A statement win
10.2852
points clear of the field
Wider than 88% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.2852 points — a wider margin than 88% of championships in the data.
Smoke on the Ohio 2023
Sep 8–9, 2023 · Mt. Vernon, IN · 📍 Riverbend Park · State championship
Reps: Debra Gage, William Gage · Prize money: $9,000
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Ohio on September 8, 2023 in Mt. Vernon, IN at Riverbend Park, scoring 709.6684 in a field of 25 teams. DB BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.3832. Category winners: Chicken — DB BBQ (176.5600); Pork Ribs — DB BBQ (177.7144); Pork — SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS (180.0000); Brisket — Bunnysbuttsmokers (180.0000). This is the 6th of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Local Yokels; 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.
582.59
median 669.54
709.67 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.56
- Pork Ribs 177.71
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
122.14
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
709.6684
Winning margin
10.2852
GC over RC
Field average
664.29
582.59709.67
median 669.54 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Tightest race
Brisket
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.9084
582.59709.67
10th place overall
Field spread
127.0740
winner to last place
Prize money
$9,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 4%
beats 96% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
75%
9 of 12 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.58 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,535
avg power rating going in · stronger than 26% of contests
Storylines (8 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.
A day of perfect scores
4
perfect 180s
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Bunnysbuttsmokers · Brisket
- POOH BEAR BBQ · Brisket
- SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS · Brisket
A dynasty in the making
3×
wins at this contest
3 of 9 tracked editions
Scuffletown Smokers has won this contest 3 times across its 9 tracked editions.
- 2019
- 2023
- 2026
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 6–7: SmokinGhost BBQ and ABICUE tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: TEMPTATION STATION and PoCo Porkers tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: LOCAL YOKELS BBQ and SmokinGhost BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
DB BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 4th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: LOCAL YOKELS BBQ (won 2018), Scuffletown Smokers (won 2019).
- LOCAL YOKELS BBQ · 2018
- Scuffletown Smokers · 2019
They keep coming back
75%
of last edition’s field returned
9 of 12 teams from 2022-09-09 came back
9 of the 12 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2017 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 29 | 693.0856 | FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE | GRUMPY GOOSE BBQ |
| Sep 7, 2018 | Mt.Vernon, IN | Water St | 28 | 701.0856 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2019 | Mt.Vernon, IN | 1 Locust | 28 | 701.1088 | Scuffletown Smokers | ONE2BBQ |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Mt. Vernon, IN | 110 East Water St. | 16 | 702.2400 | Local Yokels | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 12 | 716 | Local Yokels | DB BBQ |
| Sep 8, 2023 ← this one | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 25 | 709.6684 | Scuffletown Smokers | DB BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 28 | 703.9428 | Mulkey's BBQ | JaBs BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Mt. Vernon, IN | Riverbend Park | 27 | 709.1428 | JaBs | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Mt. Vernon, IN | 1817 Glen Eagles Dr. | 26 | 708 | Scuffletown Smokers | Mulkey's BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 171.9772 | 169.1428 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 172.5716 | 169.6916 |
| Pork | 180 | 173.1200 | 170.2972 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 709.6684 · median 669.5424
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 2 | DB BBQ | |
| 3 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 5 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 6 | BONPAS BOTTOMS BBQ | |
| 7 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 8 | BIG RACK SMOKERS | |
| 9 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 10 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 11 | Bunnysbuttsmokers | |
| 12 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 13 | Smoke N Hope | |
| 14 | Powells Pig Pile BBQ | |
| 15 | ABICUE | |
| 16 | Mac Daddys BBQ | |
| 17 | Wild Cherry BBQ | |
| 18 | Kentucky Kookers | |
| 19 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 20 | W.Oink.C | |
| 21 | Zillas Bbq | |
| 22 | Global Smokers | |
| 23 | Gpas Pub | |
| 24 | WHITE WOLF SMOKERS | |
| 25 | My Three Sons Bbq |
Chicken
25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ | |
| 2 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 3 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | BIG RACK SMOKERS | |
| 5 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 6 | Smoke N Hope | |
| 7 | Zillas Bbq | |
| 8 | BONPAS BOTTOMS BBQ | |
| 9 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 10 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 11 | Powells Pig Pile BBQ | |
| 12 | W.Oink.C | |
| 13 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 14 | Kentucky Kookers | |
| 15 | Mac Daddys BBQ | |
| 16 | WHITE WOLF SMOKERS | |
| 17 | Bunnysbuttsmokers | |
| 18 | Wild Cherry BBQ | |
| 19 | ABICUE | |
| 20 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 21 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 22 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 23 | My Three Sons Bbq | |
| 24 | Gpas Pub | |
| 25 | Global Smokers |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ | |
| 2 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 3 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 4 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 5 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 6 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 7 | ABICUE | |
| 8 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 9 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 10 | BONPAS BOTTOMS BBQ | |
| 11 | Bunnysbuttsmokers | |
| 12 | BIG RACK SMOKERS | |
| 13 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 14 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 15 | W.Oink.C | |
| 16 | Powells Pig Pile BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoke N Hope | |
| 18 | Kentucky Kookers | |
| 19 | Global Smokers | |
| 20 | Zillas Bbq | |
| 21 | Wild Cherry BBQ | |
| 22 | Gpas Pub | |
| 23 | WHITE WOLF SMOKERS | |
| 24 | Mac Daddys BBQ | |
| 25 | My Three Sons Bbq |
Pork
25 entries · top 180 · median 168.5488 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 2 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 3 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 4 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 5 | Global Smokers | |
| 6 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 7 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 8 | Powells Pig Pile BBQ | |
| 9 | Mac Daddys BBQ | |
| 10 | W.Oink.C | |
| 11 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 12 | BONPAS BOTTOMS BBQ | |
| 13 | DB BBQ | |
| 14 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG RACK SMOKERS | |
| 16 | ABICUE | |
| 17 | Smoke N Hope | |
| 18 | Bunnysbuttsmokers | |
| 19 | Zillas Bbq | |
| 20 | Wild Cherry BBQ | |
| 21 | Gpas Pub | |
| 22 | Kentucky Kookers | |
| 23 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 24 | My Three Sons Bbq | |
| 25 | WHITE WOLF SMOKERS |
Brisket
25 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bunnysbuttsmokers | |
| 2 | POOH BEAR BBQ | |
| 3 | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | |
| 4 | BONPAS BOTTOMS BBQ | |
| 5 | Wild Cherry BBQ | |
| 6 | DB BBQ | |
| 7 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 8 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 9 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 10 | BIG RACK SMOKERS | |
| 11 | Hickory Pit Stop | |
| 12 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 13 | Smoke N Hope | |
| 14 | Kentucky Kookers | |
| 15 | Mac Daddys BBQ | |
| 16 | Powells Pig Pile BBQ | |
| 17 | PoCo Porkers | |
| 18 | ABICUE | |
| 19 | Gpas Pub | |
| 20 | TEMPTATION STATION | |
| 21 | Zillas Bbq | |
| 22 | Global Smokers | |
| 23 | W.Oink.C | |
| 24 | WHITE WOLF SMOKERS | |
| 25 | My Three Sons Bbq |