SaucyRossyBBQ KCBS Helper

← The latest edition · The 2023 season page

The annual edition

Every sanctioned contest scored in 2023.

Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests

The Smoke Ring

Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record

The Index

Annual edition Sunday, December 31, 2023 Price: One Coffee

The 2023 Season in Review

376 contests scored
4,599 teams competing
717.7144 top score, out of 720 Smoked & Furious
11,067 team entries
224 different Grand Champions
86 first-time winners
152 won exactly once
487 perfect 180s
13,434 top-ten calls
1,286 new teams
49.2% of last year’s teams came back
487 biggest field
29 average field
699.80 average winning score
623.98 lowest winning score
4.72 average winning margin
6 settled by tiebreaker
54 states & provinces
16 countries
219 state championships
6 invitationals
95 reps at the table
2.4 contests per team
$2,201K in published purses
38 cancelled

Team of the Year

JANKY LEG BBQ Is 2023 Team of the Year

2,773 points to top the KCBS Master Series standings, ahead of GETTIN' BASTED.

By The Smoke Ring Staff

2,773
Master Series Team of the Year points

JANKY LEG BBQ finished 2023 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,773 points, with GETTIN' BASTED second.

Across 2023, 376 sanctioned contests were scored, across 54 states and provinces, drawing 4,599 teams to the turn-in table. Judges made 13,434 top-ten calls and handed out 487 perfect 180s. 1,286 teams appear in the record for the first time. The top tens run on B1.

  • Chicken: GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ
  • Pork Ribs: GETTIN' BASTED
  • Pork: JANKY LEG BBQ
  • Brisket: GETTIN' BASTED
Section ATeam of the YearA2

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

Master Series

  1. 1 JANKY LEG BBQ 2,773
  2. 2 GETTIN' BASTED 2,763
  3. 3 CHUNKY BBQ 2,690
  4. 4 Under the Radar 2,624
  5. 5 Smoked & Furious 2,604
  6. 6 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 2,546
  7. 7 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ 2,537
  8. 8 Off The Rack BBQ 2,492
  9. 9 Optimus Swine 2,483
  10. 10 Piggin' Whiskey 2,467

Category Teams of the Year: Chicken — GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ; Pork Ribs — GETTIN' BASTED; Pork — JANKY LEG BBQ; Brisket — GETTIN' BASTED.

Section AThe Year in BriefA3

By invitation only

FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY Wins the American Royal Invitational

Best of 211 invited teams, with Damn Fine Beef & Swine in reserve — a win for the record book that leaves the power rating alone.

211 invited teams, one Grand Champion

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest, best of 211 invited teams; Damn Fine Beef & Swine took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.

  • top score 706.8572
  • 6 invitationals in 2023
  • not in the power rating

Score of the year

Smoked & Furious Turns In the Year’s Best Card

717.7144 out of 720 at 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN — the highest Master overall scored in 2023.

717.7144 Master overall, out of 720

MAYETTA, Kan. — Smoked & Furious put up 717.7144 at 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN — the highest overall of the year.

Clean sweep

SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ Sweeps All Four Meats at Ibew So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off

First in chicken, ribs, pork and brisket, and the Grand Championship that goes with it.

4 of 4 meats won at one contest

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ won every meat at IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) — chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.

  • Chicken
  • Pork Ribs
  • Pork
  • Brisket
  • and the GC

Hottest hand

Nine Grand Championships in 2023 for JANKY LEG BBQ

Nobody else in the field ran a hotter hand.

9× Grand Championships

JANKY LEG BBQ took 9 Grand Championships in 2023.

They will not let it go

Three Straight at Green Mountain BBQ Championship - Campground BBQ Series for Smokin' Hoggz

Every edition of Green Mountain BBQ Championship - Campground BBQ Series since 2022 has gone the same way.

3 in a row wins at this contest

BRAINTREE, Vt. — Smokin' Hoggz won Green Mountain BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES again — 3 straight editions of this contest.

  • 2022–2023
  • field of 26

First one ever

TEAM CRAWFORD Wins Its First, on the 72nd Try

A first Grand Championship at Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ, after 72 contests in the record.

