A new contest record
708.5372
highest overall ever cooked here
708.5372 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 707.3944 Slaps BBQ set in 2024.
- old record 707.3944
- set 2024 by Slaps BBQ
Smoke on the River (Day 1) 2026
Sep 4–5, 2026 · Burlington, KS · 📍 625 S. 3rd St. · State championship
Reps: Larry Voth, Lynda Voth · Prize money: $9,350
Janky Leg BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the River (Day 1) on September 4, 2026 in Burlington, KS at 625 S. 3rd St., scoring 708.5372 in a field of 25 teams. Bocephus BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 706.2628. Category winners: Chicken — PACS BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Bocephus BBQ (180.0000); Pork — Janky Leg BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — Brews Before Q's (177.7144). This is the 7th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by BOCEPHUS BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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.
503.89
median 691.92
708.54 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 178.86
- Brisket 177.71
121.62
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
708.5372
Winning margin
2.2744
GC over RC
Field average
675.38
503.89708.54
median 691.92 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
695.3716
503.89708.54
10th place overall
Field spread
204.6516
winner to last place
Prize money
$9,350
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 6%
beats 94% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
54%
13 of 24 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,652
avg power rating going in · stronger than 96% of contests
Storylines (7 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.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 8 tracked editions
Janky Leg BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 8 tracked editions.
- 2026
- 2026
A stacked field
1652
average power rating going in
Stronger than 96% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1652 power rating going in — stronger than 96% of every contest tracked.
- top seed JANKY LEG BBQ (1940)
- 25 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 18 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: Squealin N Dealin BBQ and BrewsCue tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: Munny's Stove and Can Country Outlaw BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: Triple H BBQ and Beer Dart BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Janky Leg BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
- Chicken 7th
- Pork Ribs 7th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SQUEALIN N DEALIN BBQ (won 2025), BOCEPHUS BBQ (won 2025).
- SQUEALIN N DEALIN BBQ · 2025
- BOCEPHUS BBQ · 2025
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Bocephus BBQ · Pork Ribs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2022 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 6 | 344.5828 | TOO SAUCED BBQ | — |
| Sep 1, 2023 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 20 | 699.9544 | GETTIN' BASTED | JANKY LEG BBQ |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 28 | 707.3944 | Slaps BBQ | Can Country Outlaw BBQ |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 13 | 175.4288 | B3 BBQ | — |
| Aug 29, 2025 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 25 | 706.2516 | SQUEALIN N DEALIN BBQ | Glamping Grillers |
| Aug 30, 2025 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 24 | 707.3712 | BOCEPHUS BBQ | JDQ BBQ |
| Sep 4, 2026 ← this one | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 25 | 708.5372 | Janky Leg BBQ | Bocephus BBQ |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Burlington, KS | 625 S. 3rd St. | 25 | 709.6800 | Janky Leg BBQ | Triple H BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 174.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5716 | 174.2744 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 177.7028 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 176.5600 | 174.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 708.5372 · median 691.9200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janky Leg BBQ | |
| 2 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 3 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 4 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 5 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 6 | BrewsCue | |
| 7 | PACS BBQ | |
| 8 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 9 | Triple H BBQ | |
| 10 | SuperSwine BBQ | |
| 11 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 12 | Red Oak BBQ | |
| 13 | Thump & Strum BBQ | |
| 14 | Porky Butts BBQ | |
| 15 | Munny's Stove | |
| 16 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 17 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 18 | M2 Smokin Q | |
| 19 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 20 | Fairway Smokers | |
| 21 | Beer Dart BBQ | |
| 22 | Sauces Bosses | |
| 23 | BIG B'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Sweet, Wet and Juicy BBQ Boys | |
| 25 | Chisholm Trail Smokers |
Chicken
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 173.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PACS BBQ | |
| 2 | Red Oak BBQ | |
| 3 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 4 | BrewsCue | |
| 5 | Munny's Stove | |
| 6 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 7 | Janky Leg BBQ | |
| 8 | Porky Butts BBQ | |
| 9 | Triple H BBQ | |
| 10 | Beer Dart BBQ | |
| 11 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 12 | M2 Smokin Q | |
| 13 | Thump & Strum BBQ | |
| 14 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 15 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 16 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 17 | Chisholm Trail Smokers | |
| 18 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 19 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 20 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 21 | Sauces Bosses | |
| 22 | Fairway Smokers | |
| 23 | SuperSwine BBQ | |
| 24 | BIG B'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Sweet, Wet and Juicy BBQ Boys |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 180 · median 173.1084 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 2 | SuperSwine BBQ | |
| 3 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 4 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 5 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 6 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 7 | Janky Leg BBQ | |
| 8 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 9 | Triple H BBQ | |
| 10 | Red Oak BBQ | |
| 11 | BrewsCue | |
| 12 | Thump & Strum BBQ | |
| 13 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 14 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 15 | Munny's Stove | |
| 16 | PACS BBQ | |
| 17 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 18 | Fairway Smokers | |
| 19 | Porky Butts BBQ | |
| 20 | Beer Dart BBQ | |
| 21 | M2 Smokin Q | |
| 22 | Sauces Bosses | |
| 23 | Chisholm Trail Smokers | |
| 24 | BIG B'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Sweet, Wet and Juicy BBQ Boys |
Pork
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janky Leg BBQ | |
| 2 | SuperSwine BBQ | |
| 3 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 4 | M2 Smokin Q | |
| 5 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 6 | Triple H BBQ | |
| 7 | Fairway Smokers | |
| 8 | Thump & Strum BBQ | |
| 9 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 10 | PACS BBQ | |
| 11 | BrewsCue | |
| 12 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 13 | Red Oak BBQ | |
| 14 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 15 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 16 | Chisholm Trail Smokers | |
| 17 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 18 | Porky Butts BBQ | |
| 19 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 20 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 21 | Sauces Bosses | |
| 22 | BIG B'S BBQ | |
| 23 | Munny's Stove | |
| 24 | Beer Dart BBQ | |
| 25 | Sweet, Wet and Juicy BBQ Boys |
Brisket
24 entries · top 177.7144 · median 172.5428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 2 | Janky Leg BBQ | |
| 3 | Kermit's Ex | |
| 4 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 5 | Porky Butts BBQ | |
| 6 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 7 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 8 | SuperSwine BBQ | |
| 9 | Munny's Stove | |
| 10 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 11 | PACS BBQ | |
| 12 | BrewsCue | |
| 13 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 14 | Red Oak BBQ | |
| 15 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 16 | Triple H BBQ | |
| 17 | Thump & Strum BBQ | |
| 18 | Fairway Smokers | |
| 19 | M2 Smokin Q | |
| 20 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 21 | Beer Dart BBQ | |
| 22 | Sauces Bosses | |
| 23 | BIG B'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Sweet, Wet and Juicy BBQ Boys |