A new contest record
691.9660
highest overall ever cooked here
691.9660 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 690.2284 Smokin' Hoggz set in 2019.
- old record 690.2284
- set 2019 by Smokin' Hoggz
Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 2) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 2019
May 18–19, 2019 · Plymouth, MA · 📍 Sandy Pond Campground · State championship
Reps: Don Lovely, Leslie Lovely · Prize money: $4,150
FIRE DOWN BELOW won Grand Champion at the Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 2) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES on May 18, 2019 in Plymouth, MA at Sandy Pond Campground, scoring 691.9660 in a field of 28 teams. SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 678.7772. Category winners: Chicken — FIRE DOWN BELOW (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (178.2972); Pork — FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY (177.1772); Brisket — INSANE SWINE BBQ (175.4400). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Smokin' Hoggz.
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.
506.85
median 653.37
691.97 🏆
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 178.30
- Pork 177.18
- Brisket 175.44
20
180
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
691.9660
Winning margin
13.1888
GC over RC
Field average
641.49
506.85691.97
median 653.37 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
4.5828 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
661.6688
506.85691.97
10th place overall
Field spread
185.1208
winner to last place
Prize money
$4,150
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 64%
beats 36% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
81%
22 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.81 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,603
avg power rating going in · stronger than 79% of contests
Storylines (8 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
20-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 80 times in 100
FIRE DOWN BELOW came in rated below the field's top team, SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 20-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1784
- top seed 2023
A statement win
13.1888
points clear of the field
Wider than 94% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 13.1888 points — a wider margin than 94% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ and Pig Data BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: SMOKE THIS L.I. and PADDY MCQ'S tied on 172.0228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA and FIRE DOWN BELOW tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
FIRE DOWN BELOW took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 19th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 19th
A contest record in pork ribs
178.2972
best pork ribs ever cooked here
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA turned in 178.2972 in pork ribs — past the 173.1428 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 173.1428
- across 1 past editions
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- FIRE DOWN BELOW · Chicken
They keep coming back
81%
of last edition’s field returned
22 of 27 teams from 2019-05-17 came back
22 of the 27 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2019 | Plymouth, MA | Sandy Pond Campground | 27 | 690.2284 | Smokin' Hoggz | PADDY MCQ'S |
| May 18, 2019 ← this one | Plymouth, MA | Sandy Pond Campground | 28 | 691.9660 | Fire Down Below | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4172 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 169.1428 | 167.4172 |
| Pork | 177.1772 | 170.2972 | 167.4056 |
| Brisket | 175.4400 | 166.2744 | 161.7028 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 691.9660 · median 653.3718
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE DOWN BELOW | |
| 2 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 6 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 7 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 8 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | |
| 9 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 10 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 11 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 12 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 13 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 14 | Pig Data BBQ | |
| 15 | BOO BOO QUED | |
| 16 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 17 | BEVERAGE BROTHERS | |
| 18 | Q SHANTY | |
| 19 | T-BONE BBQ MA | |
| 20 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Team GottaQ | |
| 22 | Beantown Smokers | |
| 23 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 24 | WOOD & STEEL BBQ | |
| 25 | BACK RHODE BARBECUE | |
| 26 | Smokin' Love | |
| 27 | HOKIE POKIE Q | |
| 28 | WALLY BBQ |
Chicken
28 entries · top 180 · median 162.8628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE DOWN BELOW | |
| 2 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 3 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 4 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 5 | Pig Data BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 7 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 8 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 9 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 11 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | |
| 12 | Team GottaQ | |
| 13 | T-BONE BBQ MA | |
| 14 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 15 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 17 | BEVERAGE BROTHERS | |
| 18 | HOKIE POKIE Q | |
| 19 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 20 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 21 | BACK RHODE BARBECUE | |
| 22 | BOO BOO QUED | |
| 23 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 24 | Q SHANTY | |
| 25 | Beantown Smokers | |
| 26 | Smokin' Love | |
| 27 | WOOD & STEEL BBQ | |
| 28 | SUWHEE Q |
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | FIRE DOWN BELOW | |
| 3 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 4 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 5 | Q SHANTY | |
| 6 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 7 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 8 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 9 | BOO BOO QUED | |
| 10 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 11 | WOOD & STEEL BBQ | |
| 12 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 13 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 14 | BACK RHODE BARBECUE | |
| 15 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 16 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 17 | Beantown Smokers | |
| 18 | BEVERAGE BROTHERS | |
| 19 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 21 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | |
| 22 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 23 | T-BONE BBQ MA | |
| 24 | Pig Data BBQ | |
| 25 | Team GottaQ | |
| 26 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 27 | Smokin' Love | |
| 28 | HOKIE POKIE Q |
Pork
28 entries · top 177.1772 · median 159.4230
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 2 | FIRE DOWN BELOW | |
| 3 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | |
| 4 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 7 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 8 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 9 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 10 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 11 | Pig Data BBQ | |
| 12 | T-BONE BBQ MA | |
| 13 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 14 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 15 | Q SHANTY | |
| 16 | Team GottaQ | |
| 17 | BEVERAGE BROTHERS | |
| 18 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 20 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 21 | BOO BOO QUED | |
| 22 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 23 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 24 | HOKIE POKIE Q | |
| 25 | Smokin' Love | |
| 26 | BACK RHODE BARBECUE | |
| 27 | Beantown Smokers | |
| 28 | WOOD & STEEL BBQ |
Brisket
28 entries · top 175.4400 · median 160.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 2 | BOO BOO QUED | |
| 3 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 4 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | Beantown Smokers | |
| 7 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 9 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 10 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 11 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 12 | Q SHANTY | |
| 13 | Team GottaQ | |
| 14 | BEVERAGE BROTHERS | |
| 15 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 16 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 17 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | |
| 18 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 19 | FIRE DOWN BELOW | |
| 20 | Pig Data BBQ | |
| 21 | T-BONE BBQ MA | |
| 22 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 23 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 24 | WOOD & STEEL BBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin' Love | |
| 26 | BACK RHODE BARBECUE | |
| 27 | HOKIE POKIE Q | |
| 28 | WALLY BBQ |