A statement win
12.0116
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.0116 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 2017
Sep 8–9, 2017 · Kansas City, MO
CLARK CREW BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on September 8, 2017 in Kansas City, MO, scoring 699.3828 in a field of 28 teams. DIRT ROAD BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 687.3712. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKE THIS BBQ MO (177.7028); Pork Ribs — CLARK CREW BBQ (180.0000); Pork — GEN QUE (176.0228); Brisket — 4 LEGS UP BBQ (177.7372). This is the 125th of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by iBQ'n@TheBBQSuperStore.com.
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.
622.89
median 671.95
699.38 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.70
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 176.02
- Brisket 177.74
146.85
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
699.3828
Winning margin
12.0116
GC over RC
Field average
668.76
622.89699.38
median 671.95 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
3.4628 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
677.6460
622.89699.38
10th place overall
Field spread
76.4912
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 36%
beats 64% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,699
avg power rating going in · stronger than 99% 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.
A dynasty in the making
4×
wins at this contest
4 of 125 tracked editions
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 125 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
- 2017
- 2017
A stacked field
1699
average power rating going in
Stronger than 99% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1699 power rating going in — stronger than 99% of every contest tracked.
- top seed CLARK CREW BBQ (1982)
- 28 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 9–10: IN DEEP SAUCE and 4 LEGS UP BBQ tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: BLAZING CATTLES BBQ and BURNT FINGER BBQ tied on 169.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 5–6: PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ and CLARK CREW BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
CLARK CREW BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 6th.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 5th
Back to defend
4
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: DIRT ROAD BBQ (won 2013, 2016), CLARK CREW BBQ (won 2015), THUMP & STRUM BBQ (won 2015), 913 BBQ (won 2016).
- DIRT ROAD BBQ · 2013, 2016
- CLARK CREW BBQ · 2015
- THUMP & STRUM BBQ · 2015
- 913 BBQ · 2016
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.
- CLARK CREW BBQ · 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 →
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 172 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 172.5600 | 169.7028 |
| Pork | 176.0228 | 172.5600 | 170.2856 |
| Brisket | 177.7372 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 699.3828 · median 671.9484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLARK CREW BBQ | |
| 2 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 3 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 4 | BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ | |
| 5 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 6 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | |
| 7 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 8 | OLD STYLE BBQ | |
| 9 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 10 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 11 | BURNT FINGER BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 13 | 913 BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 15 | Three Brothers Different Mothers | |
| 16 | GEN QUE | |
| 17 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 18 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 19 | BUCKSHOT'S BREW N' QUE | |
| 20 | THESLABS.COM | |
| 21 | THUMP & STRUM BBQ | |
| 22 | BLAZING CATTLES BBQ | |
| 23 | MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO | |
| 24 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 25 | OLLIE BABA Q | |
| 26 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 27 | BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 28 | LAZY BOYZ BBQ |
Chicken
28 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168.8342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 2 | OLD STYLE BBQ | |
| 3 | 913 BBQ | |
| 4 | CLARK CREW BBQ | |
| 5 | THESLABS.COM | |
| 6 | MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO | |
| 7 | THUMP & STRUM BBQ | |
| 8 | BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ | |
| 9 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 10 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 12 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 13 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 14 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 15 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 17 | Three Brothers Different Mothers | |
| 18 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 19 | BURNT FINGER BBQ | |
| 20 | BLAZING CATTLES BBQ | |
| 21 | BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 22 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | |
| 23 | GEN QUE | |
| 24 | OLLIE BABA Q | |
| 25 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 26 | LAZY BOYZ BBQ | |
| 27 | BUCKSHOT'S BREW N' QUE | |
| 28 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE |
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 180 · median 167.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLARK CREW BBQ | |
| 2 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 3 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | |
| 4 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 5 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 6 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 7 | BUCKSHOT'S BREW N' QUE | |
| 8 | Three Brothers Different Mothers | |
| 9 | BLAZING CATTLES BBQ | |
| 10 | BURNT FINGER BBQ | |
| 11 | 913 BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 13 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 14 | GEN QUE | |
| 15 | OLD STYLE BBQ | |
| 16 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 18 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 19 | BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ | |
| 20 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 21 | THUMP & STRUM BBQ | |
| 22 | BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 23 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 24 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 25 | LAZY BOYZ BBQ | |
| 26 | OLLIE BABA Q | |
| 27 | MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO | |
| 28 | THESLABS.COM |
Pork
28 entries · top 176.0228 · median 169.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEN QUE | |
| 2 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 3 | BUCKSHOT'S BREW N' QUE | |
| 4 | BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ | |
| 5 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 6 | CLARK CREW BBQ | |
| 7 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | |
| 8 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 10 | BURNT FINGER BBQ | |
| 11 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 12 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 13 | OLD STYLE BBQ | |
| 14 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 15 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 16 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 17 | THESLABS.COM | |
| 18 | Three Brothers Different Mothers | |
| 19 | OLLIE BABA Q | |
| 20 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 21 | 913 BBQ | |
| 22 | THUMP & STRUM BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 24 | MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO | |
| 25 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 26 | BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 27 | BLAZING CATTLES BBQ | |
| 28 | LAZY BOYZ BBQ |
Brisket
28 entries · top 177.7372 · median 168.5484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 2 | BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ | |
| 3 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 4 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 5 | CLARK CREW BBQ | |
| 6 | OLD STYLE BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 8 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | |
| 9 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 10 | BURNT FINGER BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 12 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 13 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 14 | BLAZING CATTLES BBQ | |
| 15 | THESLABS.COM | |
| 16 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 17 | BUCKSHOT'S BREW N' QUE | |
| 18 | 913 BBQ | |
| 19 | Three Brothers Different Mothers | |
| 20 | MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO | |
| 21 | THUMP & STRUM BBQ | |
| 22 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 23 | OLLIE BABA Q | |
| 24 | GEN QUE | |
| 25 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 26 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 27 | LAZY BOYZ BBQ | |
| 28 | BLOWIN' SMOKE |