A new contest record
704.5372
highest overall ever cooked here
704.5372 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 700.5144 GETTIN' BASTED set in 2018.
- old record 700.5144
- set 2018 by GETTIN' BASTED
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 2019
Jul 19–20, 2019 · Peoria, IL · 📍 200 NE Water St · State championship
Reps: Dave Rogers, Peg Rogers
Heavy Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown on July 19, 2019 in Peoria, IL at 200 NE Water St, scoring 704.5372 in a field of 40 teams. SMOKE FREAKS took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.7772. Category winners: Chicken — SmokinGhost BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS (175.4172); Pork — BOOMERANG BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — Heavy Smoke BBQ (178.8572). The Backyard Series standings were won by Smoke, Fire & Brew with 339.4400. This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2018 edition was won by GETTIN' BASTED; the next was held in 2022.
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.
430.13
median 665.90
704.54 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 175.42
- Master Series — Pork 178.86
- Master Series — Brisket 178.86
- Backyard Series — Chicken 172.58
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 169.70
126.32
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2025 — this edition picked out.
Entries
40
6 judged meats
Top score
704.5372
Winning margin
17.7600
GC over RC
Field average
653.45
430.13704.54
median 665.90 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
2.8344 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
671.8856
430.13704.54
10th place overall
Field spread
274.4112
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 16%
beats 84% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
49%
21 of 43 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.46 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,554
avg power rating going in · stronger than 41% 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.
An upset on the books
14-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 86 times in 100
Heavy Smoke BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, BOOMERANG BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1677
- top seed 1997
A statement win
17.7600
points clear of the field
Wider than 98% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 17.7600 points — a wider margin than 98% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Pork places 3–4: Heavy Smoke BBQ and RUSTY PIG BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Brisket places 3–4: D.F.G.'S BBQ and CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: SMOKE FREAKS edged ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ by 0.0116.
- Master Series — Pork 3–4 · tie
- Master Series — Brisket 3–4 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 9–10 · 0.0116
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Heavy Smoke BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 6th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork
178.8572
best pork ever cooked here
BOOMERANG BBQ turned in 178.8572 in pork — past the 176.5600 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5600
- across 2 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.
- SmokinGhost BBQ · Chicken
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2017 | Peoria, IL | 200 NE Water St | 48 | 691.9312 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE |
| Jul 20, 2018 | Peoria, IL | 200 NE Water St | 43 | 700.5144 | GETTIN' BASTED | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ |
| Jul 19, 2019 ← this one | Peoria, IL | 200 NE Water St | 40 | 704.5372 | Heavy Smoke STL | SMOKE FREAKS |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Eureka, IL | 112 N Main St | 25 | 705.6916 | Que U | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Eureka, IL | 506 Reagan Dr | 25 | 690.7540 | Triple H BBQ | Heavy Smoke BBQ |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Eureka, IL | 1448 County Rd 800 N | 26 | 706.8344 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | TRIPLE H BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 172.5944 | 169.6800 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 171.4400 | 167.9656 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8572 | 176.0228 | 170.8344 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 171.4284 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 172.5828 | 159.4056 | 153.6572 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 169.7028 | 161.7144 | 157.6572 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
40 entries · top 704.5372 · median 665.8970
Chicken
39 entries · top 180 · median 167.3944 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
40 entries · top 175.4172 · median 163.9714
Pork
40 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.3942
Brisket
40 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.1030
Backyard Series
Overall
22 entries · top 339.4400 · median 307.3886
Chicken
20 entries · top 172.5828 · median 153.1028
Pork Ribs
22 entries · top 169.7028 · median 155.4116