A statement win
9.7256
points clear of the field
Wider than 87% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.7256 points — a wider margin than 87% of championships in the data.
Fountains Blaze off & Senior Q
Oct 23–24, 2015 · Independence, MO
R BUTTS R SMOKIN won Grand Champion at the Fountains Blaze off & Senior Q on October 23, 2015 in Independence, MO, scoring 698.8112 in a field of 22 teams. SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.0856. Category winners: Chicken — R BUTTS R SMOKIN (176.5828); Pork Ribs — NICKLE BOYS BBQ (178.8572); Pork — SMOKE ON THE WATER (175.4172); Brisket — SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (179.4400).
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.
484.55
median 664.77
698.81 🏆
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 178.86
- Pork 175.42
- Brisket 179.44
20
179.44
Entries
22
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
698.8112
Winning margin
9.7256
GC over RC
Field average
649.64
484.55698.81
median 664.77 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
1.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
670.2284
484.55698.81
10th place overall
Field spread
214.2624
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 38%
beats 62% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.81 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,567
avg power rating going in · stronger than 52% of contests
Storylines (3 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 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: DIXIE BOYS BBQ and SONS OF A BRISKET tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: R BUTTS R SMOKIN and SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: SMOKE ON THE WATER and THUMP & STRUM BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
R BUTTS R SMOKIN took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 7th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 7th
- Brisket 2nd
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 | 167.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 171.4172 | 166.2628 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 173.7028 | 171.4056 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 168.5372 | 162.2744 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
22 entries · top 698.8112 · median 664.7656
Chicken
22 entries · top 176.5828 · median 167.1142
Pork Ribs
22 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.4056
Pork
22 entries · top 175.4172 · median 169.4228
Brisket
22 entries · top 179.4400 · median 162.2686
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 — Dessert
3 entries · top 172.0228 · median 165.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NICKLE BOYS BBQ | |
| 2 | VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY | |
| 3 | A Slew of Sows and a Smoker |