SaucyRossyBBQ KCBS Helper

← The latest edition · The 2019 season page

The annual edition

Every sanctioned contest scored in 2019.

Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests

The Smoke Ring

Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record

The Index

Annual edition Tuesday, December 31, 2019 Price: One Coffee

The 2019 Season in Review

430 contests scored
6,888 teams competing
714.8572 top score, out of 720 Fat&Dumb BBQ
16,152 team entries
292 different Grand Champions
155 first-time winners
209 won exactly once
304 perfect 180s
17,773 top-ten calls
2,619 new teams
48.4% of last year’s teams came back
468 biggest field
35 average field
693.86 average winning score
660.06 lowest winning score
5.21 average winning margin
2 settled by tiebreaker
54 states & provinces
19 countries
321 state championships
7 invitationals
114 reps at the table
2.3 contests per team
$3,095K in published purses
4 cancelled

Team of the Year

B-S BBQ OUTLAWS Is 2019 Team of the Year

2,774 points to top the KCBS Master Series standings, ahead of BIG RAZ BBQ.

By The Smoke Ring Staff

2,774
Master Series Team of the Year points

B-S BBQ OUTLAWS finished 2019 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,774 points, with BIG RAZ BBQ second.

Across 2019, 430 sanctioned contests were scored, across 54 states and provinces, drawing 6,888 teams to the turn-in table. Judges made 17,773 top-ten calls and handed out 304 perfect 180s. 2,619 teams appear in the record for the first time. The top tens run on B1.

  • Chicken: WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ
  • Pork Ribs: ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN
  • Pork: BIG RAZ BBQ
  • Brisket: B-S BBQ OUTLAWS
Section ATeam of the YearA2

The KCBS points race, exactly as the Society publishes it. The official standings →

Master Series

  1. 1 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS 2,774
  2. 2 BIG RAZ BBQ 2,719
  3. 3 GETTIN' BASTED 2,718
  4. 4 IQ - NETHERLANDS 2,697
  5. 5 Under the Radar 2,695
  6. 6 Burnin and Lootin 2,690
  7. 7 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ 2,688
  8. 8 CLARK CREW BBQ 2,685
  9. 9 SLAPS BBQ 2,666
  10. 10 MAN MEAT BBQ 2,656

Category Teams of the Year: Chicken — WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ; Pork Ribs — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN; Pork — BIG RAZ BBQ; Brisket — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS.

Section AThe Year in BriefA3

By invitation only

Mudville BBQ Wins the American Royal Invitational

Best of 135 invited teams, with GETTIN' BASTED in reserve — a win for the record book that leaves the power rating alone.

135 invited teams, one Grand Champion

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Mudville BBQ won 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST, best of 135 invited teams; GETTIN' BASTED took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.

  • top score 706.2516
  • 7 invitationals in 2019
  • not in the power rating

Score of the year

Fat&Dumb BBQ Turns In the Year’s Best Card

714.8572 out of 720 at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship — the highest Master overall scored in 2019.

714.8572 Master overall, out of 720

SHAWNEE, Kan. — Fat&Dumb BBQ put up 714.8572 at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship — the highest overall of the year.

Hottest hand

16 Grand Championships in 2019 for BOOMERANG BBQ

Nobody else in the field ran a hotter hand.

16× Grand Championships

BOOMERANG BBQ took 16 Grand Championships in 2019.

They will not let it go

Three Straight at Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival for B-S BBQ OUTLAWS

Every edition of Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival since 2017 has gone the same way.

3 in a row wins at this contest

WORLAND, Wyo. — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS won Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival again — 3 straight editions of this contest.

  • 2017–2019
  • field of 30

First one ever

PUREBBQ Wins Its First, on the 58th Try

A first Grand Championship at Open Polish BBQ Championship, after 58 contests in the record.

58th contest — and their first GC

POLAND, — PUREBBQ won their first Grand Championship at Open Polish BBQ Championship, in their 58th contest in the data.

