A stacked field
1647
average power rating going in
Stronger than 95% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1647 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
- top seed SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (1997)
- 29 rated teams
Polar Bear BBQ Challenge
Feb 23–24, 2018 · Kingdom City, MO · 📍 Hanson Hills Campground
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ won Grand Champion at the Polar Bear BBQ Challenge on February 23, 2018 in Kingdom City, MO at Hanson Hills Campground, scoring 695.9428 in a field of 29 teams. DIRT ROAD BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.2744. Category winners: Chicken — JOUSTING PIGS BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ (177.1544); Pork — SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (176.5600); Brisket — DIRT ROAD BBQ (173.1316).
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.
498.85
median 669.57
695.94 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 177.15
- Pork 176.56
- Brisket 173.13
20
178.86
Entries
29
4 judged meats
Top score
695.9428
Winning margin
5.6684
GC over RC
Field average
659.93
498.85695.94
median 669.57 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
1.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
677.0512
498.85695.94
10th place overall
Field spread
197.0972
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 51%
beats 49% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,647
avg power rating going in · stronger than 95% of contests
Storylines (3 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 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 9–10: SMOKE THIS BBQ MO and PORK PARADISE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: JOUSTING PIGS BBQ and EXTRA MILE BBQ tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: HICKORY HILLS and ALL FORKED UP FOR Q tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 14th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 14th
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 | 178.8572 | 176.0344 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 172.5944 | 169.1316 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 174.8456 | 170.8572 |
| Brisket | 173.1316 | 170.8456 | 169.6684 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 695.9428 · median 669.5656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 2 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 4 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 5 | A FINE SWINE | |
| 6 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 7 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ | |
| 8 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 9 | THE BOYS IN QUE | |
| 10 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 11 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 12 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 13 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 14 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 15 | PORK PARADISE | |
| 16 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | |
| 17 | POLITICAL PORK | |
| 18 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 19 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 20 | In The Red Zone BBQ | |
| 21 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 22 | SMOKIN O BBQ | |
| 23 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 24 | HICKORY HILLS | |
| 25 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 26 | SHUT YOUR MOUTH BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKIN' BUTTS | |
| 28 | Junk Yard Hog | |
| 29 | The Meat Beaters |
Chicken
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ | |
| 2 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 4 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 5 | THE BOYS IN QUE | |
| 6 | POLITICAL PORK | |
| 7 | A FINE SWINE | |
| 8 | In The Red Zone BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 10 | PORK PARADISE | |
| 11 | The Meat Beaters | |
| 12 | SMOKIN O BBQ | |
| 13 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 14 | Junk Yard Hog | |
| 15 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 16 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 17 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 18 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 19 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 20 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 21 | HICKORY HILLS | |
| 22 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 23 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 24 | SHUT YOUR MOUTH BBQ | |
| 25 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | |
| 26 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 27 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 28 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 29 | SMOKIN' BUTTS |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 177.1544 · median 165.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | |
| 2 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 3 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 6 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 7 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ | |
| 8 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 9 | THE BOYS IN QUE | |
| 10 | POLITICAL PORK | |
| 11 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 12 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 13 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 14 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 15 | A FINE SWINE | |
| 16 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 17 | PORK PARADISE | |
| 18 | In The Red Zone BBQ | |
| 19 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 20 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN' BUTTS | |
| 22 | Junk Yard Hog | |
| 23 | The Meat Beaters | |
| 24 | SMOKIN O BBQ | |
| 25 | SHUT YOUR MOUTH BBQ | |
| 26 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 27 | HICKORY HILLS | |
| 28 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 29 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ |
Pork
29 entries · top 176.5600 · median 169.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 2 | HICKORY HILLS | |
| 3 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 4 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 5 | A FINE SWINE | |
| 6 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 7 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 8 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 9 | SHUT YOUR MOUTH BBQ | |
| 10 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 11 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 12 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 13 | THE BOYS IN QUE | |
| 14 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 15 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 16 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 17 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 18 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 19 | In The Red Zone BBQ | |
| 20 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 21 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | |
| 22 | PORK PARADISE | |
| 23 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 24 | Junk Yard Hog | |
| 25 | SMOKIN O BBQ | |
| 26 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ | |
| 27 | POLITICAL PORK | |
| 28 | The Meat Beaters | |
| 29 | SMOKIN' BUTTS |
Brisket
29 entries · top 173.1316 · median 167.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 2 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 3 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 4 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' BUTTS | |
| 6 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 7 | A FINE SWINE | |
| 8 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 9 | PORK PARADISE | |
| 10 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 11 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 12 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 13 | CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | |
| 14 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 15 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 16 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | |
| 17 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 18 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 19 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 20 | POLITICAL PORK | |
| 21 | SMOKIN O BBQ | |
| 22 | THE BOYS IN QUE | |
| 23 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 24 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 25 | SHUT YOUR MOUTH BBQ | |
| 26 | In The Red Zone BBQ | |
| 27 | HICKORY HILLS | |
| 28 | Junk Yard Hog | |
| 29 | The Meat Beaters |