72nd contest — and their first GC

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — TEAM CRAWFORD won their first Grand Championship at Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ, in their 72nd contest in the data.

  • 30 Jun

Also in 2023

The Long Shot Comes In at Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life"

BrewsCue won Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" over top-rated SLAPS BBQ as the ratings underdog.

Judges Hand Out 487 Perfect 180s

Six judges, every card a 9: 487 perfect 180s were handed out in 2023.

Decided by 0.0000 of a Point

MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ edged GETTIN' BASTED by 0.0000 at Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1).

Rhythm n QUE Back on Top After Seven Years

Rhythm n QUE won East Helena Smoke Show — their first Grand Championship since July 2016, after 42 contests without one.

JANKY LEG BBQ Sets the Record at Smoke in the Spring

JANKY LEG BBQ put up 707.9772 at Smoke in the Spring — the best overall in 11 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 706.2744.

ONE EYED PIG BBQ Climbs 183 Rating Points

ONE EYED PIG BBQ gained 183 rating points across 18 contests — the biggest climb of the year.

86 Teams Win Their First Grand Championship

86 teams won their first Grand Championship on record in 2023 — the biggest of them Race Crew Drum Smokers at Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff, against 99 teams.

JANKY LEG BBQ Collects 13 Perfect 180s

JANKY LEG BBQ turned in 13 perfect 180s in 2023, the most of any team.

212 State Champions Crowned

212 state championships were decided in 2023. The biggest, American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest (487 teams), went to JANKY LEG BBQ.

Leaning Jowler BBQ Leads the Class of 2023

Leaning Jowler BBQ cooked their first contest on record in 2023 and won 3 Grand Championships — the best season of 1,286 new teams.

Nobody Was Steadier Than TRIPLE H BBQ

TRIPLE H BBQ finished ahead of 89% of the field on average across 16 Master contests in 2023 — the steadiest season of anyone with 10 or more.

Swine-O-licious BBQ Tops the Backyard Board at Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition

Swine-O-licious BBQ put up 357.7144 on the Backyard board at Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.

GETTIN' BASTED Runs Away With BBQ Fest Costa Rica

GETTIN' BASTED won BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2023 by 29.7368 points over BBQ Rebels — the widest winning margin of the year.

Brisket Was the Hardest Meat of 2023

Brisket was the hardest meat to score in 2023: it averaged 165.14, against 167.54 for chicken.

487 Teams Roll Into Kansas City

American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest drew 487 teams, and JANKY LEG BBQ won it.

GETTIN' BASTED Cooks Its 400th Contest

GETTIN' BASTED cooked their 400th contest on record at Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD), with 68 Grand Championships along the way.

It Took 699.80 to Win This Year

A Master Series win took an average of 699.80 in 2023, up 1.41 on 698.39 in 2022.

Nobody Hauled Further Than Colorado Bulldawg BBQ

Colorado Bulldawg BBQ cooked 56 contests in 2023 — nobody hauled the rig further.

JANKY LEG BBQ Wins American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Without Winning a Meat

JANKY LEG BBQ won American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 13th.

A New Contest Opens in Waller

Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff ran for the first time on record, drawing 99 teams, and Race Crew Drum Smokers won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.

Deviant Smoke Takes Reserve Four Times

Deviant Smoke finished second overall 4 times in 2023 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.

13 Contests on One Friday

13 sanctioned contests were cooked on 9 Jun alone.

Kansas Hosts 43 Contests, More Than Anywhere

Kansas held 43 contests in 2023, more than anywhere else, with an average field of 60.

September Was the Busiest Month, With 68 Contests

September 2023 was the busiest month of 2023: 68 contests scored and 1,625 teams cooking. Read the September 2023 edition.

Bunny Tuttle Works 36 Contests

Bunny Tuttle repped 36 contests in 2023 — somebody has to run the table.

