A new contest record
699.9656
highest overall ever cooked here
699.9656 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 694.8572 Fergolicious BBQ set in 2017.
- old record 694.8572
- set 2017 by Fergolicious BBQ
Effingham -Jam 2019
Jul 26–27, 2019 · Effingham, IL · 📍 Washington Street · State championship
Reps: Vicki Peyton · Prize money: $6,000
Heavy Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Effingham -Jam on July 26, 2019 in Effingham, IL at Washington Street, scoring 699.9656 in a field of 26 teams. JaBs BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.0972. Category winners: Chicken — HIGH ON THE HAWG (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Heavy Smoke BBQ (177.1428); Pork — JaBs BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — JaBs BBQ (177.1544). This is the 4th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2018 edition was won by ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN; the next was held in 2021.
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.
533.07
median 665.58
699.97 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.70
- Pork Ribs 177.14
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 177.15
113.10
178.30
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
699.9656
Winning margin
10.8684
GC over RC
Field average
656.74
533.07699.97
median 665.58 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
4.6060 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
667.9540
533.07699.97
10th place overall
Field spread
166.8912
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 33%
beats 67% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
43%
13 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.72 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,571
avg power rating going in · stronger than 55% 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
29-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
Heavy Smoke BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1688
- top seed 1841
A statement win
10.8684
points clear of the field
Wider than 89% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.8684 points — a wider margin than 89% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 2–3: ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN and CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: RAZORRACKS edged Oui Oui Oui BBQ by 0.0112. Pork Ribs places 9–10: OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS edged JaBs BBQ by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · 0.0116
- Pork 6–7 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
JaBs BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
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 chicken at 4th.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in pork
178.2972
best pork ever cooked here
JaBs BBQ turned in 178.2972 in pork — past the 176.5828 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5828
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (won 2018).
- ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN · 2018
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 22, 2016 | Effingham, IL | Effingham, IL 62401 | 29 | 694.2400 | ONE2BBQ | EAT MOR BUTT BBQ |
| Jul 28, 2017 | Effingham, IL | Jefferson St | 35 | 694.8572 | Fergolicious BBQ | MAC ATTACK BBQ |
| Jul 27, 2018 | Effingham, IL | Jefferson St | 30 | 685.0856 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | HIGH ON THE HAWG |
| Jul 26, 2019 ← this one | Effingham, IL | Washington Street | 26 | 699.9656 | Heavy Smoke STL | JaBs BBQ |
| Jul 23, 2021 | Effingham, IL | Effingham, IL 62401 | 29 | 688.5716 | Janky Leg BBQ | THE BBQ BUS |
| Jul 22, 2022 | Effingham, IL | Washington Street | 25 | 697.0628 | Continental Barbecue Co. | TRIPLE H BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 171.9656 | 167.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 169.7028 | 166.8228 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 172.5600 | 169.1200 |
| Brisket | 177.1544 | 172.5484 | 168.5256 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 699.9656 · median 665.5826
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 3 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 4 | RAZORRACKS | |
| 5 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 6 | Kam Lyn BBQ | |
| 7 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 8 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 9 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 10 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 11 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 12 | Smokin' Wet BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 14 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 15 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 16 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 17 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 18 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 19 | The Rookies BBQ | |
| 20 | OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS | |
| 21 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 22 | HIGH VOLTAGE BBQ | |
| 23 | Smoking Hippies! | |
| 24 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ IL | |
| 25 | Kickin' Ash | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHACK BBQ |
Chicken
26 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 2 | Kam Lyn BBQ | |
| 3 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 4 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 6 | The Rookies BBQ | |
| 7 | RAZORRACKS | |
| 8 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 10 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 11 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 12 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 13 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 14 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 15 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 16 | Smokin' Wet BBQ | |
| 17 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 18 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 19 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 20 | OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS | |
| 21 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 22 | HIGH VOLTAGE BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKE SHACK BBQ | |
| 24 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ IL | |
| 25 | Smoking Hippies! | |
| 26 | Kickin' Ash |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.9828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 3 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 4 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 5 | Kam Lyn BBQ | |
| 6 | RAZORRACKS | |
| 7 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 8 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 9 | OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS | |
| 10 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 11 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 12 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 14 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 15 | Smokin' Wet BBQ | |
| 16 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 17 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 18 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 19 | The Rookies BBQ | |
| 20 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ IL | |
| 21 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 22 | HIGH VOLTAGE BBQ | |
| 23 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 24 | Smoking Hippies! | |
| 25 | Kickin' Ash | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHACK BBQ |
Pork
26 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.1144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 2 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 3 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | Smokin' Wet BBQ | |
| 5 | Kam Lyn BBQ | |
| 6 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 7 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 8 | RAZORRACKS | |
| 9 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 10 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 11 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 12 | The Rookies BBQ | |
| 13 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 15 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 16 | OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS | |
| 17 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 18 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 19 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 20 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 21 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 22 | HIGH VOLTAGE BBQ | |
| 23 | Smoking Hippies! | |
| 24 | Kickin' Ash | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ IL | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHACK BBQ |
Brisket
26 entries · top 177.1544 · median 163.1142
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 2 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 4 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 5 | RAZORRACKS | |
| 6 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 7 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 8 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 9 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 11 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 12 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 13 | OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS | |
| 14 | Smokin' Wet BBQ | |
| 15 | Smoking Hippies! | |
| 16 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 17 | Oui Oui Oui BBQ | |
| 18 | The Rookies BBQ | |
| 19 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 20 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 21 | HIGH VOLTAGE BBQ | |
| 22 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 23 | Kam Lyn BBQ | |
| 24 | Kickin' Ash | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ IL | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHACK BBQ |