9th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge

Apr 21–22, 2017 · Overland Park, KS · 📍 8804 Grant Ave

🥇

THUMP & STRUM BBQ

692.5256 · Master Series — Overall

🥈

HIGH i QUE

691.9428 · Master Series — Overall

🥉

GETTIN' SAUCED

689.0856 · Master Series — Overall

THUMP & STRUM BBQ won Grand Champion at the 9th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge on April 21, 2017 in Overland Park, KS at 8804 Grant Ave, scoring 692.5256 in a field of 64 teams. HIGH i QUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.9428. Category winners: Chicken — SKYY FULL OF SMOKE (176.6172); Pork Ribs — THUMP & STRUM BBQ (178.8572); Pork — HIGH i QUE (178.2972); Brisket — COOL BLUE Q (177.7144).

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.

575.27 median 657.86 692.53 🏆

How the meats cooked

Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.

Chicken 176.62
Pork Ribs 178.86
Pork 178.30
Brisket 177.71

135.94 178.86

Entries

4 judged meats · 2 ancillary

Top score

692.5256

Winning margin

0.5828

GC over RC

Field average

653.82

575.27692.53

median 657.86 · last place to winner

Perfect 180s

Tightest race

Chicken

0.6172 pts across the top 5

Top-10 cutoff

682.7312

575.27692.53

10th place overall

Field spread

117.2572

winner to last place

Most consistent

HIGH i QUE

avg finish 11.50 across 4 meats

Double threats

teams with 2+ top-5 calls

Widest winning margin

Pork Ribs

won by 4.5600 pts — THUMP & STRUM BBQ

How hot was the win?

Top 63%

beats 37% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data

Form held

Strong

ρ = -0.82 between pre-contest rating and finish

Field strength

1,581

avg power rating going in · stronger than 64% of contests

Top-rated in the field

JAESTAR BBQ

rated 1887 pre-contest

Storylines (4 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 razor-thin finish

0.5828 points between champion and reserve

Closer than 89% of the 4,714 championships in the data

The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.

THUMP & STRUM BBQ
HIGH i QUE

Photo finishes

Tie closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point

Chicken places 2–3: AMERICAN FIRE BBQ and SLAPS BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: SLAPS BBQ and JAESTAR BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: JAESTAR BBQ and LEGION OF QUE tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

Chicken 2–3 · tie
Chicken 3–4 · tie
Pork 2–3 · tie
Pork 7–8 · tie

How the title was won

2 of 4 meats called to the stage

THUMP & STRUM BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 27th.

Chicken 27th
Pork Ribs 1st
Pork 8th
Brisket 12th

One of the big ones

64 teams on the grounds

Bigger than 93% of the 5,469 contests in the data

64 teams — bigger than 93% of the 5,469 contests in the data.

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)

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)

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Category	1st	5th	10th
Chicken	176.6172	176	171.9772
Pork Ribs	178.8572	173.1544	170.8456
Pork	178.2972	176.5600	172.5600
Brisket	177.7144	176.5600	171.9656

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

64 entries · top 692.5256 · median 657.8574

#	Team	Score
1	THUMP & STRUM BBQ	692.5256
2	HIGH i QUE	691.9428
3	GETTIN' SAUCED	689.0856
4	3 PIGS SMOKIN	686.7772
5	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	685.6000
6	SMOKE RINGERS	685.0856
7	SLAPS BBQ	684.4912
8	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	683.9312
9	913 BBQ	682.7772
10	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	682.7312
11	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	681.6228
12	JAESTAR BBQ	681.0400
13	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ	681.0172
14	THESLABS.COM	680.5144
15	DIRT ROAD BBQ	677.5884
16	MAN MEAT BBQ	675.4172
17	B & C SMOKERS	675.2796
18	LAZY BACON BBQ	674.7312
19	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	674.1944
20	GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY	673.5888
21	WANNA B'S	672.4800
22	Broken Bottle BBQ	671.8856
23	SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	671.3716
24	LEGION OF QUE	670.7884
25	SUBLIME BBQ	668.4568
26	LOVE 2 Q	667.9200
27	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	667.8744
28	SWEET BEAVER BBQ	667.3716
29	COOL BLUE Q	664.4572
30	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	663.9312
31	THE BOYS IN QUE	661.5996
32	Tall Boys and a lil' Smoke	660.4692
33	PITT SMOKERS	655.2456
34	Smoke & Brew BBQ	652.4800
35	JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ	652.4344
36	Midnight Ramblers	651.3944
37	CHASE BROTHERS BBQ	650.6968
38	WALDO BBQ	650.1024
39	S&S BBQ	647.8056
40	1st & 10 BBQ	643.8516
41	MAXIMUM LOIN	642.7540
42	Budha Mangus	641.7260
43	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	640.9368
44	MEAT MITCH	639.8400
45	Whiskey Friday	637.5316
46	DEAD LAST BBQ	637.0400
47	MORNING WOOD	634.2176
48	BLUE VALLEY BBQ	634.1372
49	BIG BACK BBQ	634.0916
50	Full Metal Brisket	633.1088
51	THE LAZERS	633.0060
52	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	632.5028
53	B&D BBQ	629.6116
54	PORK 'N MINDY	626.2404
55	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	625.4744
56	BBQ SPOT	624.3888
57	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	623.2572
58	PB&J SMOKIN' OLD MEN	622.6512
59	RUBBIN BUTTS BONE IN	618.1028
60	Power I BBQ	612.4804
61	GLAZED & CONFUSED	605.5200
62	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	599.7140
63	SMOKERS WITH ATTITUDE	588.3996
64	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	575.2684

