A stacked field
1643
average power rating going in
Stronger than 94% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1643 power rating going in — stronger than 94% of every contest tracked.
- top seed ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (1898)
- 35 rated teams
Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague
Oct 16–17, 2021 · Galax, VA · 📍 2330 Edmonds Rd · State championship
Reps: Alan Rothrock, Doug Reid · Prize money: $4,000
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague on October 16, 2021 in Galax, VA at 2330 Edmonds Rd, scoring 694.7888 in a field of 15 teams. REDMULE'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.0400. Category winners: Chicken — REDMULE'S BBQ (177.7144); Pork Ribs — SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ (173.7144); Pork — FRED VEGAS SMOKERS (176.5716); Brisket — D’Qued Barbeque (174.2744). The Backyard Series standings were won by Optimus Swine with 354.8572.
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.
642.15
median 682.75
694.79 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 177.71
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 173.71
- Master Series — Pork 176.57
- Master Series — Brisket 174.27
- Backyard Series — Chicken 175.42
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 179.44
149.61
179.44
Entries
20
6 judged meats
Top score
694.7888
Winning margin
5.7488
GC over RC
Field average
678.21
642.15694.79
median 682.75 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
680.9940
642.15694.79
10th place overall
Field spread
52.6400
winner to last place
Prize money
$4,000
on the line
Double threats
9
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 55%
beats 45% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.46 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,643
avg power rating going in · stronger than 94% of contests
Storylines (4 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 22 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: CONVICTED PIGS BBQ and FRED VEGAS SMOKERS tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 2–3: ON A WHIM and FRED VEGAS SMOKERS tied on 173.1316 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 4–5: REDMULE'S BBQ and UNDER THE RADAR tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Optimus Swine won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 6th.
- Chicken 6th
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.7144 | 171.9656 | 169.6916 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 173.7144 | 171.9772 | 166.2400 |
| Master Series — Pork | 176.5716 | 174.2744 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 174.2744 | 170.8344 | 169.1084 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 175.4172 | 171.9656 | 169.6800 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 171.9656 | 169.6916 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
15 entries · top 694.7888 · median 682.7544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 2 | REDMULE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | D’Qued Barbeque | |
| 4 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 5 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 6 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 7 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 8 | SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ | |
| 9 | Still Workin' On It | |
| 10 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 11 | ON A WHIM | |
| 12 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 13 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 14 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 15 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
Chicken
15 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | REDMULE'S BBQ | |
| 2 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 3 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 4 | SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ | |
| 5 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 6 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 7 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 8 | D’Qued Barbeque | |
| 9 | Still Workin' On It | |
| 10 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 11 | ON A WHIM | |
| 12 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 13 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 14 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 15 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
Pork Ribs
15 entries · top 173.7144 · median 167.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ | |
| 2 | ON A WHIM | |
| 3 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 4 | REDMULE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 6 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 7 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 8 | D’Qued Barbeque | |
| 9 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 10 | Still Workin' On It | |
| 11 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 12 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE | |
| 13 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 14 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 15 | Rogue Hog BBQ |
Pork
15 entries · top 176.5716 · median 171.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 2 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 3 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 4 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 5 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 6 | D’Qued Barbeque | |
| 7 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 8 | Still Workin' On It | |
| 9 | ON A WHIM | |
| 10 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 11 | SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ | |
| 12 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 13 | REDMULE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 15 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
Brisket
15 entries · top 174.2744 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D’Qued Barbeque | |
| 2 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 3 | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ | |
| 4 | Still Workin' On It | |
| 5 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 6 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 7 | UNDER THE RADAR | |
| 8 | REDMULE'S BBQ | |
| 9 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 10 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 11 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 12 | SMACK THAT BUTT BBQ | |
| 13 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 14 | ON A WHIM | |
| 15 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
Backyard Series
Overall
20 entries · top 354.8572 · median 339.3772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optimus Swine | |
| 2 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 3 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 4 | LEM'S MEAT VARNISH | |
| 5 | TFS PIT VIPERS | |
| 6 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 7 | Bowmans Butt & BBQ | |
| 8 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 9 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 10 | Meadow Creek BBQ | |
| 11 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 12 | Full Throttle BBQ | |
| 13 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 14 | LEE LA Q | |
| 15 | Poor Boys BBQ | |
| 16 | Que N Cue | |
| 17 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 18 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 19 | NEW RIVER BOYS | |
| 20 | Better Half Barbecue |
Chicken
20 entries · top 175.4172 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optimus Swine | |
| 2 | Bowmans Butt & BBQ | |
| 3 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 4 | Que N Cue | |
| 5 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 6 | LEM'S MEAT VARNISH | |
| 7 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 8 | LEE LA Q | |
| 9 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 10 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 11 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 12 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 13 | Poor Boys BBQ | |
| 14 | Full Throttle BBQ | |
| 15 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 16 | Meadow Creek BBQ | |
| 17 | TFS PIT VIPERS | |
| 18 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 19 | NEW RIVER BOYS | |
| 20 | Better Half Barbecue |
Pork Ribs
20 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.6858
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optimus Swine | |
| 2 | TFS PIT VIPERS | |
| 3 | Meadow Creek BBQ | |
| 4 | LEM'S MEAT VARNISH | |
| 5 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 6 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 7 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 8 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 9 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 10 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 11 | Full Throttle BBQ | |
| 12 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 13 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 14 | Bowmans Butt & BBQ | |
| 15 | NEW RIVER BOYS | |
| 16 | Poor Boys BBQ | |
| 17 | Better Half Barbecue | |
| 18 | LEE LA Q | |
| 19 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 20 | Que N Cue |