A stacked field
1630
average power rating going in
Stronger than 91% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1630 power rating going in — stronger than 91% of every contest tracked.
- top seed Heavy Smoke BBQ (1877)
- 25 rated teams
EffingHAM-JAM 2022
Jul 22–23, 2022 · Effingham, IL · 📍 Washington Street · State championship
Reps: Charlie Brinza, Vicki Peyton · Prize money: $6,000
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. won Grand Champion at the EffingHAM-JAM on July 22, 2022 in Effingham, IL at Washington Street, scoring 697.0628 in a field of 25 teams. TRIPLE H BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6456. Category winners: Chicken — CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. (178.8572); Pork Ribs — FIRST CLASS BBQ (180.0000); Pork — TRIPLE H BBQ (176.0000); Brisket — THUNDER HOG BBQ (178.8572). This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by Janky Leg BBQ.
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.
607.19
median 675.30
697.06 🏆
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 176
- Brisket 178.86
141.06
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
697.0628
Winning margin
3.4172
GC over RC
Field average
668.32
607.19697.06
median 675.30 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
4.5828 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
678.1944
607.19697.06
10th place overall
Field spread
89.8748
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 46%
beats 54% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
55%
16 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.71 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,630
avg power rating going in · stronger than 91% of contests
Storylines (5 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 9 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 5–6: QUE U and CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 7–8: QUE U and BIG BOOTS BBQ tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 8–9: BIG BOOTS BBQ and CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork 5–6 · tie
- Brisket 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 8–9 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 9th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 9th
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
FIRST CLASS BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 177.7144 that had stood across 5 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7144
- across 5 past editions
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.
- FIRST CLASS 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2016 | Effingham, IL | Effingham, IL 62401 | 29 | 694.2400 | ONE2BBQ | EAT MOR BUTT BBQ |
| Jul 28, 2017 | Effingham, IL | Jefferson St | 35 | 694.8572 | Fergolicious BBQ | MAC ATTACK BBQ |
| Jul 27, 2018 | Effingham, IL | Jefferson St | 30 | 685.0856 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | HIGH ON THE HAWG |
| Jul 26, 2019 | Effingham, IL | Washington Street | 26 | 699.9656 | Heavy Smoke STL | JaBs BBQ |
| Jul 23, 2021 | Effingham, IL | Effingham, IL 62401 | 29 | 688.5716 | Janky Leg BBQ | THE BBQ BUS |
| Jul 22, 2022 ← this one | Effingham, IL | Washington Street | 25 | 697.0628 | Continental Barbecue Co. | TRIPLE H BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.2744 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 173.1200 | 171.4056 |
| Pork | 176 | 170.8228 | 168.5372 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 170.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 697.0628 · median 675.3028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | |
| 2 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 3 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 4 | QUE U | |
| 5 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 6 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 7 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 8 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 9 | In Deep Sauce BBQ Team | |
| 10 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 11 | Risky Brisket | |
| 12 | BIG BOOTS BBQ | |
| 13 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 14 | DB BBQ | |
| 15 | SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | |
| 16 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 17 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 18 | Backdraft Cooking Systems | |
| 19 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | |
| 20 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 21 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 23 | TRIPLETS BBQ | |
| 24 | Kickin Ash | |
| 25 | BLOWIN' SMOKE - IL |
Chicken
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | |
| 2 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 3 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 4 | QUE U | |
| 5 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 6 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 7 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 8 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | |
| 9 | BIG BOOTS BBQ | |
| 10 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 11 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 12 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 13 | DB BBQ | |
| 14 | Risky Brisket | |
| 15 | In Deep Sauce BBQ Team | |
| 16 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 17 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 18 | Backdraft Cooking Systems | |
| 19 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 20 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 21 | BLOWIN' SMOKE - IL | |
| 22 | Kickin Ash | |
| 23 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 24 | SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | |
| 25 | TRIPLETS BBQ |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 180 · median 167.3944 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 2 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | |
| 3 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | |
| 4 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 5 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 6 | Risky Brisket | |
| 7 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 8 | DB BBQ | |
| 9 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 10 | SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | |
| 11 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 12 | QUE U | |
| 13 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 14 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG BOOTS BBQ | |
| 16 | TRIPLETS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 18 | Backdraft Cooking Systems | |
| 19 | In Deep Sauce BBQ Team | |
| 20 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 21 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 22 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 23 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 24 | BLOWIN' SMOKE - IL | |
| 25 | Kickin Ash |
Pork
25 entries · top 176 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 2 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 3 | Risky Brisket | |
| 4 | SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | QUE U | |
| 6 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | |
| 7 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 8 | In Deep Sauce BBQ Team | |
| 9 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 10 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 11 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 12 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | Backdraft Cooking Systems | |
| 14 | BIG BOOTS BBQ | |
| 15 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 17 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 18 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 19 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | |
| 20 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 21 | DB BBQ | |
| 22 | Kickin Ash | |
| 23 | TRIPLETS BBQ | |
| 24 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 25 | BLOWIN' SMOKE - IL |
Brisket
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5140
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 2 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 4 | In Deep Sauce BBQ Team | |
| 5 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 6 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 7 | QUE U | |
| 8 | BIG BOOTS BBQ | |
| 9 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | |
| 10 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 11 | TWISTED SMOKE ADC | |
| 12 | SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | |
| 13 | DB BBQ | |
| 14 | Backdraft Cooking Systems | |
| 15 | MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ | |
| 16 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 17 | Risky Brisket | |
| 18 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 19 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 20 | HIGH ON THE HAWG | |
| 21 | SMOKIN WINE-O'S | |
| 22 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | |
| 23 | Kickin Ash | |
| 24 | TRIPLETS BBQ | |
| 25 | BLOWIN' SMOKE - IL |