A new contest record
707.3944
highest overall ever cooked here
707.3944 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 705.1084 Boggs Hog BBQ set in 2025.
- old record 705.1084
- set 2025 by Boggs Hog BBQ
New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 2026
Apr 18–19, 2026 · Blairstown, NJ · 📍 Triple Brook Camping Resort · State championship
Reps: Jeff Chambers, Regina Bodnar · Prize money: $4,000
ELJEFE SMOKE won Grand Champion at the New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) on April 18, 2026 in Blairstown, NJ at Triple Brook Camping Resort, scoring 707.3944 in a field of 26 teams. GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.1088. Category winners: Chicken — ELJEFE SMOKE (180.0000); Pork Ribs — PADDY MCQ'S (180.0000); Pork — ELJEFE SMOKE (177.7144); Brisket — Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ (177.7028). The Backyard Series standings were won by Pit Master Matt with 348.5256. This is the 17th of 18 editions of this contest on record; the 2026 edition was won by Grandpa Val's BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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.
619.82
median 677.60
707.39 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork 177.71
- Master Series — Brisket 177.70
- Backyard Series — Chicken 179.44
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 176.56
144.54
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
6 judged meats
Top score
707.3944
Winning margin
2.2856
GC over RC
Field average
675.83
619.82707.39
median 677.60 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
683.8856
619.82707.39
10th place overall
Field spread
87.5772
winner to last place
Prize money
$4,000
on the line
Double threats
9
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 8%
beats 92% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.78 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,579
avg power rating going in · stronger than 63% 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
31-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 69 times in 100
ELJEFE SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1726
- top seed 1867
A dynasty in the making
4×
wins at this contest
4 of 18 tracked editions
Grandpa Val's BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 18 tracked editions.
- 2025
- 2025
- 2026
- 2026
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 16 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: PADDY MCQ'S and STICKS & STONES BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: STICKS & STONES BBQ and SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 8–9: Mullen It Over BBQ and Grandpa Val's BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 4–5 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
ELJEFE SMOKE won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
ELJEFE SMOKE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 8th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 8th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
PADDY MCQ'S turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8800 that had stood across 16 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8800
- across 16 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (won 2018, 2025), Grandpa Val's BBQ (won 2025, 2025, 2026, 2026).
- SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA · 2018, 2025
- Grandpa Val's BBQ · 2025, 2025, 2026, 2026
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- ELJEFE SMOKE · Chicken
- PADDY MCQ'S · Pork Ribs
This contest's own records (2 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
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 28, 2018 | Blairstown, NJ | 58 Honey Run Rd, Triple Brook Camping Resort | 40 | 681.6456 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | GOOD SMOKE BBQ |
| Apr 27, 2019 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 43 | 691.9544 | Fire Down Below | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 36 | 701.1316 | Wolf's Revenge | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 12 | 177.7144 | Good Googly Goo BBQ | — |
| Apr 22, 2023 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 30 | 698.2172 | Top Gun Barbecue | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Apr 22, 2023 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 9 | 178.8572 | Blue & Gray BBQ | — |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 29 | 702.8228 | Boggs Hog BBQ | CHUNKY BBQ |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 11 | 178.2972 | Piggin' Whiskey | — |
| Apr 20, 2024 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 27 | 701.7144 | Boggs Hog BBQ | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ |
| Apr 20, 2024 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 8 | 178.8800 | SmoKen Meats | — |
| May 2, 2025 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 33 | 701.6684 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ - MA | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ |
| May 2, 2025 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 21 | 177.7144 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | — |
| May 3, 2025 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 34 | 705.1084 | Boggs Hog BBQ | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| May 3, 2025 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 14 | 177.1544 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | — |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 26 | 691.9776 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | House of Que |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 10 | 178.8572 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | — |
| Apr 18, 2026 ← this one | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 26 | 707.3944 | ElJefe Smoke | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ |
| Apr 18, 2026 | Blairstown, NJ | Triple Brook Camping Resort | 8 | 177.7144 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 171.9884 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5600 | 171.9656 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7144 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.7028 | 174.2628 | 171.9656 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 172.5484 | 167.9656 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 170.8228 | 165.6916 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 707.3944 · median 677.5998
Chicken
26 entries · top 180 · median 168.8112 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 180 · median 169.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
26 entries · top 177.7144 · median 171.4000
Brisket
26 entries · top 177.7028 · median 169.9656
Backyard Series
Overall
13 entries · top 348.5256 · median 342.7884
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pit Master Matt | |
| 2 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 3 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 4 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 5 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 6 | Beefy Bros BBQ | |
| 7 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 8 | Hot Thang BBQ | |
| 9 | Old Man's BBQ | |
| 10 | Red & Black BBQ Shack | |
| 11 | Squealing Reels BBQ | |
| 12 | Whiskey Business BBQ | |
| 13 | Smokin' Goat |
Chicken
13 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 2 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 3 | Beefy Bros BBQ | |
| 4 | Pit Master Matt | |
| 5 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 6 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 7 | Squealing Reels BBQ | |
| 8 | Hot Thang BBQ | |
| 9 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 10 | Red & Black BBQ Shack | |
| 11 | Whiskey Business BBQ | |
| 12 | Smokin' Goat | |
| 13 | Old Man's BBQ |
Pork Ribs
13 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 2 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 3 | Old Man's BBQ | |
| 4 | Pit Master Matt | |
| 5 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 6 | Hot Thang BBQ | |
| 7 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ | |
| 8 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 9 | Beefy Bros BBQ | |
| 10 | Red & Black BBQ Shack | |
| 11 | Whiskey Business BBQ | |
| 12 | Smokin' Goat | |
| 13 | Squealing Reels BBQ |