2022 Season

← 2021 2023 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2022 results: 472 contests, 4,577 teams and 11,308 team entries.

📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2022 contests

Contests

472

376 scored · 96 still out · 46 cancelled

Teams competing

4,577

1,430 new · 3,147 back from before

Team entries

11,308

2.5 contests per team

Different champions

227

322 contests won · 157 won just once

It took this to win

698.39

average winning Master overall · won by 4.41 on average

Top score

716

LOCAL YOKELS BBQ

Perfect 180s

453 🔥

10.7 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest MO (45)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 505

Came back

49%

2,088 of 4,258 teams from 2021

Purse on the line

$2,301,061

listed across 277 contests

State championships

231

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Master Series — Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit (2761 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Chicken (Backyard) — Ham Squad (1377 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Backyard) — Mispillion Meat Works (1350 pts)
🥇 Brisket (Master) — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (2595 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (2594 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit (2720 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2630 pts)

Storylines (11 found in the 2022 numbers)

Everything here is read out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.

Team of the Year

2,761 Master Series points

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit finished 2022 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,761 points.

The season’s big winner

10× grand championships in 2022

10 of the 322 contests won this season

Ham Squad took 10 grand championships in 2022, more than anyone else — out of 322 won by 227 different teams.

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ×9
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ×8
JANKY LEG BBQ ×6

The score of the year

716.0000 highest Master overall of 2022

LOCAL YOKELS BBQ put up 716.0000 at Smoke on the Ohio — 17.61 points clear of what a 2022 win averaged.

Smoke on the Ohio
Sep 9, 2022

The closest finish

0.0112 points between first and second

Son of a Boar BBQ beat CITY SLICKERS BBQ by 0.0112 at Minnesota in May (Masters) — the narrowest Master win of 2022, and 1 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

Minnesota in May (Masters)
May 13, 2022

Rookie champion

3× GC in their first season

Fluffy Butt BBQ cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2022 and won 3 grand championships — one of 6 rookies to take a title.

15 contests cooked
class of 2022: 1,430 new teams

The biggest upset

7% their odds against the top seed

7% — what the rating gave them going in

Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q (rated 1535) won Poosa Q out of a field headed by GETTIN' BASTED at 1997.

121 teams
May 5, 2022

The season’s biggest climb

+152.7 power rating gained in 2022

Swine-O-licious BBQ added 152.7 rating points across 13 rated contests in 2022 — they sit at #148 today.

13 rated contests
now #148 at 1778

Perfect boxes

453 perfect 180s in 2022

Judges handed out 453 perfect 180s in 2022 — 10.7 for every 1,000 meat entries. SLAPS BBQ collected 14 of them.

SLAPS BBQ ×14
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ×12
JANKY LEG BBQ ×11

Most miles cooked

44 contests entered in 2022

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN entered 44 contests in 2022, winning 6 of them.

6 GCs
37 top-ten overalls
18 states/provinces

The biggest room

505 teams at one contest

The 2022 average field was 30 teams

American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST drew 505 teams, against a 2022 average of 30 — QUE U won it.

Sep 29, 2022
KS

The calendar grew

+33% contests against 2021

KCBS ran 472 contests in 2022, up 118 on the 354 of 2021.

472 in 2022
354 in 2021

The season in charts

When they cooked (contests per month)

Where they cooked (busiest states and provinces)

How the season scored (every Master overall, in 10-point bins)

How big the fields were (contests by number of teams)

How the meats scored (average of every entry, /180)

2022 in the run of seasons (2022 picked out in both)

Contests held, season by season

What it took to win (average winning Master overall, /720)

The boards

Master Series Team of the Year (top 11)

#	Team	Points
1	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	2761
2	SLAPS BBQ	2704
3	TRIPLE H BBQ	2699
4	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	2671
5	JANKY LEG BBQ	2668
6	Smoke Me Silly	2661
7	4 LEGS UP BBQ	2653
8	GETTIN' BASTED	2636
9	Heavy Smoke BBQ	2621
10	Fergolicious BBQ	2620
10	SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	2620