Section ABy InvitationA4

Every invitational of 2023. 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 86 teams won one for the first time on record — the 24 biggest fields shown

  1. Race Crew Drum Smokers Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff Sep 8 · 99 teams
  2. CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT! Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Mar 3 · 65 teams
  3. Rack Shack bbq Minnesota in May May 12 · 59 teams
  4. Bentley Que Smoke in the Outfield (BACKYARD) (TEAM REGISTRATION FULL) Aug 4 · 58 teams
  5. Bourbon & Blues BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival Jan 27 · 51 teams
  6. Gold-N-Blue Barbecue Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) Jul 28 · 51 teams
  7. Crossed Rifles BBQ Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships Aug 18 · 48 teams
  8. STEVO'S BBQ TEAM Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 13 · 45 teams
  9. O.G. BANDITS Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) Jun 9 · 44 teams
  10. 3SLUGGZBBQ Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Jun 2 · 43 teams
  11. HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO Marietta River City BBQ Apr 28 · 42 teams
  12. ROLLIN KOLBZ 17th Annual Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off May 12 · 40 teams
  13. Drilling And Grilling BBQ Team Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) Jul 29 · 40 teams
  14. Mini Butts Barbeque on the Bow Festival Sep 2 · 40 teams
  15. Squealin N Dealin BBQ Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) Oct 28 · 40 teams
  16. 2LiveQ Golden State Battle of Indio Nov 17 · 40 teams
  17. WE WILL ROCK QUE Smoke on the Falls Apr 7 · 39 teams
  18. Pittie Q KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off Jul 14 · 39 teams
  19. Big Racks BBQ American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Mar 24 · 37 teams
  20. KC TRIAL LAW WINGS 4 WATER 2023 (COMPETITOR SERIES) Sep 14 · 37 teams
  21. Beefy Bros BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) Apr 21 · 36 teams
  22. IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ McLouth BBQ Blowout 32nd Annual Jun 2 · 36 teams
  23. SWIG-N-PIG Big BBQ Bash Jun 23 · 36 teams
  24. SPEEDY PIG BBQ - OK Que' For a Cause Aug 4 · 36 teams

The Rookie Class Teams whose first contest on record came in 2023 — 1,286 of them

The whole class of 2023 →

Section BThe Top TensB1

24 standings from the 2023 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 Smoked & Furious5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN 717.7144
  2. 2 RAZORRACKSSouthaven Springfest 714.2744
  3. 3 SWIG-N-PIGBig BBQ Bash 714.2628
  4. 4 JANKY LEG BBQ3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 713.7372
  5. 5 Meat Candy QBBQ, Boots & Brew 713.7144
  6. 6 Crossed Rifles BBQRaider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships 713.1660
  7. 7 Smoked & Furious2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest 713.1428
  8. 8 GETTIN' BASTEDNor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 713.1200
  9. 9 JANKY LEG BBQSmokin in the Electric City (Day 2) 712.5600
  10. 10 REDNECK SCIENTIFICJiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 712.5600

Most Grand Championships

Contests won, counted once per contest

  1. 1 JANKY LEG BBQ45 contests · 35 top tens 9
  2. 2 GETTIN' BASTED52 contests · 36 top tens 9
  3. 3 POOR BOYS BBQ22 contests · 17 top tens 6
  4. 4 RAZORRACKS28 contests · 19 top tens 6
  5. 5 CHUNKY BBQ42 contests · 27 top tens 6
  6. 6 Smoked & Furious43 contests · 21 top tens 6
  7. 7 Bourbon & Blues BBQ44 contests · 23 top tens 6
  8. 8 Furlongs Smoke & Seafood17 contests · 8 top tens 5
  9. 9 TRIPLE H BBQ18 contests · 13 top tens 5
  10. 10 Shmack Q24 contests · 16 top tens 5

Most Reserve Championships

Second overall

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTED9 GCs · 52 contests 8
  2. 2 Off The Rack BBQ2 GCs · 41 contests 6
  3. 3 JANKY LEG BBQ9 GCs · 45 contests 6
  4. 4 Gold-N-Blue Barbecue2 GCs · 24 contests 5
  5. 5 Shmack Q5 GCs · 24 contests 5
  6. 6 Under the Radar5 GCs · 30 contests 5
  7. 7 CHUNKY BBQ6 GCs · 42 contests 5
  8. 8 Deviant Smoke0 GCs · 12 contests 4
  9. 9 MACHETE BOYS BBQ0 GCs · 20 contests 4
  10. 10 Smoke This Drink That BBQ3 GCs · 20 contests 4

