May 15–16, 2021 · Plainview, TX · 📍 3400 W 4th St · State championship
Reps: Karen Jane Williams, Ralph Williams · Prize money: $6,500
TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER won Grand Champion at the Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) on May 15, 2021 in Plainview, TX at 3400 W 4th St, scoring 698.7884 in a field of 22 teams. MAN MEAT BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.7656. Category winners: Chicken — SCOTTS BBQ SHACK (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Chingon BBQ (177.7144); Pork — MAN MEAT BBQ (175.4172); Brisket — TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER (175.4056). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by LC 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, 2019 to 2021 — 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
Texas Smoke Whisperer came in rated below the field's top team, THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Texas Smoke Whisperer's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 27th tracked contest.
Stronger than 90% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1628 power rating going in — stronger than 90% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 3–4: Chingon BBQ and MAN MEAT BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK and BUTLER'S BACKDRAFT BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: CHICKEN FRIED BBQ and TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 6th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Rio Valley Meat BBQ (won 2019), LC BBQ (won 2021).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2019 | Plainview, TX | 3400 W 4th St. | 38 | 703.9656 | Boomerang | Big Bob's B-B Crew |
| May 11, 2019 | Plainview, TX | 3400 W 4th St. | 21 | 707.9884 | Rio Valley Meat BBQ | BOOMERANG BBQ |
| May 14, 2021 | Plainview, TX | 3400 W 4th St. | 33 | 690.8228 | LC BBQ | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ |
| May 15, 2021 ← this one | Plainview, TX | 3400 W 4th St | 22 | 698.7884 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 176 | 173.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 173.1200 | 169.6916 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 171.4172 | 168.5256 |
| Brisket | 175.4056 | 171.9656 | 165.6800 |
22 entries · top 698.7884 · median 672.4400
22 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.9656
22 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.6858
22 entries · top 175.4172 · median 168.2514
22 entries · top 175.4056 · median 165.0914
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.
12 entries · top 175.4056 · median 166.5542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LC BBQ | |
| 2 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 3 | Chingon BBQ | |
| 4 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 5 | Royal Schmidt's BBQ competition team | |
| 6 | RIO VALLEY MEAT BBQ | |
| 7 | Gladiolas BBQ | |
| 8 | Pork n Things | |
| 9 | Potbellied Stallions | |
| 10 | Bionic BBQ | |
| 11 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 12 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ |