A new contest record
700.5600
highest overall ever cooked here
700.5600 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 697.0972 SHIG NINJA BBQ set in 2017.
- old record 697.0972
- set 2017 by SHIG NINJA BBQ
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 2018
Jan 19–20, 2018 · Bullhead City, AZ · 📍 Rotary Park
ROOFTOP BBQ won Grand Champion at the Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge on January 19, 2018 in Bullhead City, AZ at Rotary Park, scoring 700.5600 in a field of 70 teams. MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.2628. Category winners: Chicken — ROOFTOP BBQ (176.5828); Pork Ribs — KNIFE PORK AND SPOON (179.4400); Pork — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS (177.7028); Brisket — MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ (179.4400). This is the 2nd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SHIG NINJA BBQ; the next was held in 2019.
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.
411.30
median 667.59
700.56 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.58
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 177.70
- Brisket 179.44
122.21
179.44
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2023 — this edition picked out.
Entries
70
4 judged meats · 4 ancillary
Top score
700.5600
Winning margin
2.2972
GC over RC
Field average
661.01
411.30700.56
median 667.59 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.1772 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
686.1940
411.30700.56
10th place overall
Field spread
289.2572
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 30%
beats 70% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
57%
23 of 40 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,600
avg power rating going in · stronger than 77% of contests
Storylines (7 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
33-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 67 times in 100
Rooftop BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 33-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1839
- top seed 1960
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ and BACKDRAFT BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: KNIFE PORK AND SPOON and B-S BBQ OUTLAWS tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: SMOKIN MO'S BBQ and MONSOON BBQ tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
ROOFTOP BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 11th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 7th
- Brisket 11th
A contest record in pork ribs
179.4400
best pork ribs ever cooked here
KNIFE PORK AND SPOON turned in 179.4400 in pork ribs — past the 176.0000 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.0000
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHIG NINJA BBQ (won 2017).
- SHIG NINJA BBQ · 2017
One of the big ones
70
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 95% of the 5,482 contests in the data
70 teams — bigger than 95% of the 5,482 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)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 2017 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 40 | 697.0972 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | STEEL CITY BBQ |
| Jan 19, 2018 ← this one | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 70 | 700.5600 | ROOFTOP BBQ | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ |
| Jan 18, 2019 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 63 | 696.5256 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | UTAH BBQ COMPANY |
| Jan 17, 2020 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 59 | 695.9428 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | THE BBQ BUS |
| Jan 14, 2022 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 59 | 695.3944 | SHARPE GOURMET COOKING WOOD | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Jan 13, 2023 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 45 | 691.3716 | STEVO'S BBQ | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5828 | 175.4056 | 174.3200 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 174.2744 | 171.9888 |
| Pork | 177.7028 | 176 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 173.7028 | 172.5600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
70 entries · top 700.5600 · median 667.5884
Chicken
70 entries · top 176.5828 · median 167.9714
Pork Ribs
70 entries · top 179.4400 · median 166.2514
Pork
69 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.2628
Brisket
70 entries · top 179.4400 · median 166.2686
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
10 entries · top 178.3200 · median 172.5772
Master Series — Cook'S Choice
9 entries · top 179.4400 · median 173.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOOMERANG BBQ | |
| 2 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 3 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' WITH SWAG | |
| 5 | SMOKIN MO'S BBQ | |
| 6 | JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE | |
| 7 | THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ | |
| 8 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 9 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ |
Master Series — Dessert
16 entries · top 180 · median 175.7086 · 🔥 perfect 180
Master Series — Sausage
10 entries · top 173.7028 · median 167.1142