Chicken

64 entries · top 176.6172 · median 165.3942

#	Team	Score
1	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	176.6172
2	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	176.5600
3	SLAPS BBQ	176.5600
4	JAESTAR BBQ	176.5600
5	LAZY BACON BBQ	176
6	THESLABS.COM	174.2972
7	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ	173.1200
8	SMOKE RINGERS	172.5828
9	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	172.5600
10	913 BBQ	171.9772
11	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	171.9656
12	3 PIGS SMOKIN	171.4172
13	SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	170.8572
14	Broken Bottle BBQ	170.8456
15	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	170.8228
16	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	170.8228
17	B & C SMOKERS	170.8228
18	MAN MEAT BBQ	170.2856
19	1st & 10 BBQ	170.2628
20	DIRT ROAD BBQ	170.2628
21	CHASE BROTHERS BBQ	170.2628
22	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	169.6912
23	Budha Mangus	169.1428
24	GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY	169.1316
25	GETTIN' SAUCED	169.1200
26	HIGH i QUE	168.5600
27	THUMP & STRUM BBQ	167.9884
28	SWEET BEAVER BBQ	167.4400
29	LEGION OF QUE	167.3944
30	Full Metal Brisket	166.2972
31	MORNING WOOD	165.7144
32	LOVE 2 Q	165.7028
33	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	165.0856
34	Whiskey Friday	164.5600
35	JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ	164.5484
36	S&S BBQ	164.5256
37	BBQ SPOT	163.9660
38	SUBLIME BBQ	163.9656
39	Midnight Ramblers	162.8800
40	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	162.8460
41	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	162.8000
42	WANNA B'S	162.2628
43	MAXIMUM LOIN	162.2628
44	COOL BLUE Q	161.7028
45	Tall Boys and a lil' Smoke	161.1088
46	PB&J SMOKIN' OLD MEN	161.0972
47	THE BOYS IN QUE	159.9884
48	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	158.2744
49	PORK 'N MINDY	157.6916
50	PITT SMOKERS	156.5028
51	MEAT MITCH	155.9656
52	DEAD LAST BBQ	155.4172
53	BIG BACK BBQ	155.3828
54	Smoke & Brew BBQ	154.8228
55	RUBBIN BUTTS BONE IN	154.2400
56	B&D BBQ	153.7028
57	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	153.0856
58	BLUE VALLEY BBQ	152.5028
59	WALDO BBQ	152.5028
60	GLAZED & CONFUSED	150.8000
61	THE LAZERS	150.2284
62	Power I BBQ	148.5144
63	SMOKERS WITH ATTITUDE	147.3828
64	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	135.9428

