A statement win
9.1768
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.1768 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
GOBS Que 2019
Aug 9–10, 2019 · Arlington, NE · 📍 23656 HWY 30 · State championship
Reps: Dena Milhous, Ron Milhous · Prize money: $6,500
SPITFIRE won Grand Champion at the GOBS Que on August 9, 2019 in Arlington, NE at 23656 HWY 30, scoring 696.0000 in a field of 29 teams. SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.8232. Category winners: Chicken — Smokey Bears BBQ Ne (176.5828); Pork Ribs — SPITFIRE (178.2972); Pork — Who Dat BBQ (177.1428); Brisket — SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ (175.4056). The Backyard Series standings were won by Zip Que with 340.0460. This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; 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.
538.08
median 654.73
696 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 176.58
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 178.30
- Master Series — Pork 177.14
- Master Series — Brisket 175.41
- Backyard Series — Chicken 175.47
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 167.44
122.23
178.30
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2019 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Entries
29
6 judged meats
Top score
696
Winning margin
9.1768
GC over RC
Field average
647.25
538.08696
median 654.73 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2740 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
670.1716
538.08696
10th place overall
Field spread
157.9200
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,500
on the line
Double threats
8
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 49%
beats 51% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.57 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,564
avg power rating going in · stronger than 49% of contests
Storylines (3 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 7 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Pork Ribs places 9–10: Piccolos BBQ and ELWOOD BBQ tied on 167.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 6–7: RICHIE Z's edged HELPING U BBQ by 0.0112. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 5–6: TEAM BREW & QUE edged SIN CIRCLE BBQ by 0.0116.
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 6–7 · 0.0112
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 5–6 · 0.0116
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 8–9 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SPITFIRE 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 2nd
- Brisket 4th
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, 2019 ← this one | Arlington, NE | 23656 HWY 30 | 29 | 696 | Spitfire | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ |
| Aug 13, 2021 | Arlington, NE | 23656 Hwy 30 | 26 | 699.9660 | Porky Butts BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Aug 14, 2021 | Arlington, NE | 23656 Hwy 30 | 25 | 698.8228 | IOWA'S Smokey D's BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 176.5828 | 174.3088 | 169.1316 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 171.9888 | 167.4172 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.1428 | 170.8228 | 168.5484 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 175.4056 | 169.7028 | 165.6684 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 175.4744 | — | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 167.4400 | — | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 696 · median 654.7316
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SPITFIRE | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 4 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 5 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 6 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 7 | STAR CITY BBQ | |
| 8 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 9 | Smokey Bears BBQ Ne | |
| 10 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 11 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 12 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | |
| 13 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 14 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 15 | Piccolos BBQ | |
| 16 | SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE | |
| 17 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 18 | Tatoo Bob BBQ | |
| 19 | OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 20 | HOG BUSTERS | |
| 21 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 22 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 23 | CROWN POINT BBQ | |
| 24 | Porkaholics Anonymous | |
| 25 | Slap & Stick BBQ | |
| 26 | Trestles BBQ | |
| 27 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 28 | Big Belly Boys | |
| 29 | MR. M'S MEATS |
Chicken
29 entries · top 176.5828 · median 163.9428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokey Bears BBQ Ne | |
| 2 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 3 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 4 | SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 6 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 7 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 8 | SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE | |
| 9 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 10 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 11 | STAR CITY BBQ | |
| 12 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 13 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 14 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 15 | OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 16 | Porkaholics Anonymous | |
| 17 | CROWN POINT BBQ | |
| 18 | Piccolos BBQ | |
| 19 | Tatoo Bob BBQ | |
| 20 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | |
| 21 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 22 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 23 | Big Belly Boys | |
| 24 | Trestles BBQ | |
| 25 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 26 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 27 | HOG BUSTERS | |
| 28 | Slap & Stick BBQ | |
| 29 | MR. M'S MEATS |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.1088
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SPITFIRE | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 4 | STAR CITY BBQ | |
| 5 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 6 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 7 | Slap & Stick BBQ | |
| 8 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 9 | Piccolos BBQ | |
| 10 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 11 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 12 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 13 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 14 | SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE | |
| 15 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | |
| 16 | HOG BUSTERS | |
| 17 | Tatoo Bob BBQ | |
| 18 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 19 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 21 | Smokey Bears BBQ Ne | |
| 22 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 23 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 24 | CROWN POINT BBQ | |
| 25 | Trestles BBQ | |
| 26 | Big Belly Boys | |
| 27 | OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 28 | MR. M'S MEATS | |
| 29 | Porkaholics Anonymous |
Pork
29 entries · top 177.1428 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 2 | SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 4 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 5 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 6 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 7 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 8 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 9 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 11 | OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 12 | Smokey Bears BBQ Ne | |
| 13 | STAR CITY BBQ | |
| 14 | HOG BUSTERS | |
| 15 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | |
| 16 | Piccolos BBQ | |
| 17 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 18 | SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE | |
| 19 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Slap & Stick BBQ | |
| 22 | CROWN POINT BBQ | |
| 23 | Trestles BBQ | |
| 24 | Porkaholics Anonymous | |
| 25 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 26 | Tatoo Bob BBQ | |
| 27 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 28 | Big Belly Boys | |
| 29 | MR. M'S MEATS |
Brisket
29 entries · top 175.4056 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 3 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 4 | SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 6 | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | |
| 7 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 8 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 9 | Smokey Bears BBQ Ne | |
| 10 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 11 | Tatoo Bob BBQ | |
| 12 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 13 | STAR CITY BBQ | |
| 14 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 15 | Porkaholics Anonymous | |
| 16 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 17 | Piccolos BBQ | |
| 18 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 19 | OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | |
| 20 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 21 | Trestles BBQ | |
| 22 | HOG BUSTERS | |
| 23 | CROWN POINT BBQ | |
| 24 | Slap & Stick BBQ | |
| 25 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 26 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 27 | SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE | |
| 28 | Big Belly Boys | |
| 29 | MR. M'S MEATS |
Backyard Series
Overall
4 entries · top 340.0460 · median 311.7086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zip Que | |
| 2 | C & C Catering | |
| 3 | Joe Burmood | |
| 4 | TR's Moist Meats |
Chicken
4 entries · top 175.4744 · median 152.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zip Que | |
| 2 | C & C Catering | |
| 3 | Joe Burmood | |
| 4 | TR's Moist Meats |
Pork Ribs
4 entries · top 167.4400 · median 158.5544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C & C Catering | |
| 2 | Zip Que | |
| 3 | TR's Moist Meats | |
| 4 | Joe Burmood |