Most Top-Ten Finishes

Top ten overall

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTEDof 52 contests 36
  2. 2 JANKY LEG BBQof 45 contests 35
  3. 3 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TNof 41 contests 30
  4. 4 Colorado Bulldawg BBQof 56 contests 30
  5. 5 Off The Rack BBQof 41 contests 27
  6. 6 CHUNKY BBQof 42 contests 27
  7. 7 Optimus Swineof 43 contests 26
  8. 8 HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQof 47 contests 26
  9. 9 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pitof 51 contests 26
  10. 10 Under the Radarof 30 contests 25

Most Calls

Top-ten finishes in the four meats

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTED52 contests 116
  2. 2 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ56 contests 101
  3. 3 JANKY LEG BBQ45 contests 99
  4. 4 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit51 contests 98
  5. 5 Off The Rack BBQ41 contests 94
  6. 6 Optimus Swine43 contests 89
  7. 7 CHUNKY BBQ42 contests 88
  8. 8 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN41 contests 86
  9. 9 Under the Radar30 contests 80
  10. 10 SMOKECRAFT - MD44 contests 80

Most Category Wins

First place in a meat

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTED52 contests 22
  2. 2 JANKY LEG BBQ45 contests 18
  3. 3 COOKLOUNGE BBQ21 contests 15
  4. 4 Smoked & Furious43 contests 15
  5. 5 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN41 contests 13
  6. 6 Bushmaster BBQ33 contests 11
  7. 7 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ40 contests 11
  8. 8 Fergolicious BBQ43 contests 11
  9. 9 Bourbon & Blues BBQ44 contests 11
  10. 10 SMOKECRAFT - MD44 contests 11

Most Perfect 180s

Six judges, every card a nine

  1. 1 JANKY LEG BBQ45 contests 13
  2. 2 GETTIN' BASTED52 contests 12
  3. 3 Smoked & Furious43 contests 9
  4. 4 TRIPLE H BBQ18 contests 8
  5. 5 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ40 contests 7
  6. 6 MAN MEAT BBQ45 contests 7
  7. 7 Kith n' Kin21 contests 6
  8. 8 SLAPS BBQ23 contests 6
  9. 9 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN41 contests 6
  10. 10 LOCAL YOKELS BBQ14 contests 5

Best Average Score

Master overall, 8+ contests

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTED44 contests 696.18
  2. 2 JANKY LEG BBQ44 contests 696.04
  3. 3 TRIPLE H BBQ16 contests 695.97
  4. 4 SLAPS BBQ19 contests 695.76
  5. 5 CLARK CREW BBQ13 contests 694.44
  6. 6 ONE EYED PIG BBQ20 contests 693.99
  7. 7 Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ15 contests 693.95
  8. 8 Fine As* Swine BBQ8 contests 693.80
  9. 9 RAZORRACKS26 contests 693.59
  10. 10 Kings BBQ Team11 contests 693.59

Most Consistent

Share of the field beaten, 10+ contests

  1. 1 TRIPLE H BBQ16 contests 89%
  2. 2 BBQ+10 contests 89%
  3. 3 GETTIN' BASTED44 contests 89%
  4. 4 B' Mackin BBQ12 contests 87%
  5. 5 SHIGGIN & GRINNIN18 contests 85%
  6. 6 JANKY LEG BBQ44 contests 85%
  7. 7 GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ10 contests 85%
  8. 8 Under the Radar28 contests 84%
  9. 9 SLAPS BBQ19 contests 84%
  10. 10 HOT DADDY'S BBQ20 contests 83%

Most Contests Cooked

Contests entered

  1. 1 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ4 GCs · 16 states 56
  2. 2 GETTIN' BASTED9 GCs · 15 states 52
  3. 3 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit5 GCs · 14 states 51
  4. 4 HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ1 GC · 13 states 47
  5. 5 JANKY LEG BBQ9 GCs · 13 states 45
  6. 6 MAN MEAT BBQ1 GC · 6 states 45
  7. 7 Bourbon & Blues BBQ6 GCs · 13 states 44
  8. 8 SMOKECRAFT - MD1 GC · 10 states 44
  9. 9 Smoked & Furious6 GCs · 8 states 43
  10. 10 Optimus Swine4 GCs · 10 states 43

