A new contest record
711.4056
highest overall ever cooked here
711.4056 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 698.2516 Girls Can Grill set in 2022.
- old record 698.2516
- set 2022 by Girls Can Grill
Best Dam Barbeque 2023
May 26–27, 2023 · Boulder City, NV · State championship
Reps: Kathleen McIntosh, Kelly McIntosh · Prize money: $8,500
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM won Grand Champion at the Best Dam Barbeque on May 26, 2023 in Boulder City, NV, scoring 711.4056 in a field of 27 teams. Rhythm n QUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 704.5484. Category winners: Chicken — Your Behind BBQ (178.2972); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — BAD BOYZ BBQ (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Girls Can Grill; 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.
595.17
median 676.43
711.41 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 178.30
- Brisket 180 🔥
138.77
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
3 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
711.4056
Winning margin
6.8572
GC over RC
Field average
672.43
595.17711.41
median 676.43 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.8800 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
688.4684
595.17711.41
10th place overall
Field spread
116.2400
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,500
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 2%
beats 98% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
42%
11 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.79 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,611
avg power rating going in · stronger than 83% of contests
Storylines (7 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
10-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 90 times in 100
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 10-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1601
- top seed 1981
Won without a category win
3 of 3
meats called to the stage
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 3 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Brisket 3rd
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
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.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
BAD BOYZ BBQ turned in 180.0000 in brisket — 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: SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE (won 2018), Girls Can Grill (won 2022).
- SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE · 2018
- Girls Can Grill · 2022
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.
- BAD BOYZ BBQ · Brisket
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 25, 2018 | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 30 | 693.1316 | SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| May 27, 2022 | Boulder City, NV | 999 Colorado Street | 26 | 698.2516 | Girls Can Grill | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| May 26, 2023 ← this one | Boulder City, NV | Boulder City, NV 89005 | 27 | 711.4056 | Stevo's BBQ | Rhythm n QUE |
| May 24, 2024 | 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 |
| Brisket | 180 | 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 |
Brisket
27 entries · top 180 · 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 |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Master Series — Pork Shoulder
27 entries · top 180 · 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 |