A statement win
12.5828
points clear of the field
Wider than 93% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.5828 points — a wider margin than 93% of championships in the data.
24th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge
Jun 16–17, 2017 · Frisco, CO · 📍 Main Street
LUCKY'S Q won Grand Champion at the 24th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge on June 16, 2017 in Frisco, CO at Main Street, scoring 700.5372 in a field of 59 teams. PORKY BUTTS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 687.9544. Category winners: Chicken — LUCKY'S Q (180.0000); Pork Ribs — GETTIN' BASTED (177.7028); Pork — PORKY BUTTS BBQ (177.1428); Brisket — PORKY BUTTS BBQ (180.0000).
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.
291.37
median 645.05
700.54 🏆
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 177.14
- Brisket 180 🔥
80.77
180
Entries
59
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
700.5372
Winning margin
12.5828
GC over RC
Field average
623.37
291.37700.54
median 645.05 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
681.0396
291.37700.54
10th place overall
Field spread
409.1656
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 31%
beats 69% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.72 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,572
avg power rating going in · stronger than 57% of contests
Storylines (6 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 2–3: BACKDRAFT BBQ and SMOKIN TRIGGERS tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: PORKY BUTTS BBQ and THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: GRINDERS BBQ KANSAS CITY and 913 BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
PORKY BUTTS BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
LUCKY'S Q took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 14th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 14th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 4th
One of the big ones
59
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 91% of the 5,469 contests in the data
59 teams — bigger than 91% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
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.
- PORKY BUTTS BBQ · Brisket
- LUCKY'S Q · Chicken
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)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 174.2628 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 172.5600 | 168.5256 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 175.4056 | 172.5828 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.8456 | 169.6684 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
59 entries · top 700.5372 · median 645.0512
Chicken
56 entries · top 180 · median 165.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
59 entries · top 177.7028 · median 160.5256
Pork
59 entries · top 177.1428 · median 162.2284
Brisket
57 entries · top 180 · median 157.7144 · 🔥 perfect 180
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
12 entries · top 180 · median 173.1142 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 2 | PETA BBQ | |
| 3 | DEPLORABLE Q | |
| 4 | CLARENCE | |
| 5 | PROUD SOULS BARBECUE | |
| 6 | LOST WEEKEND GRILL | |
| 7 | 1 2 BBQ | |
| 8 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 9 | TEAM DANNY | |
| 10 | BIGS MEAT WAGON | |
| 11 | CARNIVORES | |
| 12 | BIGS MEAT WAGON 4 |
Master Series — Side Dish
16 entries · top 174.8456 · median 165.7372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PROUD SOULS BARBECUE | |
| 2 | BIGS MEAT WAGON 3 | |
| 3 | Bigs Meat Wagon 2 | |
| 4 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 5 | Q'TANG CLAN | |
| 6 | TEAM DANNY | |
| 7 | LOST WEEKEND GRILL | |
| 8 | BIGS MEAT WAGON | |
| 9 | BOBS SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | THE ORIGINAL SMOKETROTTERS | |
| 11 | PETA BBQ | |
| 12 | PETA BBQ 2 | |
| 13 | 1 2 BBQ | |
| 14 | DEPLORABLE Q | |
| 15 | Clarence 2 | |
| 16 | TURKEY CROSSING BBQ EVENTS |