  • 13 Sep

Upset of the year

The Long Shot Comes In at BBQ, Bikes and Blues

The ratings gave Hickory Stick BBQ a 5% chance, with SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ the team to beat.

5-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

WASHINGTON, Mo. — Hickory Stick BBQ won BBQ, Bikes and Blues over top-rated SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ as the ratings underdog.

Also in 2019

Judges Hand Out 304 Perfect 180s

Six judges, every card a 9: 304 perfect 180s were handed out in 2019.

Decided by 0.0000 of a Point

The Pig's Pajamas edged SMELLAQUE by 0.0000 at Capital BBQ Festival.

HISTORIC BBQ Back on Top After Five Years

HISTORIC BBQ won Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival — their first Grand Championship since June 2014, after 68 contests without one.

HOT WACHULA'S Sets the Record at I Love Barbecue & Music Festival

HOT WACHULA'S put up 677.1540 at I Love Barbecue & Music Festival — the best overall in 7 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 669.7028.

Fat&Dumb BBQ Takes Three of Four Meats at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship

Fat&Dumb BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (chicken, pork and brisket), and the Grand Championship with them.

Sweet Cheeks BBQ Climbs 175 Rating Points

Sweet Cheeks BBQ gained 175 rating points across 19 contests — the biggest climb of the year.

155 Teams Win Their First Grand Championship

155 teams won their first Grand Championship on record in 2019 — the biggest of them Boom Chicka Cow Cow at 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST, against 468 teams.

BOOMERANG BBQ Collects Twelve Perfect 180s

BOOMERANG BBQ turned in 12 perfect 180s in 2019, the most of any team.

319 State Champions Crowned

319 state championships were decided in 2019. The biggest, 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST (468 teams), went to RIO Valley Meat BBQ.

PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q Leads the Class of 2019

PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q cooked their first contest on record in 2019 and won 3 Grand Championships — the best season of 2,619 new teams.

Nobody Was Steadier Than SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ finished ahead of 92% of the field on average across 19 Master contests in 2019 — the steadiest season of anyone with 10 or more.

Sweet Cheeks BBQ Tops the Backyard Board at Mission Q (Backyard Only)

Sweet Cheeks BBQ put up 359.4400 on the Backyard board at Mission Q (Backyard Only) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.

FROZEN TOQUE BBQ Runs Away With Battle River BBQ Showdown

FROZEN TOQUE BBQ won Battle River BBQ Showdown by 26.9260 points over ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS — the widest winning margin of the year.

Brisket Was the Hardest Meat of 2019

Brisket was the hardest meat to score in 2019: it averaged 162.22, against 164.47 for chicken.

468 Teams Roll Into Kansas City

40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST drew 468 teams, and RIO Valley Meat BBQ won it.

430 Contests, Down 3% on 2018

430 contests were scored in 2019, down from 443 in 2018.

GETTIN' BASTED Cooks Its 250th Contest

GETTIN' BASTED cooked their 250th contest on record at 8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 2), with 40 Grand Championships along the way.

It Took 693.86 to Win This Year

A Master Series win took an average of 693.86 in 2019, up 1.26 on 692.60 in 2018.

Nobody Hauled Further Than B-S BBQ OUTLAWS

B-S BBQ OUTLAWS cooked 46 contests in 2019 — nobody hauled the rig further.

Rio Valley Meat BBQ Wins American Royal World Series of Barbecue- Open Contest Without Winning a Meat

Rio Valley Meat BBQ won 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 8th.

A New Contest Opens in Kansas City

40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST ran for the first time on record, drawing 468 teams, and RIO Valley Meat BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.

THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ Takes Reserve Five Times

THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ finished second overall 5 times in 2019 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.

17 Contests on One Friday

17 sanctioned contests were cooked on 26 Apr alone.

Kansas Hosts 32 Contests, More Than Anywhere

Kansas held 32 contests in 2019, more than anywhere else, with an average field of 63.

May Was the Busiest Month, With 68 Contests

May 2019 was the busiest month of 2019: 68 contests scored and 1,911 teams cooking. Read the May 2019 edition.