Pork Ribs

64 entries · top 178.8572 · median 162.8228

#	Team	Score
1	THUMP & STRUM BBQ	178.8572
2	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	174.2972
3	WANNA B'S	174.2628
4	PITT SMOKERS	173.7028
5	913 BBQ	173.1544
6	GETTIN' SAUCED	173.1428
7	SMOKE RINGERS	173.1200
8	SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	171.9772
9	SWEET BEAVER BBQ	170.8688
10	SUBLIME BBQ	170.8456
11	JAESTAR BBQ	170.8344
12	THESLABS.COM	169.1544
13	Tall Boys and a lil' Smoke	168.5488
14	MAXIMUM LOIN	168.5372
15	HIGH i QUE	168.5256
16	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	167.9888
17	3 PIGS SMOKIN	167.9772
18	Smoke & Brew BBQ	167.4172
19	WALDO BBQ	167.4056
20	GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY	167.3944
21	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	166.8344
22	MEAT MITCH	165.6916
23	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	165.6800
24	BIG BACK BBQ	165.6800
25	DIRT ROAD BBQ	165.6800
26	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ	165.0972
27	LEGION OF QUE	164
28	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	163.9772
29	PORK 'N MINDY	163.9772
30	SLAPS BBQ	163.9656
31	PB&J SMOKIN' OLD MEN	163.4056
32	MAN MEAT BBQ	162.8228
33	B & C SMOKERS	162.8228
34	CHASE BROTHERS BBQ	162.8228
35	COOL BLUE Q	162.8116
36	S&S BBQ	161.6800
37	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	161.6456
38	LOVE 2 Q	161.0972
39	Broken Bottle BBQ	161.0972
40	JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ	160.5144
41	LAZY BACON BBQ	159.3600
42	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	158.8456
43	DEAD LAST BBQ	158.2172
44	THE BOYS IN QUE	157.6456
45	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	157.6456
46	THE LAZERS	157.1088
47	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	156.5600
48	Midnight Ramblers	155.9544
49	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	155.3600
50	BBQ SPOT	154.8000
51	GLAZED & CONFUSED	153.6344
52	Full Metal Brisket	153.1200
53	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	153.1200
54	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	151.9200
55	1st & 10 BBQ	151.3488
56	Whiskey Friday	150.8116
57	Power I BBQ	150.2516
58	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	149.6800
59	SMOKERS WITH ATTITUDE	149.1428
60	MORNING WOOD	148.5144
61	Budha Mangus	148.0004
62	RUBBIN BUTTS BONE IN	144.5028
63	B&D BBQ	143.9200
64	BLUE VALLEY BBQ	141.6800

Pork

64 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.6742

#	Team	Score
1	HIGH i QUE	178.2972
2	JAESTAR BBQ	177.1428
3	LEGION OF QUE	177.1428
4	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	176.5828
5	3 PIGS SMOKIN	176.5600
6	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	174.2744
7	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	174.2628
8	THUMP & STRUM BBQ	174.2628
9	Broken Bottle BBQ	173.1200
10	WANNA B'S	172.5600
11	THE BOYS IN QUE	172.5600
12	BLUE VALLEY BBQ	172.5484
13	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	171.9888
14	Smoke & Brew BBQ	170.8572
15	Tall Boys and a lil' Smoke	170.2744
16	SMOKE RINGERS	170.2628
17	LOVE 2 Q	170.2628
18	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ	169.6800
19	DIRT ROAD BBQ	169.6800
20	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	169.6684
21	913 BBQ	169.6684
22	B & C SMOKERS	169.6684
23	SUBLIME BBQ	169.1200
24	GETTIN' SAUCED	169.1200
25	LAZY BACON BBQ	169.1084
26	1st & 10 BBQ	168.5600
27	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	168.5600
28	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	168.5256
29	GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY	168.5256
30	JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ	168
31	SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	167.9772
32	WALDO BBQ	167.9656
33	THESLABS.COM	167.3828
34	MAN MEAT BBQ	166.8572
35	Full Metal Brisket	166.8344
36	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	166.8228
37	SLAPS BBQ	166.8228
38	SWEET BEAVER BBQ	166.2400
39	Power I BBQ	165.7372
40	PITT SMOKERS	165.0856
41	DEAD LAST BBQ	164.5828
42	Midnight Ramblers	164.5600
43	B&D BBQ	164.5488
44	MEAT MITCH	163.9772
45	THE LAZERS	163.4172
46	S&S BBQ	163.3828
47	COOL BLUE Q	162.2284
48	Whiskey Friday	161.6456
49	Budha Mangus	160.5484
50	MORNING WOOD	158.8688
51	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	158.2284
52	BBQ SPOT	155.9428
53	MAXIMUM LOIN	155.4056
54	CHASE BROTHERS BBQ	155.3828
55	RUBBIN BUTTS BONE IN	155.3600
56	BIG BACK BBQ	155.3600
57	PB&J SMOKIN' OLD MEN	154.7884
58	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	154.2172
59	GLAZED & CONFUSED	151.9656
60	PORK 'N MINDY	151.4400
61	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	150.2284
62	SMOKERS WITH ATTITUDE	149.0856
63	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	145.6456
64	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	144.5028

