A statement win
9.2000
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.2000 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
Smokin in McMinnville 2018
Aug 10–11, 2018 · McMinnville, TN · 📍 500 Garfield St.
Organizer Portal won Grand Champion at the Smokin in McMinnville on August 10, 2018 in McMinnville, TN at 500 Garfield St., scoring 705.7144 in a field of 28 teams. HOT COLE'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 696.5144. Category winners: Chicken — THE SPECIALISTS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SWIGGIN PIG (180.0000); Pork — Organizer Portal (179.4400); Brisket — Organizer Portal (179.4400). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SWIGGIN PIG.
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.
605.58
median 666.17
705.71 🏆
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 180 🔥
- Pork 179.44
- Brisket 179.44
142.80
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2018 — this edition picked out.
Entries
28
4 judged meats · 4 ancillary
Top score
705.7144
Winning margin
9.2000
GC over RC
Field average
662.99
605.58705.71
median 666.17 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
2.8800 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
676.5140
605.58705.71
10th place overall
Field spread
100.1372
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 11%
beats 89% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
37%
13 of 35 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.73 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,599
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.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2014
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 9–10: T-N-T BBQ and THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS tied on 171.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 5–6: HIGH ON THE HAWG and BUSH LEAGUE BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 4–5: SWIGGIN PIG and HIGH ON THE HAWG tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Organizer Portal won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Organizer Portal took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 4th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SWIGGIN PIG (won 2017).
- SWIGGIN PIG · 2017
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.
- THE SPECIALISTS · Chicken
- SWIGGIN PIG · Pork Ribs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2013 | McMinnville, TN | McMinnville, TN | 37 | 699.9428 | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS | SOUTH PORK |
| Aug 8, 2014 | McMinnville, TN | McMinnville, TN 37111 | 40 | 699.3484 | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS | HISTORIC BBQ |
| Aug 11, 2017 | McMinnville, TN | 500 Garfield St. | 35 | 708.5372 | SWIGGIN PIG | BUSH LEAGUE BBQ |
| Aug 10, 2018 ← this one | McMinnville, TN | 500 Garfield St. | 28 | 705.7144 | SMOKE ME SILLY | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 173.1200 | 171.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 171.9772 | 167.4060 |
| Pork | 179.4400 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 176.5600 | 169.1084 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 705.7144 · median 666.1656
Chicken
28 entries · top 180 · median 169.1370 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 180 · median 166.2572 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
28 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.4000
Brisket
28 entries · top 179.4400 · median 165.1200
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 — Backyard
5 entries · top 322.8688 · median 314.7768
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midnight Rider | |
| 2 | Stuff 'N' Thangs | |
| 3 | NOAH'S BARK | |
| 4 | SMOKE IN THE GROVE | |
| 5 | Lake Bums |
Master Series — Backyard Chicken
5 entries · top 164 · median 160.5828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE IN THE GROVE | |
| 2 | Midnight Rider | |
| 3 | NOAH'S BARK | |
| 4 | Stuff 'N' Thangs | |
| 5 | Lake Bums |
Master Series — Backyard Ribs
5 entries · top 161.7144 · median 158.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midnight Rider | |
| 2 | Stuff 'N' Thangs | |
| 3 | Lake Bums | |
| 4 | NOAH'S BARK | |
| 5 | SMOKE IN THE GROVE |
Master Series — Dessert
13 entries · top 180 · median 177.1544 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | T-N-T BBQ | |
| 2 | HOT COLE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG G BBQ | |
| 4 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 5 | THE SPECIALISTS | |
| 6 | SOUTH PORK | |
| 7 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 8 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 9 | SWIGGIN PIG | |
| 10 | RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES | |
| 11 | THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS | |
| 12 | THE BAR-B-QUE COMPANY | |
| 13 | BIG PAPA'S COUNTRY KITCHEN |