Most States Cooked In

States and provinces

  1. 1 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ40 contests 18
  2. 2 Piggin' Whiskey40 contests 18
  3. 3 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ56 contests 16
  4. 4 GETTIN' BASTED52 contests 15
  5. 5 SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA22 contests 15
  6. 6 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit51 contests 14
  7. 7 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN41 contests 14
  8. 8 SmokinGhost BBQ37 contests 14
  9. 9 HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ47 contests 13
  10. 10 JANKY LEG BBQ45 contests 13

Biggest Rating Climbs

Power rating gained over the season

  1. 1 ONE EYED PIG BBQ18 rated contests · now #355 +183
  2. 2 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ44 rated contests · now #99 +179
  3. 3 Smoke This Drink That BBQ15 rated contests · now #267 +173
  4. 4 Bourbon & Blues BBQ33 rated contests · now #1,210 +155
  5. 5 Smoked & Furious31 rated contests · now #183 +153
  6. 6 POOR BOYS BBQ17 rated contests · now #203 +141
  7. 7 Shmack Q18 rated contests · now #510 +138
  8. 8 Glamping Grillers21 rated contests · now #239 +132
  9. 9 Swine 'N' Roses BBQ17 rated contests · now #734 +130
  10. 10 Big Racks BBQ15 rated contests · now #506 +124

Best Rookie Seasons

First contest on record this season

  1. 1 Leaning Jowler BBQ18 contests 3 GCs
  2. 2 Smokey Bey's Barbecue20 contests 1 GC
  3. 3 Aww Shucks BBQ17 contests · best 685.05 1 GC
  4. 4 Rack Shack bbq9 contests 1 GC
  5. 5 Ramblin Fork BBQ Co5 contests · best 687.90 1 GC
  6. 6 Bear's Den BBQ4 contests · best 695.43 1 GC
  7. 7 CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT!3 contests · best 703.97 1 GC
  8. 8 Belen Grill and Chill2 contests · best 670.80 1 GC
  9. 9 Mini Butts2 contests 1 GC
  10. 10 Silver Creek Barbecue2 contests 1 GC

Best Chicken

Out of 180

  1. 1 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQSouthern Sunshine BBQ Fest 180.0000
  2. 2 Westside BBQW.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest 180.0000
  3. 3 BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE QW.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest 180.0000
  4. 4 Bourbon & Blues BBQSip & Swine BBQ Festival 180.0000
  5. 5 Bushmaster BBQBBQ & Brew Fest - Best in the Southwest 180.0000
  6. 6 WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 180.0000
  7. 7 BULL CREEK BBQ5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 180.0000
  8. 8 HOGGY BOTTOM BOYSSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  9. 9 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKEBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  10. 10 MRC_BarbecueBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000

Best Pork Ribs

Out of 180

  1. 1 Uncle Pig's Barbeque PitLakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  2. 2 Cooters N SmokeLakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  3. 3 Bushmaster BBQBBQ & Brew Fest - Best in the Southwest 180.0000
  4. 4 QUE USmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  5. 5 TRIPLE H BBQSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  6. 6 Mispillion Meat WorksBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  7. 7 Petie's Smokin Pits BBQLake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) 180.0000
  8. 8 Smoke Show BBQCedar Fest BBQ Cookoff 180.0000
  9. 9 JANKY LEG BBQSmoke in the Spring 180.0000
  10. 10 HIGH ON THE HAWG11th Annual Bull Moose BBQ 180.0000

Best Pork

Out of 180

  1. 1 Poppa PigSouthern Sunshine BBQ Fest 180.0000
  2. 2 SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MALakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  3. 3 Optimus SwineLakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  4. 4 Kings BBQ TeamBudweiser Smoke on the Water 180.0000
  5. 5 CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT!Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 180.0000
  6. 6 PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  7. 7 TRIPLE H BBQSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  8. 8 LOCAL YOKELS BBQSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  9. 9 SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MABBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  10. 10 THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKEKickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 2) 180.0000

