A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- MAN MEAT BBQ · Brisket
- Can Country Outlaw BBQ · Chicken
- Bears Backyard Q · Chicken
2022 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 2)
Jul 16–17, 2022 · Cameron, MO · 📍 9018 N.E. Highway 69 · State championship
Reps: Donna Young, Ed Young · Prize money: $5,000
Fergolicious BBQ won Grand Champion at the 2022 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) on July 16, 2022 in Cameron, MO at 9018 N.E. Highway 69, scoring 702.8572 in a field of 25 teams. MAN MEAT BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.9888. Category winners: Chicken — Can Country Outlaw BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — MAN MEAT BBQ (177.7144); Pork — Fergolicious BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — MAN MEAT BBQ (180.0000). The Backyard Series standings were won by Fluffy Butt BBQ with 344.5484. This is the 4th of 15 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Slaps BBQ; the next was held in 2023.
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.
641.60
median 683.34
702.86 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 177.71
- Master Series — Pork 178.86
- Master Series — Brisket 180 🔥
- Backyard Series — Chicken 174.85
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 175.44
152.51
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2020 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
6 judged meats
Top score
702.8572
Winning margin
2.8684
GC over RC
Field average
681.46
641.60702.86
median 683.34 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
2.2628 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
688.5372
641.60702.86
10th place overall
Field spread
61.2572
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,000
on the line
Double threats
10
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 21%
beats 79% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
76%
26 of 34 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Weak
ρ = -0.18 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,649
avg power rating going in · stronger than 95% of contests
Storylines (9 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 15 tracked editions
Slaps BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 15 tracked editions.
- 2020
- 2022
A stacked field
1649
average power rating going in
Stronger than 95% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1649 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
- top seed SLAPS BBQ (1954)
- 32 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 1–2: Can Country Outlaw BBQ and Bears Backyard Q tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: O.G. BANDITS and Fergolicious BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: PARROTHEAD SMOKERS and UNFAMOUS DAVE'S tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 8–9 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
MAN MEAT BBQ won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Fergolicious BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 7th.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 7th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 6th
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
MAN MEAT BBQ turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Man Meat BBQ (won 2020), Slaps BBQ (won 2020, 2022).
- Man Meat BBQ · 2020
- Slaps BBQ · 2020, 2022
They keep coming back
76%
of last edition’s field returned
26 of 34 teams from 2022-07-15 came back
26 of the 34 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
This contest's own records (2 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2020 | Cameron, MO | Cameron Elks | 42 | 708.5372 | Man Meat BBQ | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN |
| Jul 18, 2020 | Cameron, MO | Cameron Elks | 32 | 705.6916 | Slaps BBQ | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 27 | 701.0856 | Slaps BBQ | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| Jul 16, 2022 ← this one | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 25 | 702.8572 | Fergolicious BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 30 | 703.3828 | Meat Rushmore BBQ | BrewsCue |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 30 | 177.7144 | Gettin' Basted | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 12 | 349.7028 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 28 | 703.9544 | JANKY LEG BBQ | FAIRWAY SMOKERS |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 20 | 178.8572 | SWINE-O-LICIOUS BBQ | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 36 | 702.7884 | Shiggin aint easy | GETTIN' BASTED |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 10 | 346.2284 | HORMONAL ESCAPE COMPETITION BBQ | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron, MO | 9018 N.E. Highway 69 | 27 | 180 | HESSHOGS4 | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron, MO | 9018 NE Highway 69 | 37 | 713.1200 | TRIPLE H BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron, MO | 9018 NE Highway 69 | 21 | 180 | Too Sauced BBQ | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron, MO | 9018 NE Highway 69 | 16 | 349.6684 | Too Sauced BBQ | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.7028 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 174.8572 | 171.9772 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8572 | 176.5944 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180 | 174.8456 | 173.1084 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.8456 | 164.5944 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4400 | 159.9656 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 702.8572 · median 683.3368
Chicken
25 entries · top 180 · median 170.8572 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8344
Pork
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 172
Brisket
25 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
Backyard Series
Overall
7 entries · top 344.5484 · median 333.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluffy Butt BBQ | |
| 2 | Swine-O-Licious BBQ | |
| 3 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 4 | Ham Squad | |
| 5 | Rucking Fidiculous BBQ | |
| 6 | HESSHOGS | |
| 7 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ |
Chicken
7 entries · top 174.8456 · median 165.0856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluffy Butt BBQ | |
| 2 | Ham Squad | |
| 3 | Rucking Fidiculous BBQ | |
| 4 | HESSHOGS | |
| 5 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 6 | Swine-O-Licious BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ |
Pork Ribs
7 entries · top 175.4400 · median 165.1544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swine-O-Licious BBQ | |
| 2 | Fluffy Butt BBQ | |
| 3 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 4 | Ham Squad | |
| 5 | Rucking Fidiculous BBQ | |
| 6 | HESSHOGS | |
| 7 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ |