A statement win
11.9428
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 11.9428 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 2017
Apr 14–15, 2017 · Fort Collins, CO
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on April 14, 2017 in Fort Collins, CO, scoring 692.4800 in a field of 30 teams. SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 680.5372. Category winners: Chicken — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS (179.4400); Pork Ribs — KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON (174.8572); Pork — Smokin Hot J's (174.2628); Brisket — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (177.7028). This is the 108th of 125 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by TEAM AMERICA; 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.
574.55
median 657.88
692.48 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 179.44
- Pork Ribs 174.86
- Pork 174.26
- Brisket 177.70
129.02
179.44
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
692.4800
Winning margin
11.9428
GC over RC
Field average
653.07
574.55692.48
median 657.88 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8684 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.0404
574.55692.48
10th place overall
Field spread
117.9312
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 64%
beats 36% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
3%
1 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,585
avg power rating going in · stronger than 67% of contests
Storylines (5 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
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 7–8: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ and WILD HOGS BBQ tied on 168.5372 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ edged IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ by 0.0112. Pork Ribs places 3–4: LA PASADITA edged WILD HOGS BBQ by 0.0112.
- Pork 7–8 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0112
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 7th.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 7th
- Brisket 1st
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (won 2014, 2016).
- IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ · 2014, 2016
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 | 179.4400 | 174.2744 | 169.6912 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8572 | 171.9888 | 168.5372 |
| Pork | 174.2628 | 169.1200 | 166.2512 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 169.1428 | 165.1316 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 692.4800 · median 657.8800
Chicken
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 164.5430
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 174.8572 · median 165.4000
Pork
30 entries · top 174.2628 · median 164.2742
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 161.9542