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	Ham Squad	10
2	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	9
3	SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	8
4	JANKY LEG BBQ	6
5	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	6
6	SLAPS BBQ	6
7	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	5
8	Meat Candy Q	5
9	Organizer Portal	5
10	QUE U	5

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	LOCAL YOKELS BBQ Smoke on the Ohio · Sep 9, 2022	716
2	SLAPS BBQ Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Competition (Day 1) · Jul 29, 2022	714.2744
3	JANKY LEG BBQ Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Competition (Day 2) · Jul 30, 2022	711.9888
4	LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship · Apr 1, 2022	711.9772
5	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022 · Jul 21, 2022	711.9772
6	QUE U American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST · Sep 29, 2022	711.9656
7	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 · Jun 18, 2022	710.8688
8	4 LEGS UP BBQ 6th Annual Smoke on the Trails · Sep 9, 2022	710.8344
9	Swine Life BBQ International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest · Sep 9, 2022	710.2860
10	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) · Mar 26, 2022	710.2744

Highest overall scores (Backyard · /360)

#	Team	Score
1	Swine-O-licious BBQ Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) · Sep 9, 2022	358.8572
2	Fluffy Butt BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) · Apr 29, 2022	356.5600
3	Wrecking Crew BBQ Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship Day 2 · Oct 29, 2022	356
4	Hickory Hangover Mission Q (Backyard Only) · Sep 16, 2022	355.4288
5	Furlongs Smoke & Seafood Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD) · Jul 15, 2022	355.4172
6	Sensuous BBQ Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD) · Jul 15, 2022	355.4172
7	Fluffy Butt BBQ Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) · Sep 9, 2022	355.4172
8	PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q Mission Q (Backyard Only) · Sep 16, 2022	354.8688
9	Mispillion Meat Works Twin Valley Fire and Smoke · May 13, 2022	354.2856
10	Swine-O-licious BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) · Apr 29, 2022	354.2628

Best cook of the season, meat by meat (/180)

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	MUDVILLE BBQ The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1	180 🔥
Pork Ribs	NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1	180 🔥
Pork	Meat Candy Q The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2	180 🔥
Brisket	Uncle Kenny's Take-Away Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest	180 🔥

How hard each meat was (2022 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	11,176	166.73	177.72	13.6
Pork Ribs	12,084	165.22	176.64	6
Pork	9,729	166.37	177.96	11.6
Brisket	9,245	164.32	177.73	12.5

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 18 states	44	6	37
SLAPS BBQ 9 states	38	6	31
TRIPLE H BBQ 11 states	38	5	29
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 14 states	36	9	28
JANKY LEG BBQ 9 states	36	6	30
Organizer Portal 13 states	36	5	31
4 LEGS UP BBQ 10 states	36	4	24
CHUNKY BBQ 15 states	36	4	21
Heavy Smoke BBQ 13 states	36	3	23
SmokinGhost BBQ 14 states	35	3	17

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2022)

Team	Gained	Contests
Swine-O-licious BBQ #148 today	+152.7	13
JANKY LEG BBQ #3 today	+150.1	32
TRIPLE H BBQ #15 today	+148.1	34
Fluffy Butt BBQ #455 today	+133.9	10
Furlongs Smoke & Seafood #168 today	+126.4	18
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ #47 today	+121.9	16
Ham Squad #124 today	+121.7	22
Smoke 'n Magic #790 today	+120.9	17
COOKLOUNGE BBQ #171 today	+119.6	15
Ash Kickin' BBQ #440 today	+118.7	8

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS	505	QUE U
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS	249	QUE U
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS	164	Love 2 Q
Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	94	Last Call Heroes BBQ
South Carolina Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	92	SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS
4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Gadsden, AL	91	Cocamoke Smoke BBQ
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Shawnee, KS	87	913 BBQ
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	83	Heavy Smoke BBQ
Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition Topeka, KS	77	Slaps BBQ
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Lawrenceville, GA	73	SMOKINGHOSTBBQ

