A new contest record
713.7144
highest overall ever cooked here
713.7144 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 706.2284 Big Poppa Smokers set in 2021.
- old record 706.2284
- set 2021 by Big Poppa Smokers
BBQ, Boots & Brew 2023
Apr 28–29, 2023 · Perris, CA · 📍 2201 South · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $8,000
Meat Candy Q won Grand Champion at the BBQ, Boots & Brew on April 28, 2023 in Perris, CA at 2201 South, scoring 713.7144 in a field of 33 teams. Colorado Bulldawg BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 704.5372. Category winners: Chicken — Rhythm n QUE (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Meat Candy Q (178.8572); Pork — LADY OF Q (180.0000); Brisket — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Meat Candy Q; the next was held in 2024.
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.
616.88
median 677.03
713.71 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.70
- Pork Ribs 178.86
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
135.90
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2025 — this edition picked out.
Entries
33
4 judged meats
Top score
713.7144
Winning margin
9.1772
GC over RC
Field average
673.40
616.88713.71
median 677.03 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
1.1428 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
694.2172
616.88713.71
10th place overall
Field spread
96.8344
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,000
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
41%
12 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.71 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,581
avg power rating going in · stronger than 64% of contests
Storylines (11 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.
An upset on the books
29-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
Meat Candy Q came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1797
- top seed 1950
Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Meat Candy Q won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2022
- 2023
A statement win
9.1772
points clear of the field
Wider than 85% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.1772 points — a wider margin than 85% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 5 tracked editions
Meat Candy Q has won this contest 2 times across its 5 tracked editions.
- 2022
- 2023
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: Rhythm n QUE and Meat Candy Q tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: SMOKE HOUND BBQ and GIRLS CAN GRILL tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: Two Brothers Barbeque and Colorado Bulldawg BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Meat Candy Q took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 2nd.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
LADY OF Q turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8572
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Big Poppa Smokers (won 2021), Meat Candy Q (won 2022).
- Big Poppa Smokers · 2021
- Meat Candy Q · 2022
The biggest field yet
33
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 27 teams
33 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 27.
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- BIG POPPA SMOKERS · Brisket
- LADY OF Q · Pork
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2021 | Perris, CA | 2201 S A Street | 25 | 706.2284 | Big Poppa Smokers | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Perris, CA | 2201 S A Street | 29 | 702.2512 | Meat Candy Q | PROUD SOULS BARBECUE |
| Apr 28, 2023 ← this one | Perris, CA | 2201 South | 33 | 713.7144 | Meat Candy Q | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Perris, CA | 2201 South | 39 | 705.6800 | Rhythm 'N Que | Meat Candy Q |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Perris, CA | 2201 South A Street | 26 | 695.9544 | Porterhouse BBQ | B' MACKIN BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 176.5600 | 174.2972 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 177.7028 | 173.1200 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.7028 | 174.2744 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4172 | 173.1084 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 713.7144 · median 677.0284
Chicken
33 entries · top 177.7028 · median 173.1200
Pork Ribs
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
Pork
33 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
33 entries · top 180 · median 167.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180