A statement win
20.0800
points clear of the field
Wider than 99% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 20.0800 points — a wider margin than 99% of championships in the data.
Saltwater Brew 'N' Que 2015
Apr 24–25, 2015 · Chincoteague, VA
SERIAL GRILLER won Grand Champion at the Saltwater Brew 'N' Que on April 24, 2015 in Chincoteague, VA, scoring 694.9144 in a field of 18 teams. BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD took Reserve Grand Champion with 674.8344. Category winners: Chicken — BIG DOG BBQ VA (174.8572); Pork Ribs — CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ (178.2972); Pork — SERIAL GRILLER (175.4400); Brisket — SERIAL GRILLER (178.8800). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2016.
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.
574.16
median 634.99
694.91 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 174.86
- Pork Ribs 178.30
- Pork 175.44
- Brisket 178.88
132.48
178.88
Entries
18
4 judged meats · 3 ancillary
Top score
694.9144
Winning margin
20.0800
GC over RC
Field average
637.83
574.16694.91
median 634.99 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
7.4628 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
628.3884
574.16694.91
10th place overall
Field spread
120.7544
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 53%
beats 47% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.81 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,550
avg power rating going in · stronger than 38% 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
0.0004
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 5–6: MAKIN BACON BBQ edged Snow Hillbilly BBQ by 0.0004. Chicken places 6–7: SMOKEAHOLICS edged Cajin Jax BBQ by 0.0112. Chicken places 3–4: SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY edged Sauce This BBQ by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · 0.0004
- Chicken 6–7 · 0.0112
- Chicken 3–4 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0232
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
SERIAL GRILLER won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SERIAL GRILLER took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 2nd.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
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 →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2015 ← this one | Chincoteague, VA | Chincoteague, VA | 18 | 694.9144 | SERIAL GRILLER | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD |
| May 20, 2016 | Chincoteague, VA | 3663 Main St | 23 | 679.3944 | ASTRO PIGS BBQ | PIGHEADED BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 174.8572 | 166.8456 | 161.0740 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 164.5488 | 158.8344 |
| Pork | 175.4400 | 167.9772 | 160.0112 |
| Brisket | 178.8800 | 166.8228 | 158.2284 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
18 entries · top 694.9144 · median 634.9942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 2 | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD | |
| 3 | CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | |
| 4 | Sauce This BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 6 | MAKIN BACON BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 8 | PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 9 | Cajin Jax BBQ | |
| 10 | BOHEMIAN BBQ | |
| 11 | Snow Hillbilly BBQ | |
| 12 | WAR PIGS | |
| 13 | SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 14 | RACK TIME | |
| 15 | JAM'N HAMS | |
| 16 | A.W.'S BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | |
| 18 | SOUTHERN BOYS BBQ |
Chicken
18 entries · top 174.8572 · median 162.2570
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 2 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 3 | SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 4 | Sauce This BBQ | |
| 5 | PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 7 | Cajin Jax BBQ | |
| 8 | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD | |
| 9 | Snow Hillbilly BBQ | |
| 10 | CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | |
| 11 | A.W.'S BBQ | |
| 12 | BOHEMIAN BBQ | |
| 13 | WAR PIGS | |
| 14 | MAKIN BACON BBQ | |
| 15 | JAM'N HAMS | |
| 16 | SOUTHERN BOYS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | |
| 18 | RACK TIME |
Pork Ribs
18 entries · top 178.2972 · median 159.3886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | |
| 2 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 3 | Sauce This BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 5 | MAKIN BACON BBQ | |
| 6 | Snow Hillbilly BBQ | |
| 7 | RACK TIME | |
| 8 | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD | |
| 9 | SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 10 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 11 | PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 12 | Cajin Jax BBQ | |
| 13 | BOHEMIAN BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | |
| 15 | WAR PIGS | |
| 16 | A.W.'S BBQ | |
| 17 | SOUTHERN BOYS BBQ | |
| 18 | JAM'N HAMS |
Pork
18 entries · top 175.4400 · median 162.2798
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 2 | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD | |
| 3 | BOHEMIAN BBQ | |
| 4 | RACK TIME | |
| 5 | WAR PIGS | |
| 6 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 7 | PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 8 | MAKIN BACON BBQ | |
| 9 | CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | |
| 10 | JAM'N HAMS | |
| 11 | Cajin Jax BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 13 | SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 14 | A.W.'S BBQ | |
| 15 | Sauce This BBQ | |
| 16 | Snow Hillbilly BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | |
| 18 | SOUTHERN BOYS BBQ |
Brisket
18 entries · top 178.8800 · median 158.2458
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 2 | Sauce This BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD | |
| 4 | MAKIN BACON BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 6 | JAM'N HAMS | |
| 7 | PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 8 | CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | |
| 9 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 10 | Cajin Jax BBQ | |
| 11 | A.W.'S BBQ | |
| 12 | WAR PIGS | |
| 13 | SOUTHERN BOYS BBQ | |
| 14 | Snow Hillbilly BBQ | |
| 15 | BOHEMIAN BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | |
| 17 | RACK TIME | |
| 18 | SLAYTON'S BARBEQUE COMPANY |
Ancillary categories
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.
Master Series — Amateur Chicken
11 entries · top 175.4400 · median 158.8456
Master Series — Amateur Ribs
11 entries · top 165.7372 · median 151.9200
Master Series — Backyard
11 entries · top 341.1772 · median 312.0228