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

Margin	Contest
0.0112	Minnesota in May (Masters) Son of a Boar BBQ over CITY SLICKERS BBQ
0.0116	Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition SLAPS BBQ over GETTIN' SAUCED
0.0116	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival WHO CARES BBQ over Organizer Portal
0.0232	Beats, Brews, & BBQ WOOD HOOK BBQ over DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK
0.0232	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival (Masters) (JUDGING FULL) CHUNKY BBQ over BOGGS HOG BBQ
0.0344	Lakeland Pig Festival WHO CARES BBQ over GETTIN' BASTED
0.0344	3rd Wild King BBQ Contest (Day 2) Knockstone BBQ Team Austria over White Squirrel BBQ
0.0344	Meat Scream BBQ Competition-Day 2 Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ over Big Daddy's Backyard BBQ
0.0348	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) B' Mackin BBQ over SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ
0.0456	Iowa State BBQ Championship PORKRASTINATORS over Ash Kickin' BBQ

1 more finished dead level and were settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
19.5088	Clayton BBQ Cook-off BIG POPPA SMOKERS over Porterhouse BBQ
18.3428	Smokin' in the Valley Ribs n Pigs BBQ over Smokin Steve's BBQ
17.7484	10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ over SHIGGIN & GRINNIN
16.0804	Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN over SMOKE-N-PEPPERS
16.0344	9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ over Meat Candy Q

Biggest upsets (winner's odds against the top-rated team)

Odds	Contest
7%	Poosa Q Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q (1535) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1997)
7%	International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest Swine Life BBQ (1518) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1976)
8%	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1) SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ (1544) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1975)
8%	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival ZIPS BBQ (1576) over a field led by CLARK CREW BBQ (2002)
8%	9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 BIG RED BBQ (1548) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1971)
8%	BBQ Boogie & Blues SWEET DIXIE BBQ (1523) over a field led by Organizer Portal (1941)
9%	BBQ on the Bay Day 2 7 SINS BBQ (1571) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1975)
9%	Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" Go Pig or Go Home (1552) over a field led by SLAPS BBQ (1946)
9%	Swine At the Shrine Blue Ribbon BBQ NC (1549) over a field led by Organizer Portal (1940)
10%	Big BBQ Bash BAD ROOSTER BBQ (1546) over a field led by Organizer Portal (1937)

Read off the nightly power-rating replay. Invitationals and non-points contests are not rated, so they never appear here.

Most perfect 180s (in 2022)

Team	180s	Contests
SLAPS BBQ	14	12
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	12	11
JANKY LEG BBQ	11	11
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	10	10
Fergolicious BBQ	9	6
TRIPLE H BBQ	9	8
4 LEGS UP BBQ	6	5
GETTIN' BASTED	6	6
Heavy Smoke BBQ	6	6
Meat Candy Q	6	6

Class of 2022 (1,430 teams debuted · how the class did →)

Team	Contests	GCs
Fluffy Butt BBQ	15	3
Glamping Grillers	6	2
SLATER HOUSE BBQ	6	2
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ	17	1
West Coast BBQ Shop	13	1
Small Axe BBQ	10	1
16 Mesh BBQ	7	1
Pinky Out BBQ	4	1
Too Sauced BBQ	3	1
Beards BBQ	2	1
Knuckle Draggers BBQ	2	1
Nobody puts Baby Backs in the corner	2	1