Best Brisket

Out of 180

  1. 1 Smokin' Ain't EZLakeland Pig Festival 180.0000
  2. 2 SMOKIN SKULLIESMission Farm's King of the Farm 180.0000
  3. 3 Bushmaster BBQBBQ & Brew Fest - Best in the Southwest 180.0000
  4. 4 SmokinGhost BBQSmoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 180.0000
  5. 5 JANKY LEG BBQKickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 1) 180.0000
  6. 6 MUTTLEY CREW BBQBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  7. 7 SMOKIN SKULLIESBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  8. 8 SMOKECRAFT - MDBBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000
  9. 9 Kermit's ExKickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 2) 180.0000
  10. 10 REDNECK SCIENTIFICBBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 180.0000

Best Backyard Scores

Backyard overall, out of 360

  1. 1 Swine-O-licious BBQRod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition 357.7144
  2. 2 Compete BBQ TeamRod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition 357.7028
  3. 3 Smoke This Drink That BBQSmokin in the Electric City (Day 1) 357.1428
  4. 4 Bourbon & Blues BBQJiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 357.1428
  5. 5 Too Sauced BBQCameron Elks BBQ Cook Off 356.0000
  6. 6 Bourbon & Blues BBQSmokin in the Electric City (Day 1) 355.4288
  7. 7 Smokey Bees BBQ - MSBernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) 355.4172
  8. 8 Furlongs Smoke & SeafoodPoosa Q 355.4172
  9. 9 Hickory HangoverThe Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) 355.4172
  10. 10 Mad Rocket BarbecueRailyard BBQ Brawl 2023 355.4172

Biggest Fields

Teams at one contest

  1. 1 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contestwon by JANKY LEG BBQ 487
  2. 2 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contestwon by FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY 211
  3. 3 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championshipwon by Damn Fine Beef and Swine 167
  4. 4 Smoke in the Springwon by Janky Leg BBQ 103
  5. 5 Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoffwon by Race Crew Drum Smokers 99
  6. 6 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPENwon by Smoked & Furious 90
  7. 7 Permian Basin Barbeque Cook-off (COMPETITOR SERIES)won by Valtek 88
  8. 8 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)won by Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 81
  9. 9 Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championshipwon by TRIPLE H BBQ 80
  10. 10 South Carolina Festival of Discoverywon by CHUNKY BBQ 76

Closest Finishes

Points between first and second

  1. 1 MUDVILLE BBQover Optimus Swine · Chillin & Grillin in the Glades 0.0116
  2. 2 YES, DEAR BBQover SMOKE SHOW MAFIA · Smoketember Fest 0.0116
  3. 3 AMERICAN FIRE BBQover MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ · 35th Annual Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out 0.0116
  4. 4 Ash Kickin' BBQover Can Country Outlaw BBQ · Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 0.0116
  5. 5 MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQover Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit · Bone Suckin' Sauce Peak City Pig Fest 0.0116
  6. 6 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKEover FRED VEGAS SMOKERS · Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 2 0.0232
  7. 7 JANKY LEG BBQover GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ · Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 0.0344
  8. 8 SUPER SWINEover Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ · Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 2 0.0344
  9. 9 WE WILL ROCK QUEover COOL HAND QUE · Smoke on the Falls 0.0344
  10. 10 COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQover Cooters N Smoke · The Downtown BBQ Showdown 0.0348

Biggest Winning Margins

Points clear of second

  1. 1 GETTIN' BASTEDover BBQ Rebels · BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2023 29.74
  2. 2 BUNCH OF SWINESover North West BBQ · Smoke on the Waters 2023 25.09
  3. 3 The King and His Qover Pit Bull Smokers · Smokin' in the Valley 21.77
  4. 4 PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQover Hunny and Hooch BBQ · Small Town Smoke Down 18.39
  5. 5 Backcorner BBQover SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE · Belgisch Barbecue Weekend - Day 1 15.39

Biggest Upsets

The winner’s chance on pre-contest ratings

  1. 1 BrewsCueKnights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" 6%
  2. 2 Drilling And Grilling BBQ TeamSmoke on the Rail (Day 2) 7%
  3. 3 Smoked & FuriousLake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) 7%
  4. 4 Smoked & FuriousRod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition 10%
  5. 5 STEVO'S BBQ TEAMSlab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 10%
  6. 6 CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT!Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 10%
  7. 7 STEVO'S BBQ TEAMBest Dam Barbeque 10%
  8. 8 Pittie QKTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 11%
  9. 9 Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQArt of Barbeque 11%
  10. 10 The Pitfather BBQCity of Springs BBQ Championship 12%

