A new contest record
699.9544
highest overall ever cooked here
699.9544 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 696.5028 ALL FORKED UP FOR Q set in 2019.
- old record 696.5028
- set 2019 by ALL FORKED UP FOR Q
Smokin In the Creek BBQ Contest 2021
Oct 15–16, 2021 · Sugar Creek, MO · 📍 11520 Putnam · State championship
Reps: Rosemary Morrow · Prize money: $6,520
Heavy Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smokin In the Creek BBQ Contest on October 15, 2021 in Sugar Creek, MO at 11520 Putnam, scoring 699.9544 in a field of 27 teams. SLAPS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6456. Category winners: Chicken — GETTIN' BASTED (178.2972); Pork Ribs — ALL FORKED UP FOR Q (177.1428); Pork — Heavy Smoke BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — Barking Dog BBQ (176.5828). This is the 2nd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by ALL FORKED UP FOR Q; the next was held in 2022.
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.
542.66
median 672.48
699.95 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 177.14
- Pork 178.86
- Brisket 176.58
104.47
178.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2019 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
699.9544
Winning margin
6.3088
GC over RC
Field average
655.43
542.66699.95
median 672.48 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
1.1772 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
677.0972
542.66699.95
10th place overall
Field spread
157.2912
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,520
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 33%
beats 67% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
21%
9 of 42 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.78 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,620
avg power rating going in · stronger than 88% 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.
An upset on the books
30-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 70 times in 100
Heavy Smoke BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 30-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1845
- top seed 1989
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 7 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 9–10: ALL FORKED UP FOR Q and KC SMOKE DAWGS tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: WABASH BBQ and JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: GETTIN' SAUCED and Barking Dog BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Heavy Smoke 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
A contest record in brisket
176.5828
best brisket ever cooked here
Barking Dog BBQ turned in 176.5828 in brisket — past the 174.8572 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 174.8572
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ALL FORKED UP FOR Q (won 2019).
- ALL FORKED UP FOR Q · 2019
The contest returns
2.5 yrs
since the last edition
This contest was away for 2.5 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2019-04-26.
- previous edition 2019-04-26
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 2019 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putman | 42 | 696.5028 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | SLAPS BBQ |
| Oct 15, 2021 ← this one | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 27 | 699.9544 | HEAVY SMOKE BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 35 | 703.3828 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Sugar Creek, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 44 | 703.9544 | Wabash BBQ | Mulkey's BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 40 | 703.3828 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Sugar Creek, MO | 11520 Putnam | 28 | 699.9772 | SLAPS BBQ | Squealin N Dealin BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 173.7144 | 170.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 173.1200 | 167.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 176.5828 | 175.4056 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 699.9544 · median 672.4800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 3 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 4 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 5 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 6 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 7 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 10 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 11 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 12 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 13 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 14 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 15 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 16 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 17 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 18 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 20 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 21 | Run Pig Run | |
| 22 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | IHC BBQ | |
| 25 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 26 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 27 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ |
Chicken
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 2 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 3 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 4 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 5 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 6 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 7 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 9 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 10 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 11 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 12 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 13 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 14 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 15 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 16 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 17 | IHC BBQ | |
| 18 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 19 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 20 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 21 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 22 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 25 | Run Pig Run | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 27 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 2 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 3 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 4 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 5 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 6 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 7 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 9 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 10 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 11 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 12 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 13 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 14 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 15 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 16 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 17 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 18 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 19 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 20 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 21 | Run Pig Run | |
| 22 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 23 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 24 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 25 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 27 | IHC BBQ |
Pork
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 5 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 6 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 7 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 8 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 9 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 10 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 11 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 12 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 13 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 14 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 15 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 16 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 17 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 18 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 19 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 20 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 21 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 22 | IHC BBQ | |
| 23 | Run Pig Run | |
| 24 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ | |
| 26 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 27 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS |
Brisket
27 entries · top 176.5828 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 2 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 5 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 6 | MEAT BEATERS | |
| 7 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | KC SMOKE DAWGS | |
| 10 | UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | |
| 11 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 12 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 13 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE ON THE WATER | |
| 15 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 16 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 17 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 18 | Run Pig Run | |
| 19 | JJ’s Bangin’ BBQ | |
| 20 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 21 | SHAWHAN BEER BURBON & BBQ | |
| 22 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 23 | HIGH TECH SMOKERS | |
| 24 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 25 | IHC BBQ | |
| 26 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ | |
| 27 | HOLY SMOKES BBQ |
Ancillary categories
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.
Ancillary — Dessert
6 entries · top 174.2628 · median 170
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 2 | MULLET BROTHERS | |
| 3 | FLAMIN' M&M | |
| 4 | WOODBROTHERS BBQ | |
| 5 | TAILGATE GUYS BBQ | |
| 6 | NUTTY COCKS BBQ |