A dynasty in the making
3×
wins at this contest
3 of 7 tracked editions
BIG POPPA SMOKERS has won this contest 3 times across its 7 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2014
- 2016
Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge 2016
Sep 9–10, 2016 · Grand Junction, CO · 📍 1340 Gunnison Ave
BIG POPPA SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge on September 9, 2016 in Grand Junction, CO at 1340 Gunnison Ave, scoring 694.8460 in a field of 49 teams. UTAH BBQ COMPANY took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.0744. Category winners: Chicken — GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE (176.5600); Pork Ribs — LUCKY'S Q (180.0000); Pork — HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ (177.1544); Brisket — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (177.7028). This is the 4th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by LUCKY'S Q; the next was held in 2017.
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.
571.95
median 658.73
694.85 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.56
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 177.15
- Brisket 177.70
118.61
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2019 — this edition picked out.
Entries
49
4 judged meats
Top score
694.8460
Winning margin
5.7716
GC over RC
Field average
652.11
571.95694.85
median 658.73 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.3372
571.95694.85
10th place overall
Field spread
122.8912
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 54%
beats 46% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
56%
18 of 32 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,565
avg power rating going in · stronger than 50% of contests
Storylines (7 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 4–5: WILD HOGS BBQ and BACKDRAFT BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: UTAH BBQ COMPANY and SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ and BIG POPPA SMOKERS tied on 172.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0112
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BIG POPPA SMOKERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 9th.
- Chicken 8th
- Pork Ribs 7th
- Pork 9th
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
LUCKY'S Q turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 177.7372 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7372
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BIG POPPA SMOKERS (won 2013, 2014), LUCKY'S Q (won 2015).
- BIG POPPA SMOKERS · 2013, 2014
- LUCKY'S Q · 2015
The biggest field yet
49
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 40 teams
49 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 40.
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.
- LUCKY'S Q · Pork Ribs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2013 | Grand Junction, CO | Grand Junction, CO | 42 | 702.8572 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES |
| Sep 12, 2014 | Grand Junction, CO | Grand Junction, CO 81501 | 47 | 692.5944 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ |
| Sep 11, 2015 | Grand Junction, CO | Grand Junction, CO 81521 | 32 | 698.8344 | LUCKY'S Q | GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE |
| Sep 9, 2016 ← this one | Grand Junction, CO | 1340 Gunnison Ave | 49 | 694.8460 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | UTAH BBQ COMPANY |
| Sep 8, 2017 | Grand Jct, CO | 1340 Gunnison Ave | 28 | 694.2516 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | BACKDRAFT BBQ |
| Sep 7, 2018 | Grand Jct, CO | 925 Struthers AVe | 32 | 693.6572 | SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ | ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ |
| Sep 6, 2019 | Grand Jct, CO | 925 Struthers AVe | 28 | 691.3488 | CROOKED PIGS | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 174.2744 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 173.1428 | 170.2856 |
| Pork | 177.1544 | 173.7028 | 171.4516 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 171.9884 | 169.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
49 entries · top 694.8460 · median 658.7316
Chicken
49 entries · top 176.5600 · median 165.6684
Pork Ribs
49 entries · top 180 · median 166.2400 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
49 entries · top 177.1544 · median 165.1200
Brisket
49 entries · top 177.7028 · median 162.2972