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
MO 21 titles	45	30	26
KS 25 titles	38	32	60
CA 18 titles	24	19	25
GA 10 titles	24	15	38
AL 6 titles	20	17	34
IN 8 titles	18	11	29
IL 8 titles	17	15	29
OK 7 titles	16	15	23
TN 10 titles	14	13	35
WI 7 titles	14	13	27
VA 6 titles	13	11	26
IA 6 titles	11	11	27
MN 3 titles	11	10	29
NC 10 titles	11	10	33
AR 9 titles	10	7	29
CO 8 titles	9	9	31
NJ 5 titles	9	9	28
MS 5 titles	8	6	21
PA 6 titles	7	6	41
TX 4 titles	7	6	38
WV 5 titles	7	7	14
OR 4 titles	6	4	24
SD 3 titles	6	4	33
MD 1 title	5	2	21
MI 2 titles	5	4	38
AB	4	4	31
HI	4	3	10
ME 2 titles	4	4	23
VT 3 titles	4	4	22
AK	3	1	6
AZ 3 titles	3	3	38
FL 3 titles	3	3	38
KY 3 titles	3	3	24
LA 2 titles	3	2	25
MT 3 titles	3	3	30
NE 2 titles	3	2	37
NV 1 title	3	2	22
WY 2 titles	3	2	29
NY	2	2	22
OH 2 titles	2	1	25
UT 2 titles	2	1	31
WA 2 titles	2	2	26
AT	1	0	—
BC	1	0	—
BZ	1	1	15
DC 1 title	1	1	32
LT	1	1	15
MA 1 title	1	1	33
NH 1 title	1	1	37
RI	1	0	—
SC 1 title	1	1	92
SK	1	1	18

State championships (231 in 2022)

Contest	Grand Champion
Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest FL · Jan 7, 2022	Teddy Camp BBQ
Willamette Sportsman Show Cookoff 2022 OR · Jan 8, 2022	Crooked Pigs
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge AZ · Jan 14, 2022	SHARPE GOURMET COOKING WOOD
The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1 CA · Jan 21, 2022	Smokin' Volts BBQ
The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 CA · Jan 22, 2022	Meat Candy Q
Lakeland Pig Festival FL · Jan 28, 2022	Who Cares BBQ
Outdoor Cooking BBQ Championship WA · Feb 5, 2022	Warpig Smokehouse
BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival AZ · Feb 18, 2022	Loot N' Booty BBQ
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival GA · Mar 4, 2022	SMOKINGHOSTBBQ
Qlathe BBQ Championship KS · Mar 18, 2022	Slaps BBQ
Mission Farm's King of the Farm NC · Mar 18, 2022	Wolf's Revenge BBQ
Smoke on The Shores TN · Mar 18, 2022	SMOKE ME SILLY
Inaugural Yellow City BBQ Shootout TX · Mar 19, 2022	Tip of Texas BBQ
Hammond BBQ Inc. (POSTPONED) LA · Mar 25, 2022	—
Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 MO · Mar 25, 2022	Smoke This BBQ MO
BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) VA · Mar 25, 2022	Rooters-N-Tooters
Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 MO · Mar 26, 2022	Jankey Leg BBQ
BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) VA · Mar 26, 2022	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit
Beats, Brews, & BBQ OK · Apr 1, 2022	Wood Hook BBQ
Smokin' For Down Syndrome TN · Apr 1, 2022	SmokinGhost BBQ

Busiest reps (contests worked in 2022)

Rep	Contests
Lynda Voth	27
Larry Voth	26
Rich Tuttle	25
Bunny Tuttle	24
Louise Weidner	23
Dave Rogers	22
Jeanne Titus	22
Peg Rogers	22
Ed Young	19
Julie Poe	19

More from 2022

Season ran Jan 7 → Dec 9 first and last contest on the 2022 calendar

Average winning margin 4.41 across 271 Master contests · 1 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 13,509 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

New teams 1,430 first tracked contest anywhere was in 2022

Contest series 416 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 17 contests all on Oct 7, 2022

Reps working 97 KCBS reps on the season’s contests

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 164.32

Outside the rating 11 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 46 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 96 of 472 contests on the 2022 calendar

Contest counts exclude cancelled events. Overall scores are split by series because they are on different scales — Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360 — and only the four judged meats count toward perfect 180s. Browse every 2022 contest →