Best Dam Barbeque
2023-05-26 – 2023-05-27 · Boulder City, NV · 📍 Boulder City, NV 89005 · State championship
Reps: KATHLEEN MCINTOSH, KELLY MCINTOSH · Prize money: $8,500.00
Grand Champion: Stevo's BBQ (711.4056) · 27 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Rhythm n QUE
Entries
27
4 judged meats
Top score
711.4056
Winning margin
6.8572
GC over RC
Field average
672.43
median 676.43
Tightest race
Pork
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
688.4684
10th place overall
Field spread
116.2400
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,500.00
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 4%
beats 96% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
74%
of the 27 teams with a home region came from outside NV
Came back for more
42%
11 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.81 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1555
avg power rating going in · stronger than 61% of contests
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
STEVO'S BBQ took the Grand Championship home to UT.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 2–3: Rhythm n QUE and STEVO'S BBQ TEAM tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Meat Candy Q and BAD BOYZ BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Big Johns BBQ Company and GIRLS CAN GRILL tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE (won 2018), Girls Can Grill (won 2022).
🃏 An upset on the books
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 13-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
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-25 | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 30 | 693.1316 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 2022-05-27 | Boulder City, NV | 999 Colorado Street | 26 | 698.2516 | Girls Can Grill | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| 2023-05-26 ← this one | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 27 | 711.4056 | Stevo's BBQ | Rhythm n QUE |
| 2024-05-24 | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 33 | 695.3600 | Porterhouse BBQ | BURNIN AND LOOTIN |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 175.4172 | 174.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 175.4172 | 170.3200 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 175.4056 |
| Brisket | 180.0000 | 174.2628 | 172.5600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 711.4056 · median 676.4340
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 3 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 9 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | Your Behind BBQ | |
| 11 | ALL ABOUT SMOKIN Q | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 13 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 15 | Roughhouse Barbecue | |
| 16 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 17 | Wood N Coals BBQ | |
| 18 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | RED EYED SMOKERS | |
| 20 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 21 | Fox Smokehouse BBQ | |
| 22 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 23 | Roy Family BBQ | |
| 24 | ALL UP IN MY GRILL | |
| 25 | Jay Miller and the Experience | |
| 26 | SmoKeto | |
| 27 | Rue-Do BBQ |
Chicken
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 169.6912
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your Behind BBQ | |
| 2 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 3 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 5 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 7 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 9 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 10 | Fox Smokehouse BBQ | |
| 11 | ALL ABOUT SMOKIN Q | |
| 12 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | |
| 13 | Roughhouse Barbecue | |
| 14 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 15 | Wood N Coals BBQ | |
| 16 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 17 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 18 | RED EYED SMOKERS | |
| 19 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 20 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 21 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 22 | Roy Family BBQ | |
| 23 | SmoKeto | |
| 24 | Jay Miller and the Experience | |
| 25 | ALL UP IN MY GRILL | |
| 26 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 27 | Rue-Do BBQ |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 2 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 3 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 4 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 5 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 7 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | |
| 8 | ALL ABOUT SMOKIN Q | |
| 9 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 10 | RED EYED SMOKERS | |
| 11 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 12 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 13 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 15 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 16 | Wood N Coals BBQ | |
| 17 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 18 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 19 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 20 | ALL UP IN MY GRILL | |
| 21 | Roughhouse Barbecue | |
| 22 | Your Behind BBQ | |
| 23 | Fox Smokehouse BBQ | |
| 24 | Roy Family BBQ | |
| 25 | Jay Miller and the Experience | |
| 26 | Rue-Do BBQ | |
| 27 | SmoKeto |
Pork
27 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.7372 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 3 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 7 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 8 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 9 | Roughhouse Barbecue | |
| 10 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 11 | Your Behind BBQ | |
| 12 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 13 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 14 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 15 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 16 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 17 | Fox Smokehouse BBQ | |
| 18 | ALL ABOUT SMOKIN Q | |
| 19 | Wood N Coals BBQ | |
| 20 | RED EYED SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Rue-Do BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 23 | Jay Miller and the Experience | |
| 24 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | SmoKeto | |
| 26 | ALL UP IN MY GRILL | |
| 27 | Roy Family BBQ |
Brisket
27 entries · top 180.0000 · median 166.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAD BOYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 7 | ALL ABOUT SMOKIN Q | |
| 8 | Your Behind BBQ | |
| 9 | VEGAS GRILLBILLIES | |
| 10 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 11 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 13 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 14 | PHIL THE GRILL | |
| 15 | Roughhouse Barbecue | |
| 16 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 17 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | |
| 18 | Wood N Coals BBQ | |
| 19 | SmoKeto | |
| 20 | RED EYED SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Roy Family BBQ | |
| 22 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 23 | ALL UP IN MY GRILL | |
| 24 | Jay Miller and the Experience | |
| 25 | The Smokin' B.A.R. | |
| 26 | Fox Smokehouse BBQ | |
| 27 | Rue-Do BBQ |