A statement win
9.7032
points clear of the field
Wider than 86% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.7032 points — a wider margin than 86% of championships in the data.
Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival
May 8–9, 2015 · Green Lane, PA
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival on May 8, 2015 in Green Lane, PA, scoring 690.8460 in a field of 57 teams. Rogue Hog BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 681.1428. Category winners: Chicken — FINN'S FINEST BBQ (176.5828); Pork Ribs — Rogue Hog BBQ (176.5600); Pork — BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ (172.5600); Brisket — ACK-QUE (178.8800).
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.
553.03
median 635.91
690.85 🏆
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 176.56
- Pork 172.56
- Brisket 178.88
126.80
178.88
Entries
56
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
690.8460
Winning margin
9.7032
GC over RC
Field average
628.29
553.03690.85
median 635.91 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
651.8856
553.03690.85
10th place overall
Field spread
137.8176
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 68%
beats 32% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.68 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,547
avg power rating going in · stronger than 35% 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 8 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: PALM TREE SMOKEHOUSE and PIGHEADED BBQ tied on 170.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ and PIGHEADED BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: BBQ MAFIA and MUST B SMOKIN' SOMETHING tied on 168.5372 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Brisket 9–10 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 4th.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
One of the big ones
57
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 90% of the 5,469 contests in the data
57 teams — bigger than 90% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
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 | 176.5828 | 171.4172 | 168.0228 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 170.2972 | 167.4516 |
| Pork | 172.5600 | 170.2628 | 167.3828 |
| Brisket | 178.8800 | 170.3200 | 165.1084 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
56 entries · top 690.8460 · median 635.9084
Chicken
56 entries · top 176.5828 · median 162.2570
Pork Ribs
56 entries · top 176.5600 · median 157.1028
Pork
56 entries · top 172.5600 · median 157.0858
Brisket
56 entries · top 178.8800 · median 155.4058
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 — Chef'S Choice
8 entries · top 180 · median 164.8514 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 2 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 3 | SWINE AND CHEESE | |
| 4 | PULLIN' MY MONEY MUSCLE | |
| 5 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 6 | BONES & BIBS SWINE TEAM | |
| 7 | Smoke Showin | |
| 8 | A 2 Z |
Master Series — Dessert
11 entries · top 180 · median 172.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FEEDING FRIENDZ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 3 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 4 | BONES & BIBS SWINE TEAM | |
| 5 | PULLIN' MY MONEY MUSCLE | |
| 6 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 7 | SHADY CREW | |
| 8 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 9 | SWINE AND CHEESE | |
| 10 | A 2 Z | |
| 11 | Smoke Showin |