Jun 19–20, 2026 · Buckhannon, WV · 📍 Jawbone Park · State championship
Reps: Alex Jr Brown, Bill Jones · Prize money: $10,000
POOR BOYS BBQ won Grand Champion at the Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) on June 19, 2026 in Buckhannon, WV at Jawbone Park, scoring 699.3484 in a field of 29 teams. Smoked & Furious took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.6800. Category winners: Chicken — ZIPS BBQ (177.7144); Pork Ribs — Smoked & Furious (180.0000); Pork — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (180.0000); Brisket — Team Cookie (177.7372). The Backyard Series standings were won by Marshall Mountain BBQ with 670.1484. This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Chunky BBQ.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2015 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 75% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.6684 points — closer than 75% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 68 times in 100
POOR BOYS BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 32-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
POOR BOYS BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 6 tracked editions
CHUNKY BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
Stronger than 95% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1646 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: POOR BOYS BBQ and B'S QUE tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: Meat Monarchy and CONVICTED PIGS BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: Gold-N-Blue Barbecue and CHUNKY BBQ tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Smoked & Furious turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 5 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: 3 EYZ BBQ (won 2015), WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ (won 2023), CHUNKY BBQ (won 2024, 2025).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2015 | Buckhannon, WV | Buckhannon, WV 26201 | 41 | 703.4172 | 3 EYZ BBQ | CHECKERED PIG |
| Jun 17, 2016 | Buckhannon, WV | Buckhannon, WV 26201 | 42 | 699.9544 | CHECKERED PIG | SMOKIN FOOLZ |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Buckhannon, WV | 17 Friendly Way | 28 | 702.2284 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | CHUNKY BBQ |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Buckhannon, WV | Jawbone Park | 30 | 698.8228 | CHUNKY BBQ | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Buckhannon, WV | Jawbone Park | 30 | 698.2516 | Chunky BBQ | BEER TIME BBQ |
| Jun 19, 2026 ← this one | Buckhannon, WV | Jawbone Park | 29 | 699.3484 | Poor Boys BBQ | Smoked & Furious |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.7144 | 176.5600 | 173.1316 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 175.4172 | 172.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.7372 | 176.5600 | 172 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 170.8228 | 145.6916 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 166.2400 | 143.9656 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 172.5600 | 149.0972 | — |
| Backyard Series — Brisket | 170.8228 | 141.0628 | — |
29 entries · top 699.3484 · median 682.1484
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 2 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 3 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 4 | Team Cookie | |
| 5 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 6 | B'S QUE | |
| 7 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 8 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 9 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 10 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 11 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 12 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 13 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 14 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 15 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 16 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 17 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 19 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 20 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 21 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 22 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 23 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 24 | Feathered Fire | |
| 25 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 26 | Big Eazy's BBQ | |
| 27 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 28 | Vintage Smoke | |
| 29 | Smokin' Good Eats BBQ |
29 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 2 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 3 | B'S QUE | |
| 4 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 5 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 6 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 7 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 8 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 9 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 10 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 11 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 12 | Team Cookie | |
| 13 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 14 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 15 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 17 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 18 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 20 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 21 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 22 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 23 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 24 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Eazy's BBQ | |
| 26 | Feathered Fire | |
| 27 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 28 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 30 | Smokin' Good Eats BBQ | |
| 31 | Vintage Smoke | |
| 33 | CIRCLE L BBQ |
29 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 2 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 3 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 4 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 5 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 6 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 7 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 8 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 9 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 10 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 11 | B'S QUE | |
| 12 | Feathered Fire | |
| 13 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 14 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 15 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 16 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 17 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 18 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 20 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 21 | Team Cookie | |
| 22 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 23 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 24 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 25 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 27 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 28 | Big Eazy's BBQ | |
| 30 | Vintage Smoke | |
| 33 | Smokin' Good Eats BBQ |
29 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 3 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 4 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 5 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 6 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 7 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | Team Cookie | |
| 9 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 10 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 11 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 13 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 14 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 15 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 16 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 17 | B'S QUE | |
| 18 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 19 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 20 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 21 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 23 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 24 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 25 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 26 | Feathered Fire | |
| 28 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 29 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 30 | Big Eazy's BBQ | |
| 31 | Vintage Smoke | |
| 34 | Smokin' Good Eats BBQ |
29 entries · top 177.7372 · median 169.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Cookie | |
| 2 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 3 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 4 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 5 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 6 | B'S QUE | |
| 7 | Smoked & Furious | |
| 8 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 9 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 10 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 11 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 12 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 14 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 15 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 16 | smokey anderson bbq | |
| 17 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 18 | Feathered Fire | |
| 19 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 20 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 21 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 22 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 24 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 25 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 27 | Vintage Smoke | |
| 28 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 29 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 30 | Big Eazy's BBQ | |
| 31 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 33 | Smokin' Good Eats BBQ |
5 entries · top 670.1484 · median 641.6344 · out of 720, not the usual 360
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 2 | T & S BBQ | |
| 3 | Littledoodle BBQ | |
| 4 | ChessieQ | |
| 5 | 5 Alarm BBQ |
5 entries · top 170.8228 · median 157.6572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 19 | T & S BBQ | |
| 29 | ChessieQ | |
| 32 | 5 Alarm BBQ | |
| 34 | Littledoodle BBQ |
5 entries · top 166.2400 · median 153.6572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 29 | Littledoodle BBQ | |
| 31 | ChessieQ | |
| 32 | T & S BBQ | |
| 34 | 5 Alarm BBQ |
5 entries · top 172.5600 · median 159.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Littledoodle BBQ | |
| 22 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 27 | T & S BBQ | |
| 32 | ChessieQ | |
| 33 | 5 Alarm BBQ |
5 entries · top 170.8228 · median 166.2972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | T & S BBQ | |
| 23 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 26 | Littledoodle BBQ | |
| 32 | ChessieQ | |
| 34 | 5 Alarm BBQ |
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.
9 entries · top 176.5600 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littledoodle BBQ | |
| 2 | B'S QUE | |
| 3 | Team Cookie | |
| 4 | Feathered Fire | |
| 5 | ALPINE SMOKE WORKS | |
| 6 | Marshall Mountain BBQ | |
| 7 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 8 | ChessieQ | |
| 9 | 5 Alarm BBQ |