chip BBQ LLC |
Pork Ribs
15 entries · top 177.7028 · median 174.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | |
| 2 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 3 | BrewsCue | |
| 4 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 5 | Dooms Day BBQ | |
| 6 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 8 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | |
| 9 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 10 | BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | |
| 11 | DAL BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Pink BBQ | |
| 13 | 5 Oak Smoke | |
| 14 | MK BBQ | |
| 15 | Wood Chip BBQ LLC |
Pork
15 entries · top 180 · median 171.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 2 | Dooms Day BBQ | |
| 3 | BrewsCue | |
| 4 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 5 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | |
| 6 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 7 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 8 | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | |
| 9 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 10 | BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | |
| 11 | Big Pink BBQ | |
| 12 | Wood Chip BBQ LLC | |
| 13 | 5 Oak Smoke | |
| 14 | DAL BBQ | |
| 15 | MK BBQ |
Brisket
15 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dooms Day BBQ | |
| 2 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 3 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 4 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 5 | BrewsCue | |
| 6 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 7 | BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | |
| 8 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | |
| 9 | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | |
| 10 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 11 | MK BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Pink BBQ | |
| 13 | DAL BBQ | |
| 14 | Wood Chip BBQ LLC | |
| 15 | 5 Oak Smoke |