A razor-thin finish
0.5484
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 92% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5484 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
- HOG HAMMER BBQ
- HOGLINE
Central Iowa Expo BBQ & Cruise (DAY 2) 2017
Apr 29–30, 2017 · Boone, IA · 📍 1827 217 th St
HOG HAMMER BBQ won Grand Champion at the Central Iowa Expo BBQ & Cruise (DAY 2) on April 29, 2017 in Boone, IA at 1827 217 th St, scoring 694.2400 in a field of 35 teams. HOGLINE took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6916. Category winners: Chicken — SIN CIRCLE BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Slim D's (177.7028); Pork — HOG HAMMER BBQ (177.7372); Brisket — HOG HAMMER BBQ (177.7028). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by RUB MY RACK.
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.
513.68
median 666.81
694.24 🏆
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 177.70
- Pork 177.74
- Brisket 177.70
145.71
180
Entries
35
4 judged meats
Top score
694.2400
Winning margin
0.5484
GC over RC
Field average
661.83
513.68694.24
median 666.81 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
3.4744 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
676.4340
513.68694.24
10th place overall
Field spread
180.5600
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 57%
beats 43% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
74%
23 of 31 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.6 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,601
avg power rating going in · stronger than 78% of contests
Storylines (10 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
9-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 91 times in 100
HOG HAMMER BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, PORKY BUTTS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 9-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1492
- top seed 1895
A first Grand Championship
4
tracked contests to get there
This was HOG HAMMER BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 4th tracked contest.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ and 4 LEGS UP BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: SHIGGIN & GRINNIN and SPITFIRE tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ and THE TWISTED TAIL tied on 169.6916 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
HOG HAMMER BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
HOG HAMMER BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 18th.
- Chicken 18th
- Pork Ribs 11th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
SIN CIRCLE BBQ turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 179.4400 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 179.4400
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: RUB MY RACK (won 2017).
- RUB MY RACK · 2017
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SIN CIRCLE BBQ · Chicken
They keep coming back
74%
of last edition’s field returned
23 of 31 teams from 2017-04-28 came back
23 of the 31 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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, 2017 | Boone, IA | 51821 217th st | 31 | 695.9772 | RUB MY RACK | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| Apr 29, 2017 ← this one | Boone, IA | 1827 217 th St | 35 | 694.2400 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | HOGLINE |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4056 | 172.5716 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 172.5600 | 169.1544 |
| Pork | 177.7372 | 174.2628 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.7028 | 171.9656 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
35 entries · top 694.2400 · median 666.8116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | |
| 2 | HOGLINE | |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 4 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 5 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 7 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | |
| 8 | SPITFIRE | |
| 9 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 10 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | CITY SLICKERS BBQ | |
| 13 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 14 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 15 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 16 | GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY | |
| 17 | DAD'S SMOKIN' BUTT BBQ | |
| 18 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 19 | THE TWISTED TAIL | |
| 20 | Lucky 19 | |
| 21 | BERGEY BOYS BLAZING BBQ | |
| 22 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 23 | LEVEL B' BBQ | |
| 24 | IOWA BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 25 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 26 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 27 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 28 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 29 | BAMBQ | |
| 30 | POLINGS BBQ | |
| 31 | IOWA STATE GRILL TEAM | |
| 32 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 33 | THE CHOCOLATE HOG BBQ AND CATERING CO. | |
| 34 | ZIP'S Q | |
| 35 | Slim D's |
Chicken
34 entries · top 180 · median 170.2514 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 2 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 4 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 5 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 6 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 7 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 8 | SPITFIRE | |
| 9 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 10 | HOGLINE | |
| 11 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 12 | DAD'S SMOKIN' BUTT BBQ | |
| 13 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 14 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | |
| 15 | IOWA BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 16 | BAMBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | |
| 19 | POLINGS BBQ | |
| 20 | Lucky 19 | |
| 21 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 22 | CITY SLICKERS BBQ | |
| 23 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 24 | BERGEY BOYS BLAZING BBQ | |
| 25 | GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY | |
| 26 | LEVEL B' BBQ | |
| 27 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 28 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 29 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 30 | ZIP'S Q | |
| 31 | IOWA STATE GRILL TEAM | |
| 32 | THE TWISTED TAIL | |
| 33 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 34 | THE CHOCOLATE HOG BBQ AND CATERING CO. |
Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 177.7028 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slim D's | |
| 2 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 3 | HOGLINE | |
| 4 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 5 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 8 | THE TWISTED TAIL | |
| 9 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 10 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 11 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | |
| 12 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 14 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 15 | BAMBQ | |
| 16 | Lucky 19 | |
| 17 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 18 | GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY | |
| 19 | CITY SLICKERS BBQ | |
| 20 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 21 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 22 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | |
| 23 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 24 | SPITFIRE | |
| 25 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 26 | POLINGS BBQ | |
| 27 | THE CHOCOLATE HOG BBQ AND CATERING CO. | |
| 28 | LEVEL B' BBQ | |
| 29 | BERGEY BOYS BLAZING BBQ | |
| 30 | DAD'S SMOKIN' BUTT BBQ | |
| 31 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 32 | IOWA BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 33 | IOWA STATE GRILL TEAM | |
| 34 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 35 | ZIP'S Q |
Pork
35 entries · top 177.7372 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | |
| 2 | BERGEY BOYS BLAZING BBQ | |
| 3 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 4 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 5 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 6 | DAD'S SMOKIN' BUTT BBQ | |
| 7 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 8 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 9 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 10 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | |
| 11 | HOGLINE | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | IOWA STATE GRILL TEAM | |
| 14 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 15 | POLINGS BBQ | |
| 16 | CITY SLICKERS BBQ | |
| 17 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 18 | SPITFIRE | |
| 19 | Slim D's | |
| 20 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 21 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 22 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 23 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 24 | LEVEL B' BBQ | |
| 25 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 26 | GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY | |
| 27 | THE TWISTED TAIL | |
| 28 | BAMBQ | |
| 29 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 30 | Lucky 19 | |
| 31 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 32 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 33 | IOWA BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 34 | ZIP'S Q | |
| 35 | THE CHOCOLATE HOG BBQ AND CATERING CO. |
Brisket
35 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.2284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOG HAMMER BBQ | |
| 2 | HOGLINE | |
| 3 | IOWA BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 4 | GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | THE TWISTED TAIL | |
| 7 | LEVEL B' BBQ | |
| 8 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | |
| 9 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 10 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 11 | CITY SLICKERS BBQ | |
| 12 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 13 | Slim D's | |
| 14 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 15 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 16 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 17 | DAD'S SMOKIN' BUTT BBQ | |
| 18 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 19 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 20 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 21 | Lucky 19 | |
| 22 | IOWA STATE GRILL TEAM | |
| 23 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 24 | BERGEY BOYS BLAZING BBQ | |
| 25 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 26 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 27 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 28 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 29 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 30 | POLINGS BBQ | |
| 31 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 32 | BAMBQ | |
| 33 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 34 | THE CHOCOLATE HOG BBQ AND CATERING CO. | |
| 35 | ZIP'S Q |