Brisket

64 entries · top 177.7144 · median 162.5372

#	Team	Score
1	COOL BLUE Q	177.7144
2	GETTIN' SAUCED	177.7028
3	SLAPS BBQ	177.1428
4	HIGH i QUE	176.5600
5	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	176.5600
6	MAN MEAT BBQ	175.4516
7	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ	173.1200
8	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	173.1200
9	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	172.5484
10	DIRT ROAD BBQ	171.9656
11	B & C SMOKERS	171.9656
12	THUMP & STRUM BBQ	171.4172
13	THE BOYS IN QUE	171.4056
14	LOVE 2 Q	170.8572
15	3 PIGS SMOKIN	170.8228
16	LAZY BACON BBQ	170.2628
17	THESLABS.COM	169.6800
18	SMOKE RINGERS	169.1200
19	GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY	168.5372
20	Midnight Ramblers	168
21	913 BBQ	167.9772
22	B&D BBQ	167.4400
23	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	167.4400
24	BLUE VALLEY BBQ	167.4060
25	Broken Bottle BBQ	166.8228
26	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	166.2628
27	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	165.6800
28	SUBLIME BBQ	164.5256
29	Budha Mangus	164.0344
30	RUBBIN BUTTS BONE IN	164
31	WANNA B'S	163.3944
32	SWEET BEAVER BBQ	162.8228
33	THE LAZERS	162.2516
34	LEGION OF QUE	162.2512
35	WALDO BBQ	162.2284
36	CHASE BROTHERS BBQ	162.2284
37	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	161.6572
38	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	161.6456
39	MORNING WOOD	161.1200
40	SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	160.5600
41	Tall Boys and a lil' Smoke	160.5372
42	Whiskey Friday	160.5144
43	PITT SMOKERS	159.9544
44	Smoke & Brew BBQ	159.3828
45	JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ	159.3716
46	DEAD LAST BBQ	158.8228
47	S&S BBQ	158.2172
48	BIG BACK BBQ	157.6688
49	MAXIMUM LOIN	156.5484
50	JAESTAR BBQ	156.5028
51	MEAT MITCH	154.2056
52	1st & 10 BBQ	153.6800
53	PORK 'N MINDY	153.1316
54	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	152.5028
55	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	150.2056
56	BBQ SPOT	149.6800
57	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	149.6456
58	GLAZED & CONFUSED	149.1200
59	Power I BBQ	147.9772
60	Full Metal Brisket	146.8572
61	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	145.0744
62	PB&J SMOKIN' OLD MEN	143.3600
63	SMOKERS WITH ATTITUDE	142.7884
64	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	140.5600

Ancillary categories

Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.

Master Series — Dessert

13 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180

#	Team	Score
1	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	180 🔥
2	Smoke & Brew BBQ	179.4400
3	LOVE 2 Q	176.5944
4	B & C SMOKERS	175.4172
5	WANNA B'S	174.2744
6	VALLEY OAKS STEAK COMPANY	171.9772
7	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	171.4056
8	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	170.8344
9	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	166.8228
10	BBQ SPOT	166.2628
11	MEAT MITCH	161.0972
12	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	157.0856
13	SOS MEATS YOU GOT"EM" WE'LL SMOKE EM	155.9656

Master Series — Sausage

18 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168.5314

#	Team	Score
1	SKYY FULL OF SMOKE	177.7028
2	PORK 'N MINDY	174.8572
3	BBQ SPOT	174.2628
4	AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	173.1428
5	ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE	173.1200
6	FOUR MEN AND A PIG	170.2628
7	HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	169.7028
8	SKUNK RIVER BBQ	169.6800
9	WANNA B'S	168.5372
10	DEAD LAST BBQ	168.5256
11	LOVE 2 Q	168
12	SMOKE-A-HOLICS (KC)	167.9656
13	THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS	167.3712
14	JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0	166.2744
15	PITT SMOKERS	165.0972
16	Smoke & Brew BBQ	157.1200
17	JPig Picture Perfect BBQ	154.2628
18	SMOKIN GOOD BBQ	149.6800

9th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge

The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)

How the field scored

How the meats cooked

Entries

Top score

Winning margin

Field average

Perfect 180s

Tightest race

Top-10 cutoff

Field spread

Most consistent

Double threats

Widest winning margin

How hot was the win?

Form held

Field strength

Top-rated in the field

Storylines (4 found in this contest's numbers)

A razor-thin finish

Photo finishes

How the title was won

One of the big ones

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)

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

Chicken

Pork Ribs

Pork

Brisket

Ancillary categories

Master Series — Dessert

Master Series — Sausage