A new contest record
713.1316
highest overall ever cooked here
713.1316 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 706.8344 Boomerang BBQ set in 2019.
- old record 706.8344
- set 2019 by Boomerang BBQ
Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 2021
Jul 9–10, 2021 · Mayetta, KS · 📍 Prairie Band Casino · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley, Mark Collier · Prize money: $11,700
Happy Grillmore won Grand Champion at the Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest on July 9, 2021 in Mayetta, KS at Prairie Band Casino, scoring 713.1316 in a field of 43 teams. SLAPS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.0856. Category winners: Chicken — SLAPS BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — LAST CALL HEROES BBQ (179.4400); Pork — Happy Grillmore (180.0000); Brisket — Happy Grillmore (180.0000). This is the 8th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2020 edition was won by Smokin Timbers BBQ.
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.
598.18
median 675.28
713.13 🏆
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 179.44
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
135.92
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Entries
43
4 judged meats
Top score
713.1316
Winning margin
8.0460
GC over RC
Field average
670.69
598.18713.13
median 675.28 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.8456 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
691.3140
598.18713.13
10th place overall
Field spread
114.9488
winner to last place
Prize money
$11,700
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
44%
27 of 61 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,647
avg power rating going in · stronger than 95% of contests
Storylines (10 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
19-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 81 times in 100
Happy Grillmore came in rated below the field's top team, SLAPS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 19-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1697
- top seed 1951
A first Grand Championship
32
tracked contests to get there
This was Happy Grillmore's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 32nd tracked contest.
A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Happy Grillmore · Brisket
- SLAPS BBQ · Chicken
- Happy Grillmore · Pork
A stacked field
1647
average power rating going in
Stronger than 95% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1647 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
- top seed SLAPS BBQ (1951)
- 43 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 7–8: GETTIN' SAUCED and THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: THIS BUTT'S FOR YOU - OLATHE, KS and LOVE 2 Q tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: LOVE 2 Q and DIRT ROAD BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Happy Grillmore won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Happy Grillmore took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 13th.
- Chicken 13th
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
Happy Grillmore turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 178.8800 that had stood across 7 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8800
- across 7 past editions
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: PORKY BUTTS BBQ (won 2016), SPITFIRE (won 2018), Smokin Timbers BBQ (won 2020).
- PORKY BUTTS BBQ · 2016
- SPITFIRE · 2018
- Smokin Timbers BBQ · 2020
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 2013 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS | 69 | 702.2856 | PIGSKIN BBQ | WOODWARD BARBEQUE |
| Jun 6, 2014 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS 66509 | 54 | 701.7372 | JP CUSTOM SMOKE | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th RD | 55 | 691.4172 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | THUMP & STRUM BBQ |
| Jul 14, 2017 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 58 | 695.3944 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | SMOOTH SMOKE |
| Jul 13, 2018 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 48 | 697.0968 | SPITFIRE | BOOM CHICKA COW COW |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 59 | 706.8344 | Boomerang BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 61 | 698.8684 | Smokin Timbers BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Jul 9, 2021 ← this one | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 43 | 713.1316 | Happy Grillmore | SLAPS BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1544 | 176.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 176.5716 | 172.5600 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.1544 | 174.2628 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4172 | 174.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
43 entries · top 713.1316 · median 675.2800
Chicken
43 entries · top 180 · median 169.6916 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
43 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.1316
Pork
43 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
43 entries · top 180 · median 166.2284 · 🔥 perfect 180