Carol Bigler Works 18 Contests

Carol Bigler repped 18 contests in 2019 — somebody has to run the table.

Section ABy InvitationA4

Every invitational of 2019. Invite-only fields: their results go into every team’s record, and they don’t move the power rating.

The invitational circuit → · every invitational on record, who keeps getting invited, and who wins them.

Section AFirsts & RookiesA5

First Grand Championships 155 teams won one for the first time on record — the 24 biggest fields shown

  1. Boom Chicka Cow Cow 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST Sep 12 · 468 teams
  2. TEXAS WARPIG BBQ Humble Rodeo and BBQ Feb 1 · 126 teams
  3. Heavy Smoke BBQ KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship Feb 8 · 92 teams
  4. Smokin Gringos BBQ SC Festival of Discovery Jul 12 · 83 teams
  5. SMOKED OUT BBQ Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 Mar 22 · 74 teams
  6. SMOKECRAFT - MD New Holland Summer Fest Aug 23 · 65 teams
  7. MAN MEAT BBQ Qlathe BBQ Championship Mar 15 · 64 teams
  8. Rocket BBQ Boo-B-Que Oct 18 · 63 teams
  9. ZIPS BBQ Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Mar 1 · 62 teams
  10. Texas-car-b-que Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Apr 5 · 61 teams
  11. Accutech BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival Jan 25 · 58 teams
  12. UNCLE JOHNS PRIDE Lakeland Pig Festival Jan 25 · 58 teams
  13. SchwonnyQue Minnesota in May May 10 · 57 teams
  14. T-N-T Que Crew Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival May 3 · 56 teams
  15. PORKY'S PIT CREW 26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge Jun 14 · 55 teams
  16. THREE CROSSES BBQ Interstate BBQ Festival Apr 19 · 54 teams
  17. Uncle Redstone The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ May 3 · 54 teams
  18. Texas Smoke Whisper San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ Aug 2 · 54 teams
  19. HEATH RILES BBQ Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off Sep 20 · 54 teams
  20. SWEET & SAVORY BBQ Smoke in the Grove Jul 26 · 53 teams
  21. YORK COUNTY SHERIFF Smoke in the Grove Jul 26 · 53 teams
  22. RIBS WITHIN Hudson Valley Ribfest Aug 16 · 53 teams
  23. NECTAR OF THE HOGS Big Island BBQ Aug 23 · 50 teams
  24. Fat&Dumb BBQ Smoke on the Bricks May 31 · 49 teams

The Rookie Class Teams whose first contest on record came in 2019 — 2,619 of them

The whole class of 2019 →

Section BThe Top TensB1

24 standings from the 2019 season. Grand Championships count once per contest; overall scores are ranked only against their own board’s scale.

Highest Scores

Master overall, out of 720

  1. 1 Fat&Dumb BBQShawnee Great Grillers State Championship 714.8572
  2. 2 MAN MEAT BBQGrasshopper '19 713.7372
  3. 3 LA PASADITASmokin On The Pecos (Day 2) 709.7256
  4. 4 Burnin and Lootin8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 709.1428
  5. 5 AMERICAN FIRE BBQWest Bottoms BBQ Contest 709.1200
  6. 6 BOOMERANG BBQBBQ and Fly In on the River 708.5372
  7. 7 GETTIN' BASTEDInternational Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest-SMOKIN IN THE GOAT PEN 708.5372
  8. 8 BIG POPPA SMOKERSClayton BBQ Cook-off 708.0344
  9. 9 GREY STREET BBQPigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 708.0116
  10. 10 Rio Valley Meat BBQMark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) 707.9884

