Aug 13–14, 2021 · Shelbyville, IN · 📍 500 Frank ST · State championship
Reps: Becky Druetzler, Dave Druetzler · Prize money: $7,800
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES won Grand Champion at the Big Blue Barbecue on August 13, 2021 in Shelbyville, IN at 500 Frank ST, scoring 698.2628 in a field of 30 teams. SMOKE-N-PEPPERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.6800. Category winners: Chicken — BLUE CHIP BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. (179.4400); Pork — CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. (175.4172); Brisket — JANKY LEG BBQ (177.1428). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2020 edition was won by The Real Smokin Aces.
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, 2018 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.
Closer than 89% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES came in rated below the field's top team, One2BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 4th. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 4 tracked editions
The Real Smokin Aces has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.3312 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Chicken places 1–2: BLUE CHIP BBQ and Risky Brisket tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: THE REAL SMOKIN ACES and BBQ Maestros tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: ONE2BBQ and Risky Brisket tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double.
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. turned in 179.4400 in pork ribs — past the 177.7600 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: One2BBQ (won 2019), The Real Smokin Aces (won 2020).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2018 | Shelbyville, IN | Shelbyville, IN 46176 | 27 | 695.9428 | WV LOC-N-LOADED BBQ | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. |
| Aug 9, 2019 | Shelbyville, IN | 500 Frank ST | 29 | 692.5028 | One2BBQ | THE BBQ BUS |
| Aug 14, 2020 | Shelbyville, IN | 500 Frank ST | 50 | 707.4400 | The Real Smokin Aces | ONE2BBQ |
| Aug 13, 2021 ← this one | Shelbyville, IN | 500 Frank ST | 30 | 698.2628 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | SMOKE-N-PEPPERS |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.8572 | 170.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 177.1544 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 174.8456 | 170.2628 |
| Brisket | 177.1428 | 175.4172 | 170.2628 |
30 entries · top 698.2628 · median 670.1830
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.4058
30 entries · top 175.4172 · median 167.6914
30 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.9600
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.
10 entries · top 180 · median 172.2914 · 🔥 perfect 180
3 entries · top 173.1544 · median 169.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubba Q | |
| 2 | Hogwarts BBQ | |
| 3 | Continental Barbecue |