Smoke on the Water
2021-10-15 – 2021-10-16 · Topeka, KS · 📍 3435 SE East Edge Rd · State championship
Reps: CLARA WILLIAMS, JONATHAN B WILLIAMS · Prize money: $5,250.00
Grand Champion: Mad Mutt's BBQ (699.3600) · 25 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 SMOKE RINGERS
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
699.3600
Winning margin
1.0856
GC over RC
Field average
660.23
median 673.63
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
0.5600 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
685.0856
10th place overall
Field spread
103.4744
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,250.00
on the line
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 52%
beats 48% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
12%
of the 25 teams with a home region came from outside KS
Came back for more
0%
0 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1535
avg power rating going in · stronger than 40% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
Thunder Hog BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 13 tracked editions.
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.0856 points — closer than 84% of every championship in the data.
🧹 A double category winner
FAIRWAY SMOKERS won Chicken, Pork — a double.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 1–2: FAIRWAY SMOKERS and Cities Edge BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: Cities Edge BBQ and TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: 777 BBQ and Bocephus BBQ tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🃏 An upset on the books
MAD MUTT'S BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, MAN MEAT BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-10-11 | Topeka, KS | 43 | 687.4516 | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ | BLACK EYE BBQ | |
| 2015-10-09 | Topeka, KS 66605 | 33 | 696.5600 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | BOXER Q BBQ | |
| 2017-05-06 | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 26 | 695.9084 | VICTORY SMOKERS | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 2018-05-05 | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 28 | 693.6684 | GREY STREET BBQ | BANKIN BABY BBQ | |
| 2019-05-04 | Liberty, IN | 381 W Old Dunlapsville | 26 | 696.5140 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ |
| 2021-05-01 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 27 | 706.2400 | The BBQ Bus | GETTIN PIGGY WITH IT BACKYARD BBQ |
| 2021-10-15 ← this one | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 25 | 699.3600 | Mad Mutt's BBQ | SMOKE RINGERS |
| 2022-04-29 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 25 | 707.9888 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| 2022-10-14 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 28 | 701.6688 | Cow Creek BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| 2023-10-13 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 39 | 707.4176 | Slaps BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| 2024-09-20 | Pine Bluff, AR | 1 Regional Park Dr | 42 | 698.2628 | Kith n Kin | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| 2024-10-11 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 31 | 700.5372 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Bocephus BBQ |
| 2025-10-10 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 30 | 703.3828 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| 2026-10-09 | Topeka, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 175.4056 | 174.8456 | 170.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 173.7144 | 170.8228 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 176.5600 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 173.1200 | 167.3944 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 699.3600 · median 673.6344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 3 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 4 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 5 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 6 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 7 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 8 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 9 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 10 | Ambition Que | |
| 11 | 777 BBQ | |
| 12 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 13 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 14 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 15 | BLUE BUCKET BBQ | |
| 16 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 17 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 18 | Tar & Feather'd | |
| 19 | Rev-N-Rob | |
| 20 | RURdy4BBQ | |
| 21 | RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | |
| 22 | SILVER FOX BBQ | |
| 23 | Happy Basset BBQ and Beer | |
| 24 | Flat Tire BBQ | |
| 25 | Who's Cooking |
Chicken
25 entries · top 175.4056 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 2 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 3 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 4 | 777 BBQ | |
| 5 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 6 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 7 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 8 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 9 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 10 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 11 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 12 | BLUE BUCKET BBQ | |
| 13 | Ambition Que | |
| 14 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 15 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 16 | RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | |
| 17 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 18 | RURdy4BBQ | |
| 19 | SILVER FOX BBQ | |
| 20 | Tar & Feather'd | |
| 21 | Flat Tire BBQ | |
| 22 | Rev-N-Rob | |
| 23 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 24 | Who's Cooking | |
| 25 | Happy Basset BBQ and Beer |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.1428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 3 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 4 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | 777 BBQ | |
| 7 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 8 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 9 | Rev-N-Rob | |
| 10 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 11 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 12 | BLUE BUCKET BBQ | |
| 13 | Ambition Que | |
| 14 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 15 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 16 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 17 | Tar & Feather'd | |
| 18 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 19 | RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | |
| 20 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 21 | RURdy4BBQ | |
| 22 | SILVER FOX BBQ | |
| 23 | Happy Basset BBQ and Beer | |
| 24 | Flat Tire BBQ | |
| 25 | Who's Cooking |
Pork
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 2 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 3 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 4 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 5 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 6 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 7 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 8 | Ambition Que | |
| 9 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 10 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 11 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 12 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 13 | 777 BBQ | |
| 14 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 15 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 16 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 17 | BLUE BUCKET BBQ | |
| 18 | Flat Tire BBQ | |
| 19 | Rev-N-Rob | |
| 20 | Who's Cooking | |
| 21 | Happy Basset BBQ and Beer | |
| 22 | SILVER FOX BBQ | |
| 23 | RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | |
| 24 | RURdy4BBQ | |
| 25 | Tar & Feather'd |
Brisket
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 2 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 3 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | Ambition Que | |
| 7 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 8 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 9 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 10 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 11 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 12 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 13 | 777 BBQ | |
| 14 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 15 | Tar & Feather'd | |
| 16 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 17 | BLUE BUCKET BBQ | |
| 18 | RURdy4BBQ | |
| 19 | Happy Basset BBQ and Beer | |
| 20 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 21 | Who's Cooking | |
| 22 | RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | |
| 23 | SILVER FOX BBQ | |
| 24 | Rev-N-Rob | |
| 25 | Flat Tire BBQ |