Most Grand Championships

Contests won, counted once per contest

  1. 1 BOOMERANG BBQ43 contests · 38 top tens 16
  2. 2 CLARK CREW BBQ25 contests · 21 top tens 9
  3. 3 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS46 contests · 30 top tens 8
  4. 4 Heavy Smoke BBQ19 contests · 16 top tens 7
  5. 5 IQ - NETHERLANDS19 contests · 17 top tens 7
  6. 6 Sweet Cheeks BBQ21 contests · 17 top tens 7
  7. 7 BUNCH OF SWINES22 contests · 17 top tens 7
  8. 8 Under the Radar25 contests · 23 top tens 7
  9. 9 RAZORRACKS28 contests · 21 top tens 7
  10. 10 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ33 contests · 26 top tens 7

Most Reserve Championships

Second overall

  1. 1 SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ2 GCs · 21 contests 7
  2. 2 4 LEGS UP BBQ3 GCs · 36 contests 7
  3. 3 UNCLE TONY'S COCKNEY Q1 GC · 21 contests 6
  4. 4 White Squirrel BBQ4 GCs · 27 contests 6
  5. 5 DIRT ROAD BBQ3 GCs · 29 contests 6
  6. 6 MAN MEAT BBQ4 GCs · 32 contests 6
  7. 7 IQ - NETHERLANDS7 GCs · 19 contests 5
  8. 8 PADDY MCQ'S1 GC · 20 contests 5
  9. 9 WHO CARES BBQ3 GCs · 20 contests 5
  10. 10 THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ0 GCs · 21 contests 5

Most Top-Ten Finishes

Top ten overall

  1. 1 BOOMERANG BBQof 43 contests 38
  2. 2 B-S BBQ OUTLAWSof 46 contests 30
  3. 3 4 LEGS UP BBQof 36 contests 28
  4. 4 MAN MEAT BBQof 32 contests 26
  5. 5 SLAPS BBQof 32 contests 26
  6. 6 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQof 33 contests 26
  7. 7 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKEof 29 contests 25
  8. 8 GETTIN' BASTEDof 32 contests 24
  9. 9 Under the Radarof 25 contests 23
  10. 10 DIRT ROAD BBQof 29 contests 23

Most Calls

Top-ten finishes in the four meats

  1. 1 BOOMERANG BBQ43 contests 107
  2. 2 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS46 contests 99
  3. 3 White Squirrel BBQ27 contests 81
  4. 4 GETTIN' BASTED32 contests 81
  5. 5 SLAPS BBQ32 contests 81
  6. 6 MAN MEAT BBQ32 contests 80
  7. 7 BIG RAZ BBQ30 contests 79
  8. 8 4 LEGS UP BBQ36 contests 77
  9. 9 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ33 contests 76
  10. 10 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE29 contests 71

Most Category Wins

First place in a meat

  1. 1 BOOMERANG BBQ43 contests 26
  2. 2 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS46 contests 18
  3. 3 BUNCH OF SWINES22 contests 16
  4. 4 GETTIN' BASTED32 contests 15
  5. 5 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ33 contests 15
  6. 6 4 LEGS UP BBQ36 contests 15
  7. 7 BIG RAZ BBQ30 contests 14
  8. 8 White Squirrel BBQ27 contests 13
  9. 9 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN33 contests 13
  10. 10 IQ - NETHERLANDS19 contests 12

Most Perfect 180s

Six judges, every card a nine

  1. 1 BOOMERANG BBQ43 contests 12
  2. 2 CLARK CREW BBQ25 contests 5
  3. 3 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit32 contests 5
  4. 4 Pig-Chicka-Cow-Cow11 contests 4
  5. 5 Rio Valley Meat BBQ18 contests 4
  6. 6 LUCKY'S Q20 contests 4
  7. 7 HAMTOWN SMOKERS21 contests 4
  8. 8 HIGH i QUE21 contests 4
  9. 9 BUNCH OF SWINES22 contests 4
  10. 10 Fat&Dumb BBQ28 contests 4

