A razor-thin finish
0.0116
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 98% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0116 points — closer than 98% of every championship in the data.
- HIGH i QUE II
- 913 BBQ
Wolf Creek Wildblue BBQ 2017
Jul 14–15, 2017 · Burlington, KS · 📍 615 S 3rd Street
HIGH i QUE won Grand Champion at the Wolf Creek Wildblue BBQ on July 14, 2017 in Burlington, KS at 615 S 3rd Street, scoring 685.6344 in a field of 26 teams. 913 BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 685.6228. Category winners: Chicken — BONES BRIGADE KC (178.2972); Pork Ribs — 913 BBQ (177.1544); Pork — HIGH i QUE (180.0000); Brisket — SUBLIME BBQ (176.0000). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2016 edition was won by RISE N SWINE.
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.
596.31
median 648.99
685.63 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 177.15
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 176
123.20
180
Entries
26
4 judged meats · 4 ancillary
Top score
685.6344
Winning margin
0.0116
GC over RC
Field average
652.79
596.31685.63
median 648.99 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
5.1656 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
660.4912
596.31685.63
10th place overall
Field spread
89.3256
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 81%
beats 19% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
24%
11 of 46 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.84 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,609
avg power rating going in · stronger than 83% 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
27-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100
HIGH i QUE came in rated below the field's top team, THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1743
- top seed 1919
A knife fight at the top
2.8228
points across the top five
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.8228 points — 3 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
- 1st HIGH i QUE
- 2nd 913 BBQ
- 3rd THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ
- 4th SMOKE THIS BBQ MO
- 5th SUBLIME BBQ
Photo finishes
0.0116
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 8–9: POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ edged JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 9–10: JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 edged HIGH i QUE by 0.0228. Chicken places 4–5: SUBLIME BBQ edged HIGH i QUE by 0.0228.
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · 0.0228
- Chicken 4–5 · 0.0228
- Pork 6–7 · 0.0232
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
HIGH i QUE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 10th.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 10th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 8th
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
HIGH i QUE turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: RISE N SWINE (won 2016).
- RISE N SWINE · 2016
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.
- HIGH i QUE · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2016 | Burlington, KS | 615 S 3rd St. | 46 | 701.1660 | RISE N SWINE | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Jul 14, 2017 ← this one | Burlington, KS | 615 S 3rd Street | 26 | 685.6344 | HIGH i QUE II | 913 BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 173.1316 | 168.5256 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 168.5600 | 166.8228 |
| Pork | 180 | 173.7028 | 168.5372 |
| Brisket | 176 | 167.9772 | 163.3828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 685.6344 · median 648.9886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 2 | 913 BBQ | |
| 3 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 5 | SUBLIME BBQ | |
| 6 | R BUTTS R SMOKIN | |
| 7 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 8 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 9 | RISE N SWINE | |
| 10 | IMAT BBQ | |
| 11 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 12 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 13 | POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 14 | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 15 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 16 | BONES BRIGADE KC | |
| 17 | WANNA B'S | |
| 18 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 19 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 20 | 777 BBQ | |
| 21 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 22 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 23 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 24 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 25 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 26 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE |
Chicken
26 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.3886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BONES BRIGADE KC | |
| 2 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 3 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 4 | SUBLIME BBQ | |
| 5 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 6 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 7 | IMAT BBQ | |
| 8 | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 9 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 10 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 11 | R BUTTS R SMOKIN | |
| 12 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 13 | 913 BBQ | |
| 14 | RISE N SWINE | |
| 15 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 16 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 17 | 777 BBQ | |
| 18 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 20 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 21 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 22 | POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 23 | WANNA B'S | |
| 24 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 25 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 26 | Stu-B-Q |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 177.1544 · median 162.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 913 BBQ | |
| 2 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 3 | WANNA B'S | |
| 4 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 5 | RISE N SWINE | |
| 6 | R BUTTS R SMOKIN | |
| 7 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 8 | POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 9 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 10 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 11 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 12 | SUBLIME BBQ | |
| 13 | IMAT BBQ | |
| 14 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 15 | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 16 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 17 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 18 | 777 BBQ | |
| 19 | BONES BRIGADE KC | |
| 20 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 21 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 22 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 23 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 24 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 25 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 26 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE |
Pork
26 entries · top 180 · median 166.2570 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 2 | R BUTTS R SMOKIN | |
| 3 | 913 BBQ | |
| 4 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 5 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 6 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 7 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 8 | SUBLIME BBQ | |
| 9 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 10 | RISE N SWINE | |
| 11 | BONES BRIGADE KC | |
| 12 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 13 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 14 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 15 | IMAT BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 17 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 18 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 19 | WANNA B'S | |
| 20 | POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 21 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 22 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 23 | 777 BBQ | |
| 24 | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 25 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 26 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que |
Brisket
26 entries · top 176 · median 160.2800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUBLIME BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 3 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 4 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 5 | R BUTTS R SMOKIN | |
| 6 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 7 | 913 BBQ | |
| 8 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 9 | POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 10 | RISE N SWINE | |
| 11 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 12 | IMAT BBQ | |
| 13 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 14 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 15 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 16 | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 17 | WANNA B'S | |
| 18 | 777 BBQ | |
| 19 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 20 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 21 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 22 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 23 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 24 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 25 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 26 | BONES BRIGADE KC |
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 — Appetizers
8 entries · top 176.5600 · median 163.1486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 2 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 3 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 4 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 5 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 6 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 7 | RIBS N BIBS | |
| 8 | WANNA B'S |
Master Series — Cook'S Choice
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 2 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 3 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 4 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 5 | WANNA B'S | |
| 6 | RIBS N BIBS |
Master Series — Dessert
7 entries · top 180 · median 172.6172 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 2 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 3 | WANNA B'S | |
| 4 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 5 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 6 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 7 | RIBS N BIBS |
Master Series — Sausage
8 entries · top 174.2856 · median 167.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WANNA B'S | |
| 2 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | |
| 3 | QIS - QUALITY IN SMOKE | |
| 4 | Chubby's Chuckwagon | |
| 5 | Troublesome Creek Brew-N-Que | |
| 6 | ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | |
| 7 | Stu-B-Q | |
| 8 | RIBS N BIBS |