Busiest Reps

Contests worked

  1. 1 Bunny Tuttle 34
  2. 2 Rich Tuttle 33
  3. 3 Dave Rogers 28
  4. 4 Peg Rogers 27
  5. 5 Larry Voth 24
  6. 6 Lynda Voth 24
  7. 7 Bill Jones 21
  8. 8 Charlie Brinza 21
  9. 9 Julie Cook 21
  10. 10 Louise Weidner 21

Busiest States

Contests held · average field

  1. 1 Kansasaverage field 60 43
  2. 2 Missouriaverage field 28 41
  3. 3 Alabamaaverage field 28 20
  4. 4 Virginiaaverage field 26 20
  5. 5 Georgiaaverage field 37 19
  6. 6 Illinoisaverage field 26 18
  7. 7 Tennesseeaverage field 38 17
  8. 8 Californiaaverage field 24 16
  9. 9 Wisconsinaverage field 24 15
  10. 10 North Carolinaaverage field 26 14
Section BMeat by MeatB2

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

MeatAverageAvg. winnerEntries180sper 1,000WinnersBest of the year
Chicken 167.54 177.78 11,095 164 14.8 258 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 180
Pork Ribs 166.25 177.10 11,998 97 8.1 278 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 180
Pork 167.11 178.17 9,059 123 13.6 195 Poppa Pig 180
Brisket 165.14 177.55 8,735 103 11.8 189 Smokin' Ain't EZ 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 5 279 706.8228 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 51 Lakeland Pig Festival 7
February 3 96 708.5604 MUTTLEY CREW BBQ 47 Budweiser Smoke on the Water 4
March 24 664 709.1200 JANKY LEG BBQ 80 Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 41
April 36 832 714.2744 RAZORRACKS 103 Smoke in the Spring 44
May 37 869 713.7372 JANKY LEG BBQ 59 Minnesota in May 37
June 51 1,243 714.2628 SWIG-N-PIG 167 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 66
July 42 825 712.5600 JANKY LEG BBQ 76 South Carolina Festival of Discovery 49
August 51 1,063 717.7144 Smoked & Furious 90 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN 73
September 68 1,625 713.1200 GETTIN' BASTED 487 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 77
October 46 958 711.9656 LOCAL YOKELS BBQ 81 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) 69
November 12 285 710.8228 2LiveQ 60 Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 17
December 1 35 698.1940 Heavy Smoke BBQ 17 Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship 3
Section BThe Year Against the LastB4

2023 set against 2022.

Measure20232022Change
Contests scored 376 376  0
Teams competing 4,599 4,577 ▲ 22 (0%)
Team entries 11,067 11,308 ▼ 241 (-2%)
Different Grand Champions 224 227 ▼ 3 (-1%)
Average field 29.3 29.8 ▼ 0.5 (-2%)
Biggest field 487 505 ▼ 18 (-4%)
Average winning score 699.80 698.39 ▲ 1.41
Top score 717.7144 716.0000 ▲ 1.7144
Perfect 180s 487 453 ▲ 34 (8%)

Notes on the Season from the 2023 season page

  • Jan 13 → Dec 15 Season ran first and last contest on the 2023 calendar
  • 4.72 Average winning margin across 259 Master contests · 6 settled by tiebreaker
  • 13,434 Walks to the stage top-ten calls handed out in the four meats
  • 1,286 New teams first tracked contest anywhere was in 2023
  • 372 Contest series distinct recurring contests on the calendar
  • 16 contests Busiest weekend all on Jun 9, 2023
  • 95 Reps working KCBS reps on the season’s contests
  • Brisket Toughest table lowest average of the four meats at 165.14
  • 17 Outside the rating invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating
  • 38 Cancelled contests that came off the calendar
  • 76 Results still out of 452 contests on the 2023 calendar
Section CBack IssuesC1

Every season in review, and every month with scored results, back to the start of the record. ← 2022 in review 2024 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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