A new contest record
709.7260
highest overall ever cooked here
709.7260 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 706.8572 BURNIN AND LOOTIN set in 2017.
- old record 706.8572
- set 2017 by BURNIN AND LOOTIN
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) 2017
Sep 22–23, 2017 · Edmond, OK
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) on September 22, 2017 in Edmond, OK, scoring 709.7260 in a field of 30 teams. JAESTAR BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.4060. Category winners: Chicken — FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX (180.0000); Pork Ribs — JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 (178.2972); Pork — SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ (177.7028). This is the 25th of 25 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY.
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.
667.85
median 687.06
709.73 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 178.30
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 177.70
161.12
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2017 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
709.7260
Winning margin
10.3200
GC over RC
Field average
685.60
667.85709.73
median 687.06 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.7028 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
690.7884
667.85709.73
10th place overall
Field spread
41.8748
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 3%
beats 97% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.56 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,751
avg power rating going in · stronger than 100% of contests
Storylines (8 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 statement win
10.3200
points clear of the field
Wider than 89% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.3200 points — a wider margin than 89% of championships in the data.
A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX · Chicken
- SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ · Pork
- WHEN PIGS DIE · Pork
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 25 tracked editions
RHYTHM 'N QUE has won this contest 2 times across its 25 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
A stacked field
1751
average power rating going in
Stronger than 100% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1751 power rating going in — stronger than 100% of every contest tracked.
- top seed SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (1990)
- 30 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ and JAESTAR BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: PITMASTERIQ BBQ and THUMP & STRUM BBQ tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: JAESTAR BBQ and SUBLIME BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 9th.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 9th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: CAVEMAN CUISINE (won 2013), CLARK CREW BBQ (won 2014, 2015), JAESTAR BBQ (won 2016).
- CAVEMAN CUISINE · 2013
- CLARK CREW BBQ · 2014, 2015
- JAESTAR BBQ · 2016
In the record book (1 in the KCBS record book)
What happened at this contest that stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record nobody has beaten.
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 19, 2013 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 667.4280 | TOMBSTONE BBQ | GQUE |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Rockford, IL | Rockford, IL | 30 | 683.9544 | TheBBQSuperStore.com | GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA |
| Sep 6, 2013 | Chesapeake, VA | Chesapeake, VA | 30 | 673.6796 | Rhode Hog BBQ | SMOKE THIS |
| Sep 13, 2013 | Hendersonville, TN | Hendersonville, TN | 30 | 697.0972 | MOONSWINERS | Swamp Boys |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 697.6684 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2014 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 685.7140 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | SLAP YO' DADDY BBQ |
| Aug 1, 2014 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 689.1316 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | iBQ'n |
| Aug 29, 2014 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 673.0740 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | THE BBQ GURU |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.7144 | PIG WHISPERERS | LANG BBQ SMOKERS |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 29 | 694.2288 | CLARK CREW BBQ | CAVEMAN CUISINE |
| Apr 24, 2015 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 702.8576 | RHYTHM 'N QUE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 694.8344 | THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
| Sep 4, 2015 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 30 | 688.5488 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 30 | 701.1200 | CAJUN BLAZE | EAT MOR BUTT BBQ |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 694.2632 | CLARK CREW BBQ | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 695.4172 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | SMOKIN MO'S BBQ |
| Jul 1, 2016 | Marietta, GA | Marietta, GA | 30 | 697.6572 | CONTAGIOUS Q | Organizer Portal |
| Aug 26, 2016 | N. Charleston, SC | N. Charleston, SC | 30 | 695.3484 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 705.7144 | LUCKY'S Q | TOTALLY SAUCED |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Midwest City, OK | Midwest City, OK | 30 | 698.8572 | JAESTAR BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV | 30 | 706.8572 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| Jun 30, 2017 | Bartlett, TN | Bartlett, TN | 30 | 704.5488 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | RAZORRACKS |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Richmond, VA | Richmond, VA | 29 | 698.8228 | SMOKING BUTT HEADS | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 30 | 685.1432 | LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | iBQ'n |
| Sep 22, 2017 ← this one | Edmond, OK | Edmond, OK | 30 | 709.7260 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | JAESTAR BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7144 | 176 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 176.5944 | 174.8800 |
| Pork | 180 | 176 | 172.5600 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 175.4056 | 173.1084 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 709.7260 · median 687.0626
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 173.7144 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 178.2972 · median 171.9944
Pork
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 171.4172