A new contest record
678.8000
highest overall ever cooked here
678.8000 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 675.9884 BUTCHER BBQ set in 2015.
- old record 675.9884
- set 2015 by BUTCHER BBQ
Cedar Fest BBQ 2016
Apr 1–2, 2016 · Cedar Park, TX
Buckshot BBQ won Grand Champion at the Cedar Fest BBQ on April 1, 2016 in Cedar Park, TX, scoring 678.8000 in a field of 67 teams. JAMBO PITS took Reserve Grand Champion with 670.8568. Category winners: Chicken — Buckshot BBQ (178.8800); Pork Ribs — TEX'S SMOKE (173.1200); Pork — Smokin Hot J's (180.0000); Brisket — JOE'S COOKSHACK (179.4400). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by BUTCHER BBQ.
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.
290.30
median 630.15
678.80 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.88
- Pork Ribs 173.12
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 179.44
108.62
180
Entries
67
4 judged meats
Top score
678.8000
Winning margin
7.9432
GC over RC
Field average
612.62
290.30678.80
median 630.15 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
3.4056 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
648.4684
290.30678.80
10th place overall
Field spread
388.5028
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 91%
beats 9% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
49%
26 of 53 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.43 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,532
avg power rating going in · stronger than 23% of contests
Storylines (9 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.
An upset on the books
11-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 89 times in 100
BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX came in rated below the field's top team, CLARK CREW BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 11-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1506
- top seed 1875
A first Grand Championship
15
tracked contests to get there
This was Buckshot BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 15th tracked contest.
Photo finishes
0.0112
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 7–8: LoneHorn Cookers edged Arnold Grading by 0.0112. Pork Ribs places 2–3: Dukes Pepper Company edged Que Balls by 0.0116. Chicken places 7–8: 3 WOODYS BBQ edged SMOKE EM UP BBQ by 0.0228.
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0116
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0228
- Pork 3–4 · 0.0228
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Buckshot BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 30th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 5th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 30th
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
Smokin Hot J's turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 172.0000 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 172.0000
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BUTCHER BBQ (won 2015).
- BUTCHER BBQ · 2015
One of the big ones
67
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 94% of the 5,469 contests in the data
67 teams — bigger than 94% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
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.
- Smokin Hot J's · Pork
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 10, 2015 | Cedar Park, TX | Cedar Park, TX 78613 | 53 | 675.9884 | BUTCHER BBQ | Die Freundliche Schweine |
| Apr 1, 2016 ← this one | Cedar Park, TX | Cedar Park, TX | 67 | 678.8000 | Buckshot BBQ | JAMBO PITS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8800 | 173.7372 | 165.7256 |
| Pork Ribs | 173.1200 | 169.7144 | 166.8112 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.8800 | 167.3712 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 174.2628 | 170.2744 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
67 entries · top 678.8000 · median 630.1484
Chicken
66 entries · top 178.8800 · median 156.0056
Pork Ribs
65 entries · top 173.1200 · median 158.2972
Pork
67 entries · top 180 · median 158.2512 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
66 entries · top 179.4400 · median 153.0912