Best Average Score

Master overall, 8+ contests

  1. 1 CLARK CREW BBQ23 contests 693.46
  2. 2 BOOMERANG BBQ41 contests 692.90
  3. 3 Heavy Smoke BBQ19 contests 692.46
  4. 4 SLAPS BBQ31 contests 691.45
  5. 5 Pig-Chicka-Cow-Cow11 contests 691.37
  6. 6 Rio Valley Meat BBQ18 contests 691.25
  7. 7 GREY STREET BBQ16 contests 690.98
  8. 8 SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ19 contests 690.76
  9. 9 Burnin and Lootin19 contests 690.72
  10. 10 GETTIN' BASTED30 contests 690.44

Most Consistent

Share of the field beaten, 10+ contests

  1. 1 SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ19 contests 92%
  2. 2 Burnin and Lootin19 contests 92%
  3. 3 IQ - NETHERLANDS19 contests 92%
  4. 4 BOOMERANG BBQ41 contests 92%
  5. 5 LUCKY'S Q20 contests 92%
  6. 6 CLARK CREW BBQ23 contests 91%
  7. 7 GREY STREET BBQ16 contests 91%
  8. 8 Heavy Smoke BBQ19 contests 91%
  9. 9 T-N-T Que Crew15 contests 90%
  10. 10 iBQ'n18 contests 90%

Most Contests Cooked

Contests entered

  1. 1 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS8 GCs · 17 states 46
  2. 2 BOOMERANG BBQ16 GCs · 13 states 43
  3. 3 4 LEGS UP BBQ3 GCs · 12 states 36
  4. 4 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ7 GCs · 8 states 33
  5. 5 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN2 GCs · 10 states 33
  6. 6 GETTIN' BASTED6 GCs · 9 states 32
  7. 7 SLAPS BBQ5 GCs · 6 states 32
  8. 8 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit5 GCs · 10 states 32
  9. 9 MAN MEAT BBQ4 GCs · 5 states 32
  10. 10 SMOKE ON THIS2 GCs · 9 states 31

Most States Cooked In

States and provinces

  1. 1 B-S BBQ OUTLAWS46 contests 17
  2. 2 SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA27 contests 16
  3. 3 BOOMERANG BBQ43 contests 13
  4. 4 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ29 contests 13
  5. 5 Rogue Hog BBQ26 contests 13
  6. 6 4 LEGS UP BBQ36 contests 12
  7. 7 BIG RAZ BBQ30 contests 12
  8. 8 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE29 contests 12
  9. 9 MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ25 contests 12
  10. 10 INSANE SWINE BBQ22 contests 12

Biggest Rating Climbs

Power rating gained over the season

  1. 1 Sweet Cheeks BBQ19 rated contests · now #500 +175
  2. 2 MAN MEAT BBQ30 rated contests · now #149 +174
  3. 3 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q17 rated contests · now #241 +160
  4. 4 REDBONES BBQ20 rated contests · now #594 +157
  5. 5 Heavy Smoke BBQ17 rated contests · now #112 +155
  6. 6 SMILIN' DRAGON BBQ19 rated contests · now #451 +150
  7. 7 LEE LA Q21 rated contests · now #260 +137
  8. 8 BIG RAZ BBQ29 rated contests · now #97 +135
  9. 9 Pig-Chicka-Cow-Cow9 rated contests · now #473 +119
  10. 10 T-N-T Que Crew14 rated contests · now #238 +116

Best Rookie Seasons

First contest on record this season

  1. 1 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q17 contests 3 GCs
  2. 2 Big Smoke BBQ Australia6 contests · best 687.35 3 GCs
  3. 3 HELL ON SQUEALS15 contests 2 GCs
  4. 4 Thin Blue Swine12 contests 2 GCs
  5. 5 COOL HAND QUE9 contests · best 679.90 2 GCs
  6. 6 The King and His Q5 contests · best 697.20 2 GCs
  7. 7 Zoni-Q4 contests 2 GCs
  8. 8 THREE CROSSES BBQ2 contests 2 GCs
  9. 9 REDBONES BBQ20 contests 1 GC
  10. 10 PERFECTLY BLENDED19 contests 1 GC

