A new contest record
689.6572
highest overall ever cooked here
689.6572 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 688.0000 SMOKE FREAKS set in 2017.
- old record 688.0000
- set 2017 by SMOKE FREAKS
Harbor-Que 2018
Oct 5–6, 2018 · Winthrop Harbor, IL
BIG "E" BBQ won Grand Champion at the Harbor-Que on October 5, 2018 in Winthrop Harbor, IL, scoring 689.6572 in a field of 28 teams. QUE U took Reserve Grand Champion with 672.5144. Category winners: Chicken — BIG "E" BBQ (176.5600); Pork Ribs — JACKS PIT SHACK (175.4400); Pork — BILLY RAY BBQ (174.2628); Brisket — BIG "E" BBQ (171.9772). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SMOKE FREAKS; the next was held in 2018.
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.
452.99
median 646.99
689.66 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.56
- Pork Ribs 175.44
- Pork 174.26
- Brisket 171.98
131.89
176.56
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2018 — this edition picked out.
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
689.6572
Winning margin
17.1428
GC over RC
Field average
634.19
452.99689.66
median 646.99 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
4.0232 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
657.0056
452.99689.66
10th place overall
Field spread
236.6632
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 72%
beats 28% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
48%
11 of 23 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.84 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,545
avg power rating going in · stronger than 34% 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.
A statement win
17.1428
points clear of the field
Wider than 98% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 17.1428 points — a wider margin than 98% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
0.0112
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: Littles BBQ Co edged CHANNABILLY BBQ by 0.0112. Pork places 8–9: CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE edged Littles BBQ Co by 0.0116. Brisket places 6–7: EF-Q edged Littles BBQ Co by 0.0116.
- Chicken 4–5 · 0.0112
- Pork 8–9 · 0.0116
- Brisket 6–7 · 0.0116
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
BIG "E" BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BIG "E" BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 6th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in chicken
176.5600
best chicken ever cooked here
BIG "E" BBQ turned in 176.5600 in chicken — past the 173.7144 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 173.7144
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKE FREAKS (won 2017).
- SMOKE FREAKS · 2017
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2017 | Winthrop Harbor, IL | 38 Acre Park, 9th st | 23 | 688 | SMOKE FREAKS | STRESS RELIEF BBQ |
| Oct 5, 2018 ← this one | Winthrop Harbor, IL | Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096 | 28 | 689.6572 | BIG "E" BBQ | QUE U |
| Oct 6, 2018 | Winthrop Harbor, IL | 38 Acre Park, 9th st | 7 | 322.7772 | SOON TO BE SAUCED | Jackpine Savage |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 171.9772 | 167.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4400 | 168.5372 | 165.6916 |
| Pork | 174.2628 | 168.5256 | 165.1428 |
| Brisket | 171.9772 | 167.9540 | 162.8344 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 689.6572 · median 646.9942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 2 | QUE U | |
| 3 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 4 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 5 | BILLY RAY BBQ | |
| 6 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 7 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 8 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 9 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 10 | EF-Q | |
| 11 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 12 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 13 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 14 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 15 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | HOT ASH BBQ COMPANY | |
| 17 | HAZY BLUE BBQ | |
| 18 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 19 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 20 | MEAT STREET | |
| 21 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 22 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 23 | BBQ'D PRODUCTIONS | |
| 24 | SMOKIN ON THE WEEKENDS | |
| 25 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 26 | BARK 4 BBQ | |
| 27 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 28 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT |
Chicken
28 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.8114
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 2 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 3 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 4 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 5 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 6 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 8 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 9 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 10 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 11 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 12 | BARK 4 BBQ | |
| 13 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 14 | BILLY RAY BBQ | |
| 15 | QUE U | |
| 16 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 17 | EF-Q | |
| 18 | HAZY BLUE BBQ | |
| 19 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 20 | MEAT STREET | |
| 21 | HOT ASH BBQ COMPANY | |
| 22 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 23 | SMOKIN ON THE WEEKENDS | |
| 24 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 25 | BBQ'D PRODUCTIONS | |
| 26 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 27 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 28 | JACKS PIT SHACK |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 175.4400 · median 161.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 2 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 3 | QUE U | |
| 4 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 5 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 6 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 7 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 8 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 9 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 11 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 12 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 13 | MEAT STREET | |
| 14 | EF-Q | |
| 15 | HOT ASH BBQ COMPANY | |
| 16 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 17 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 18 | BBQ'D PRODUCTIONS | |
| 19 | BILLY RAY BBQ | |
| 20 | HAZY BLUE BBQ | |
| 21 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 22 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 23 | SMOKIN ON THE WEEKENDS | |
| 24 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 25 | BARK 4 BBQ | |
| 26 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 27 | DU-LITTLE BBQ |
Pork
28 entries · top 174.2628 · median 162
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BILLY RAY BBQ | |
| 2 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 3 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 4 | EF-Q | |
| 5 | QUE U | |
| 6 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 7 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 8 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 9 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 10 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 11 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 12 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 14 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 15 | HOT ASH BBQ COMPANY | |
| 16 | HAZY BLUE BBQ | |
| 17 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 18 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 19 | MEAT STREET | |
| 20 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 21 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 22 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 23 | BBQ'D PRODUCTIONS | |
| 24 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 25 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 26 | BARK 4 BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 28 | SMOKIN ON THE WEEKENDS |
Brisket
28 entries · top 171.9772 · median 158.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 2 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 3 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 4 | QUE U | |
| 5 | BILLY RAY BBQ | |
| 6 | EF-Q | |
| 7 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 8 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 9 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 10 | HOT ASH BBQ COMPANY | |
| 11 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 12 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 13 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 14 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 15 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 16 | HAZY BLUE BBQ | |
| 17 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN ON THE WEEKENDS | |
| 19 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 20 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 21 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 22 | MEAT STREET | |
| 23 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 24 | BBQ'D PRODUCTIONS | |
| 25 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 26 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 27 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 28 | BARK 4 BBQ |