Smoke on the Water
2022-10-14 – 2022-10-15 · Topeka, KS · State championship
Reps: CLARA WILLIAMS, JONATHAN B WILLIAMS · Prize money: $5,250.00
Grand Champion: Cow Creek BBQ (701.6688) · 28 teams
Entries
28
4 categories
Top score
701.6688
Winning margin
0.5716
GC over RC
Field average
664.94
median 673.28
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Tightest race
Pork
4.5828 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
682.1600
what a walk cost here
Field spread
113.3944
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,250.00
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 28%
beats 72% of 2715 overall wins in the data
Field strength
1536
avg power rating going in · stronger than 42% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
Thunder Hog BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 14 tracked editions.
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5716 points — closer than 90% of every championship in the data.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🃏 An upset on the books
Cow Creek BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, MAN MEAT BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 31-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
This contest over the years
| Date | Where | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-10-11 | 43 | 687.4516 | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ | |
| 2015-10-09 | 33 | 696.5600 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 2017-05-06 | 26 | 695.9084 | VICTORY SMOKERS | |
| 2018-05-05 | 28 | 693.6684 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 2019-05-04 | Liberty, IN | 26 | 696.5140 | Thunder Hog BBQ |
| 2021-05-01 | Liberty, IN | 27 | 706.2400 | The BBQ Bus |
| 2021-10-15 | Topeka, KS | 25 | 699.3600 | Mad Mutt's BBQ |
| 2022-04-29 | Liberty, IN | 25 | 707.9888 | Thunder Hog BBQ |
| 2022-10-14 ← this one | Topeka, KS | 28 | 701.6688 | Cow Creek BBQ |
| 2023-10-13 | Topeka, KS | 39 | 707.4176 | Slaps BBQ |
| 2024-09-20 | Pine Bluff, AR | 42 | 698.2628 | Kith n Kin |
| 2024-10-11 | Topeka, KS | 31 | 700.5372 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| 2025-10-10 | Topeka, KS | 30 | 703.3828 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ |
| 2026-10-09 | Topeka, KS | — | — | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series — Brisket
28 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.9600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 2 | Boxer Q BBQ | |
| 3 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 4 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 5 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 6 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 7 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 8 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 9 | KC MEAT SWEATS | |
| 10 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 11 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 12 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 13 | BEER DART BBQ | |
| 14 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 15 | 777 BBQ | |
| 16 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 17 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 18 | One Love BBQ | |
| 19 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 20 | Triple Ace's Bbq | |
| 21 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 22 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 23 | Tenderbutts BBQ | |
| 24 | 5280 BBQ | |
| 25 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 26 | DB Que | |
| 27 | Code Red | |
| 28 | TJ's %22 Tarzan & Jane %22 BBQ |
Master Series — Chicken
28 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.1086 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KC MEAT SWEATS | |
| 2 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 3 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 4 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 7 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 8 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 9 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 10 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 11 | BEER DART BBQ | |
| 12 | 777 BBQ | |
| 13 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 14 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 15 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 16 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 17 | DB Que | |
| 18 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 19 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 20 | Boxer Q BBQ | |
| 21 | Tenderbutts BBQ | |
| 22 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 23 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 24 | 5280 BBQ | |
| 25 | Code Red | |
| 26 | One Love BBQ | |
| 27 | Triple Ace's Bbq | |
| 28 | TJ's %22 Tarzan & Jane %22 BBQ |
Master Series — Overall
28 entries · top 701.6688 · median 673.2796
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 2 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 3 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 4 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 7 | Boxer Q BBQ | |
| 8 | KC MEAT SWEATS | |
| 9 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 10 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 11 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 12 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 13 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 14 | 777 BBQ | |
| 15 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 16 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 17 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 18 | One Love BBQ | |
| 19 | BEER DART BBQ | |
| 20 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 21 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 22 | 5280 BBQ | |
| 23 | Triple Ace's Bbq | |
| 24 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 25 | DB Que | |
| 26 | Tenderbutts BBQ | |
| 27 | Code Red | |
| 28 | TJ's %22 Tarzan & Jane %22 BBQ |
Master Series — Pork
28 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 2 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 3 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 4 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 5 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 6 | Boxer Q BBQ | |
| 7 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 8 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 9 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 10 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 11 | One Love BBQ | |
| 12 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 13 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 14 | KC MEAT SWEATS | |
| 15 | TJ's %22 Tarzan & Jane %22 BBQ | |
| 16 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 17 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 18 | 777 BBQ | |
| 19 | 5280 BBQ | |
| 20 | Triple Ace's Bbq | |
| 21 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 22 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 23 | Tenderbutts BBQ | |
| 24 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 25 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 26 | DB Que | |
| 27 | BEER DART BBQ | |
| 28 | Code Red |
Master Series — Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 180.0000 · median 168.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 2 | One Love BBQ | |
| 3 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 4 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 5 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 6 | 777 BBQ | |
| 7 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 8 | Boxer Q BBQ | |
| 9 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 10 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 11 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 12 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 13 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 14 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 15 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 16 | M.T. POCKETS | |
| 17 | KC MEAT SWEATS | |
| 18 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 19 | Triple Ace's Bbq | |
| 20 | 5280 BBQ | |
| 21 | BEER DART BBQ | |
| 22 | Burnt & Ernie | |
| 23 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 24 | DB Que | |
| 25 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 26 | Code Red | |
| 27 | Tenderbutts BBQ | |
| 28 | TJ's %22 Tarzan & Jane %22 BBQ |