Best Chicken

Out of 180

  1. 1 MASTERS OF FIREW.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest 180.0000
  2. 2 Accutech BBQLakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  3. 3 THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREWBrasstown Valley Resort BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) 180.0000
  4. 4 The SpecialistsKCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 180.0000
  5. 5 TINY E BBQShotgun Fred BBQ Showdown 180.0000
  6. 6 Rio Valley Meat BBQShotgun Fred BBQ Showdown 180.0000
  7. 7 HICKORY AND SPICE BBQThe Smithfield Guinea Pig (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) 180.0000
  8. 8 Hawg FeathersSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  9. 9 Bushmaster BBQMountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 2 180.0000
  10. 10 iBQ'nPigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 180.0000

Best Pork Ribs

Out of 180

  1. 1 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQShotgun Fred BBQ Showdown 180.0000
  2. 2 Organizer PortalBama Q Capital City Cook-Off 180.0000
  3. 3 Smokestack RedemptionMid Atlantic BBQ Expo 180.0000
  4. 4 GREY STREET BBQPigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 180.0000
  5. 5 BLUE CHIP BBQOperation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off 180.0000
  6. 6 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER QFire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) 180.0000
  7. 7 REDBONES BBQFire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) 180.0000
  8. 8 HIGH i QUEVFW Post 846 Battle of the Pits 180.0000
  9. 9 BYO GRILLSmoke In the Springs 180.0000
  10. 10 Thin Blue SwineHigh on the Hog Festival 180.0000

Best Pork

Out of 180

  1. 1 2LiveQThe Golden State Battle 180.0000
  2. 2 SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERSKCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 180.0000
  3. 3 TINY E BBQShotgun Fred BBQ Showdown 180.0000
  4. 4 BALDICUEAustrian BBQ Festival BARBECUE on ICE 180.0000
  5. 5 Uncle Pig's Barbeque PitMid Atlantic BBQ Expo 180.0000
  6. 6 MAN MEAT BBQQlathe BBQ Championship 180.0000
  7. 7 BILLY RAY BBQPigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 180.0000
  8. 8 Carrol Lou's SmokehousePigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 180.0000
  9. 9 4 LEGS UP BBQFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 180.0000
  10. 10 2LiveQ8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 180.0000

Best Brisket

Out of 180

  1. 1 HAMTOWN SMOKERSBrasstown Valley Resort BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) 180.0000
  2. 2 PALMETTO PITMASTERSBrasstown Valley Resort BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) 180.0000
  3. 3 FAT, DRUNK & STUPIDBama Q Capital City Cook-Off 180.0000
  4. 4 BUTCHER BBQFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 180.0000
  5. 5 WeQ4UPigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 180.0000
  6. 6 GOOD SMOKE BBQBBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) 180.0000
  7. 7 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQBBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) 180.0000
  8. 8 FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TXFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 180.0000
  9. 9 B-S BBQ OUTLAWSFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 180.0000
  10. 10 Rio Valley Meat BBQFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 180.0000

Best Backyard Scores

Backyard overall, out of 360

  1. 1 Sweet Cheeks BBQMission Q (Backyard Only) 359.4400
  2. 2 REDBONES BBQFire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) 356.5944
  3. 3 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER QFire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) 356.0000
  4. 4 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER QRoast N Boast 355.4056
  5. 5 Kiss My Rack-3Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1) 354.8572
  6. 6 Thin Blue SwinePoosa-Q 354.2744
  7. 7 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER QElkmont Lions Club Smokin Railroad St. BBQ Cook-off (BACKYARD ONLY) 354.2744
  8. 8 Sweet Cheeks BBQRiverFest 354.2744
  9. 9 ZIPS BBQSmokin' Bike Fest 353.7144
  10. 10 PUCKDADDY'S KILLER QCOTR BBQ 353.7028

