A statement win
12.0344
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.0344 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
Show Low BBQ Throwdown
May 1–2, 2015 · Show Low, AZ
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the Show Low BBQ Throwdown on May 1, 2015 in Show Low, AZ, scoring 702.2744 in a field of 35 teams. BUTTHEAD BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.2400. Category winners: Chicken — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ (176.0000); Pork — BAD BOYZ BBQ (178.8800); Brisket — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S 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.
506.25
median 657.60
702.27 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 176
- Pork 178.88
- Brisket 180 🔥
134.81
180
Entries
35
4 judged meats
Top score
702.2744
Winning margin
12.0344
GC over RC
Field average
649.31
506.25702.27
median 657.60 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8916 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
670.7772
506.25702.27
10th place overall
Field spread
196.0228
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 24%
beats 76% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.35 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,530
avg power rating going in · stronger than 22% 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: Just the Tip and SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER tied on 172.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: Lip S-Macn BBQ and THE SMOKING HILLS tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 2–3: RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ and Just the Tip tied on 174.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 7th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 7th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 1st
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.
- IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ · Brisket
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 | 178.8572 | 172.5828 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 176 | 173.1084 | 168.5600 |
| Pork | 178.8800 | 174.2744 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.2628 | 168.5828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
35 entries · top 702.2744 · median 657.6000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | BUTTHEAD BBQ | |
| 3 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 4 | Lip S-Macn BBQ | |
| 5 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 6 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 7 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 8 | BURNIN BUTTS BBQ | |
| 9 | BURNIN BELLIES | |
| 10 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 11 | MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 12 | Just the Tip | |
| 13 | RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ | |
| 14 | THUNDERDOME BBQ | |
| 15 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 16 | SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER | |
| 17 | BBQ'S DUNN | |
| 18 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 19 | AFRO SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ | |
| 21 | COW TIPPIN BBQ | |
| 22 | DIFFERENT SMOKES BBQ | |
| 23 | BLUE CLOUD BBQ | |
| 24 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ | |
| 25 | BADCAT'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 26 | CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 27 | DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 28 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 29 | FAT FRANKIES BBQ LLC | |
| 30 | MONSOON BBQ | |
| 31 | HOGFATHER | |
| 32 | 1st and Coal Smokin' BBQ | |
| 33 | The Smoke Shack | |
| 34 | Trail Head BBQ | |
| 35 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON |
Chicken
34 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.4114
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | BADCAT'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 3 | BURNIN BUTTS BBQ | |
| 4 | BUTTHEAD BBQ | |
| 5 | FAT FRANKIES BBQ LLC | |
| 6 | Just the Tip | |
| 7 | SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER | |
| 8 | 1st and Coal Smokin' BBQ | |
| 9 | CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 10 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 11 | AFRO SMOKE BBQ | |
| 12 | Lip S-Macn BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 14 | The Smoke Shack | |
| 15 | COW TIPPIN BBQ | |
| 16 | MONSOON BBQ | |
| 17 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 18 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 19 | CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 21 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 22 | BURNIN BELLIES | |
| 23 | RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ | |
| 24 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 25 | MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 26 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ | |
| 27 | DIFFERENT SMOKES BBQ | |
| 28 | THUNDERDOME BBQ | |
| 29 | BLUE CLOUD BBQ | |
| 30 | Trail Head BBQ | |
| 31 | DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 32 | BBQ'S DUNN | |
| 33 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 34 | HOGFATHER |
Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 176 · median 165.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 2 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ | |
| 3 | SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER | |
| 4 | BURNIN BELLIES | |
| 5 | COW TIPPIN BBQ | |
| 6 | THUNDERDOME BBQ | |
| 7 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 8 | Lip S-Macn BBQ | |
| 9 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 10 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 11 | CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ | |
| 12 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 13 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 14 | BUTTHEAD BBQ | |
| 15 | BLUE CLOUD BBQ | |
| 16 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 17 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 18 | BBQ'S DUNN | |
| 19 | BURNIN BUTTS BBQ | |
| 20 | DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 21 | AFRO SMOKE BBQ | |
| 22 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 23 | RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ | |
| 24 | Just the Tip | |
| 25 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 26 | BADCAT'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 27 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 28 | MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 29 | DIFFERENT SMOKES BBQ | |
| 30 | MONSOON BBQ | |
| 31 | HOGFATHER | |
| 32 | FAT FRANKIES BBQ LLC | |
| 33 | The Smoke Shack | |
| 34 | 1st and Coal Smokin' BBQ | |
| 35 | Trail Head BBQ |
Pork
35 entries · top 178.8800 · median 163.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 3 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 4 | BUTTHEAD BBQ | |
| 5 | BURNIN BUTTS BBQ | |
| 6 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Lip S-Macn BBQ | |
| 8 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 9 | THUNDERDOME BBQ | |
| 10 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 11 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 12 | AFRO SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | BURNIN BELLIES | |
| 14 | BADCAT'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 15 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 16 | BBQ'S DUNN | |
| 17 | RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ | |
| 18 | DIFFERENT SMOKES BBQ | |
| 19 | COW TIPPIN BBQ | |
| 20 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 21 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 22 | DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 23 | HOGFATHER | |
| 24 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ | |
| 25 | Just the Tip | |
| 26 | 1st and Coal Smokin' BBQ | |
| 27 | CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ | |
| 28 | BLUE CLOUD BBQ | |
| 29 | SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER | |
| 30 | FAT FRANKIES BBQ LLC | |
| 31 | MONSOON BBQ | |
| 32 | The Smoke Shack | |
| 33 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 34 | CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 35 | Trail Head BBQ |
Brisket
35 entries · top 180 · median 162.2400 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | RUB YOUR MEAT BBQ | |
| 3 | Just the Tip | |
| 4 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 5 | BUTTHEAD BBQ | |
| 6 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 7 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 8 | SWIMMIN IN SMOKE | |
| 9 | MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 10 | FIRE AND DESIRE | |
| 11 | BBQ'S DUNN | |
| 12 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 13 | DIFFERENT SMOKES BBQ | |
| 14 | Lip S-Macn BBQ | |
| 15 | SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER | |
| 16 | HOGFATHER | |
| 17 | TOYS 4 BBQ'N | |
| 18 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 19 | CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | BURNIN BELLIES | |
| 21 | THUNDERDOME BBQ | |
| 22 | BLUE CLOUD BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 24 | MONSOON BBQ | |
| 25 | BURNIN BUTTS BBQ | |
| 26 | AFRO SMOKE BBQ | |
| 27 | FAT FRANKIES BBQ LLC | |
| 28 | COW TIPPIN BBQ | |
| 29 | CHAR WARS COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 30 | DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 31 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ | |
| 32 | The Smoke Shack | |
| 33 | 1st and Coal Smokin' BBQ | |
| 34 | Trail Head BBQ | |
| 35 | BADCAT'S BBQ TEAM |