A new contest record
706.8572
highest overall ever cooked here
706.8572 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 705.7144 LUCKY'S Q set in 2016.
- old record 705.7144
- set 2016 by LUCKY'S Q
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) 2017
Apr 21–22, 2017 · Las Vegas, NV
BURNIN AND LOOTIN won Grand Champion at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) on April 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV, scoring 706.8572 in a field of 30 teams. LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.9888. Category winners: Chicken — COW TIPPIN BBQ (179.4400); Pork Ribs — BURNIN AND LOOTIN (179.4400); Pork — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS (180.0000); Brisket — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (180.0000). This is the 21st of 25 editions of this contest on record; the 2016 edition was won by JAESTAR BBQ; 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.
646.85
median 682.21
706.86 🏆
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 179.44
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
150.83
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
706.8572
Winning margin
6.8684
GC over RC
Field average
680.92
646.85706.86
median 682.21 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
690.7656
646.85706.86
10th place overall
Field spread
60.0116
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 9%
beats 91% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
0%
0 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.72 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,682
avg power rating going in · stronger than 99% 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.
An upset on the books
24-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 76 times in 100
Burnin and Lootin came in rated below the field's top team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1827
- top seed 2031
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
1682
average power rating going in
Stronger than 99% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1682 power rating going in — stronger than 99% of every contest tracked.
- top seed IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (2031)
- 30 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ and BURNTOUT BBQ CO tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: BURNTOUT BBQ CO and RHYTHM 'N QUE tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ and PARROTHEAD SMOKERS tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BURNIN AND LOOTIN took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 9th.
- Chicken 9th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 4th
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: RHYTHM 'N QUE (won 2014, 2015), LUCKY'S Q (won 2016).
- RHYTHM 'N QUE · 2014, 2015
- LUCKY'S Q · 2016
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.
- IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ · Brisket
- B-S BBQ OUTLAWS · 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 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 ← this one | 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 | 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 | 179.4400 | 177.1428 | 173.1084 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 176.5944 | 172.5716 |
| Pork | 180 | 176 | 174.2628 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.8800 | 174.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 706.8572 · median 682.2056
Chicken
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.1256
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8514
Pork
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.8400 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
30 entries · top 180 · median 170 · 🔥 perfect 180