Biggest Fields

Teams at one contest

  1. 1 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTESTwon by RIO Valley Meat BBQ 468
  2. 2 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championshipwon by Sublime BBQ 183
  3. 3 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTESTwon by Mudville BBQ 135
  4. 4 Humble Rodeo and BBQwon by War Pig BBQ 126
  5. 5 Smoke In the Springswon by Clark Crew BBQ 104
  6. 6 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championshipwon by Fat & Dumb BBQ 102
  7. 7 31st Annual Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) (COMPETITORS SERIES)won by Clark Crew BBQ 97
  8. 8 KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championshipwon by HEAVY SMOKE STL 92
  9. 9 SC Festival of Discoverywon by SMOKIN' GRINGOS 83
  10. 10 Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1won by Smoked Out BBQ 74

Closest Finishes

Points between first and second

  1. 1 CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQover 3N1 Q · 8th Annual Covington Cork & Pork Festival 0.0112
  2. 2 Burnin and Lootinover BIG POPPA SMOKERS · 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 0.0116
  3. 3 GREY STREET BBQover WHO CARES BBQ · Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival 0.0116
  4. 4 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pitover DRILLING & GRILLING · Interstate BBQ Festival 0.0224
  5. 5 South Porkover Organizer Portal · The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 0.0228
  6. 6 THE BBQ BUSover One2BBQ · BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 0.0228
  7. 7 B-S BBQ OUTLAWSover CLARK CREW BBQ · Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 1 0.0228
  8. 8 Under the Radarover Q-BONES BBQ · Poosa-Q 0.0232
  9. 9 MAN MEAT BBQover 4 LEGS UP BBQ · VFW Post 846 Battle of the Pits 0.0344
  10. 10 DAD'S GRILLIN CREWover THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ · Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship 0.0456

Biggest Winning Margins

Points clear of second

  1. 1 FROZEN TOQUE BBQover ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS · Battle River BBQ Showdown 26.93
  2. 2 CAJUN BLAZEover THE BLUE BLOODS · D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival 25.81
  3. 3 ROKENDE REGAHSover Clean Smoke BBQ · BBQ Battle Finland 25.17
  4. 4 Churras de Patraoover The Storm · The Finals 19.55
  5. 5 Under the Radarover Q-INATOR! · Honeybee BBQ Competition 19.50

Biggest Upsets

The winner’s chance on pre-contest ratings

  1. 1 Hickory Stick BBQBBQ, Bikes and Blues 5%
  2. 2 PORKY'S PIT CREW26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge 6%
  3. 3 SmokinGhost BBQSmokin in the Bogs 6%
  4. 4 The Smoking J'sElk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship 7%
  5. 5 HEATH RILES BBQMurphysboro BBQ Cook Off 8%
  6. 6 Texas Smoke WhisperSan Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ 8%
  7. 7 SMOKED OUT BBQFirelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 8%
  8. 8 TEXAS WARPIG BBQHumble Rodeo and BBQ 8%
  9. 9 Chat N Choo BBQMcGregor Lions Club Barrels & BBQ 8%
  10. 10 Part Time BBQAmerica's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL) 8%

Busiest Reps

Contests worked

  1. 1 Carol Bigler 18
  2. 2 Randy G Bigler 18
  3. 3 Doug Reid 14
  4. 4 Kelly McIntosh 14
  5. 5 Kathleen McIntosh 13
  6. 6 Rusty Cook 12
  7. 7 Alan Rothrock 11
  8. 8 Alex Jr Brown 11
  9. 9 Julie Cook 11
  10. 10 Julie Poe 11

Busiest States

Contests held · average field

  1. 1 Kansasaverage field 63 32
  2. 2 Missouriaverage field 31 31
  3. 3 Alabamaaverage field 26 22
  4. 4 Californiaaverage field 34 21
  5. 5 Georgiaaverage field 36 20
  6. 6 North Carolinaaverage field 33 18
  7. 7 Illinoisaverage field 38 15
  8. 8 Tennesseeaverage field 41 13
  9. 9 Wisconsinaverage field 33 13
  10. 10 Texasaverage field 43 12
Section BMeat by MeatB2

How each meat scored across the season, both series, out of 180.

MeatAverageAvg. winnerEntries180sper 1,000WinnersBest of the year
Chicken 164.47 176.90 15,783 92 5.8 356 MASTERS OF FIRE 180
Pork Ribs 162.99 176 15,822 38 2.4 331 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ 180
Pork 163.90 176.76 14,352 95 6.6 301 2LiveQ 180
Brisket 162.22 176.77 14,409 79 5.5 260 HAMTOWN SMOKERS 180
Section BMonth by MonthB3

Every month of the season. Each has an edition of its own, with every Grand Champion named.

MonthContestsTeamsTop scoreBiggest field180s
January 5 309 700.5028 Accutech BBQ 63 Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 3
February 9 423 704.5256 Rio Valley Meat BBQ 126 Humble Rodeo and BBQ 13
March 23 807 709.1428 Burnin and Lootin 74 Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 27
April 44 1,391 706.2400 CLARK CREW BBQ 104 Smoke In the Springs 35
May 68 1,911 713.7372 MAN MEAT BBQ 72 Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival 44
June 59 1,799 709.7256 LA PASADITA 183 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 31
July 42 1,256 708.0344 BIG POPPA SMOKERS 83 SC Festival of Discovery 25
August 65 1,834 708.5372 BOOMERANG BBQ 68 BBQ and Fly In on the River 31
September 52 1,799 714.8572 Fat&Dumb BBQ 468 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 52
October 45 1,182 707.3828 SLAPS BBQ 97 31st Annual Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) (COMPETITORS SERIES) 34
November 15 393 703.9428 South Pork 47 Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) 8
December 3 120 700.5028 BIG POPPA SMOKERS 44 Arizona National BBQ Stampede 1
Section BThe Year Against the LastB4

2019 set against 2018.

Measure20192018Change
Contests scored 430 443 ▼ 13 (-3%)
Teams competing 6,888 6,971 ▼ 83 (-1%)
Team entries 16,152 15,878 ▲ 274 (2%)
Different Grand Champions 292 232 ▲ 60 (26%)
Average field 34.8 36.6 ▼ 1.8 (-5%)
Biggest field 468 467 ▲ 1 (0%)
Average winning score 693.86 692.60 ▲ 1.26
Top score 714.8572 714.2744 ▲ 0.5828
Perfect 180s 304 288 ▲ 16 (6%)

Notes on the Season from the 2019 season page

  • Jan 11 → Dec 31 Season ran first and last contest on the 2019 calendar
  • 5.21 Average winning margin across 396 Master contests · 2 settled by tiebreaker
  • 17,773 Walks to the stage top-ten calls handed out in the four meats
  • 2,619 New teams first tracked contest anywhere was in 2019
  • 434 Contest series distinct recurring contests on the calendar
  • 17 contests Busiest weekend all on Apr 26, 2019
  • 114 Reps working KCBS reps on the season’s contests
  • Brisket Toughest table lowest average of the four meats at 162.22
  • 16 Outside the rating invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating
  • 4 Cancelled contests that came off the calendar
  • 20 Results still out of 450 contests on the 2019 calendar
Section CBack IssuesC1

Every season in review, and every month with scored results, back to the start of the record. ← 2018 in review 2020 in review → Latest edition

Seasons in review: 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012

2026 316 contests

2025 386 contests

2024 343 contests

2023 376 contests

2022 376 contests

2021 310 contests

2020 134 contests

2019 430 contests

2018 480 contests

2017 517 contests

2016 505 contests

2015 494 contests

2014 469 contests

2013 436 contests

2012 1 contest

The Smoke Ring

Published by the Saucy Rossy KCBS Helper App, a free community tool from Saucy Rossy BBQ. Set by machine from the public contest listings at kcbs.us.

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Corrections

Every figure on this page is computed from published results — no editorial judgement, and no hand entry. The Team of the Year standings are KCBS’s own. Where a name is wrong or a contest is missing, it is wrong at the source or in the match: see About, or Scoring explained.

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The Smoke Ring is not a publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, and has no connection to it beyond reading what KCBS publishes. Every contest here links back to its official page.

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