2023 Season

← 2022 2024 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2023 results: 452 contests, 4,599 teams and 11,067 team entries.

📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2023 contests

Contests

452

376 scored · 76 still out · 38 cancelled

Teams competing

4,599

1,286 new · 3,313 back from before

Team entries

11,067

2.4 contests per team

Different champions

224

306 contests won · 152 won just once

It took this to win

699.80

average winning Master overall · won by 4.72 on average

Top score

717.7144

Smoked & Furious

Perfect 180s

487 🔥

11.9 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest KS (43)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 487

Came back

49.2%

2,250 of 4,577 teams from 2022

Purse on the line

$2,200,825

listed across 270 contests

State championships

219

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Master Series — JANKY LEG BBQ (2773 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Chicken (Backyard) — Bourbon and Blues BBQ (1365 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Backyard) — NORALA BBQ TEAM (1375 pts)
🥇 Brisket (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2659 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ (2717 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — JANKY LEG BBQ (2725 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2744 pts)

Storylines (11 found in the 2023 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

2,773 Master Series points

JANKY LEG BBQ finished 2023 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,773 points.

The season’s big winner

9× grand championships in 2023

9 of the 306 contests won this season

GETTIN' BASTED was one of 2 teams to take 9 grand championships in 2023 — out of 306 won by 224 different teams.

JANKY LEG BBQ ×9
Bourbon & Blues BBQ ×6
CHUNKY BBQ ×6

The score of the year

717.7144 highest Master overall of 2023

Smoked & Furious put up 717.7144 at 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN — 17.92 points clear of what a 2023 win averaged.

5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN
Aug 11, 2023

Clean sweeps

2 four-meat sweeps

Winning all four meats at one contest happened 2 times in 2023 — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ did it at IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) and took the Grand Championship with it.

SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ · IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES)
BUNCH OF SWINES · Smoke on the Waters 2023

The closest finish

0.0116 points between first and second

MUDVILLE BBQ beat Optimus Swine by 0.0116 at Chillin & Grillin in the Glades — the narrowest Master win of 2023, and 6 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

Chillin & Grillin in the Glades
Jul 14, 2023

Rookie champion

3× GC in their first season

Leaning Jowler BBQ cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2023 and won 3 grand championships — one of 6 rookies to take a title.

18 contests cooked
class of 2023: 1,286 new teams

The biggest upset

6% their odds against the top seed

6% — what the rating gave them going in

BrewsCue (rated 1455) won Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" out of a field headed by SLAPS BBQ at 1947.

29 teams
Jun 16, 2023

The season’s biggest climb

+183 power rating gained in 2023

ONE EYED PIG BBQ added 183 rating points across 18 rated contests in 2023 — they sit at #355 today.

18 rated contests
now #355 at 1710

Perfect boxes

487 perfect 180s in 2023

Judges handed out 487 perfect 180s in 2023 — 11.9 for every 1,000 meat entries. JANKY LEG BBQ collected 13 of them.

JANKY LEG BBQ ×13
GETTIN' BASTED ×12
Smoked & Furious ×9

Most miles cooked

46 contests entered in 2023

Colorado Bulldawg BBQ entered 46 contests in 2023, winning 4 of them.

4 GCs
30 top-ten overalls
16 states/provinces

The biggest room

487 teams at one contest

The 2023 average field was 29 teams

American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest drew 487 teams, against a 2023 average of 29 — JANKY LEG BBQ won it.

Sep 27, 2023
KS

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)

2023 in the run of seasons (2023 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 10)

#	Team	Points
1	JANKY LEG BBQ	2773
2	GETTIN' BASTED	2763
3	CHUNKY BBQ	2690
4	Under the Radar	2624
5	Smoked & Furious	2604
6	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	2546
7	Colorado Bulldawg BBQ	2537
8	Off The Rack BBQ	2492
9	Optimus Swine	2483
10	Piggin' Whiskey	2467

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	GETTIN' BASTED	9
2	JANKY LEG BBQ	9
3	Bourbon & Blues BBQ	6
4	CHUNKY BBQ	6
5	POOR BOYS BBQ	6
6	RAZORRACKS	6
7	Smoked & Furious	6
8	Bushmaster BBQ	5
9	Furlongs Smoke & Seafood	5
10	Shmack Q	5

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	Smoked & Furious 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN · Aug 11, 2023	717.7144
2	RAZORRACKS Southaven Springfest · Apr 21, 2023	714.2744
3	SWIG-N-PIG Big BBQ Bash · Jun 23, 2023	714.2628
4	JANKY LEG BBQ 3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 · May 19, 2023	713.7372
5	Meat Candy Q BBQ, Boots & Brew · Apr 28, 2023	713.7144
6	Crossed Rifles BBQ Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships · Aug 18, 2023	713.1660
7	Smoked & Furious 2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest · May 5, 2023	713.1428
8	GETTIN' BASTED Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) · Sep 23, 2023	713.1200
9	JANKY LEG BBQ Smokin in the Electric City (Day 2) · Jul 15, 2023	712.5600
10	REDNECK SCIENTIFIC Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 · May 5, 2023	712.5600

Highest overall scores (Backyard · /360)

#	Team	Score
1	Swine-O-licious BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition · Apr 21, 2023	357.7144
2	Compete BBQ Team Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition · Apr 21, 2023	357.7028
3	Smoke This Drink That BBQ Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1) · Jul 14, 2023	357.1428
4	Bourbon & Blues BBQ Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 · May 5, 2023	357.1428
5	Too Sauced BBQ Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off · Jul 7, 2023	356
6	Bourbon & Blues BBQ Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1) · Jul 14, 2023	355.4288
7	Smokey Bees BBQ - MS Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) · Sep 8, 2023	355.4172
8	Furlongs Smoke & Seafood Poosa Q · Oct 5, 2023	355.4172
9	Hickory Hangover The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) · Oct 20, 2023	355.4172
10	Mad Rocket Barbecue Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 · Oct 27, 2023	355.4172

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

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest	180 🔥
Pork Ribs	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit Lakeland Pig Festival	180 🔥
Pork	Poppa Pig Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest	180 🔥
Brisket	Smokin' Ain't EZ Lakeland Pig Festival	180 🔥

How hard each meat was (2023 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	11,095	167.54	177.78	14.8
Pork Ribs	11,998	166.25	177.10	8.1
Pork	9,059	167.11	178.17	13.6
Brisket	8,735	165.14	177.55	11.8

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ 16 states	46	4	30
GETTIN' BASTED 15 states	44	9	36
JANKY LEG BBQ 13 states	44	9	35
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ 13 states	42	1	26
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 14 states	39	5	26
Fergolicious BBQ 10 states	37	2	23
CHUNKY BBQ 13 states	36	6	27
Off The Rack BBQ 11 states	36	2	27
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 14 states	36	1	30
Bourbon & Blues BBQ 13 states	35	6	23

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2023)

Team	Gained	Contests
ONE EYED PIG BBQ #355 today	+183	18
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ #99 today	+179	44
Smoke This Drink That BBQ #267 today	+173.1	15
Bourbon & Blues BBQ #1210 today	+154.5	33
Smoked & Furious #183 today	+153.3	31
POOR BOYS BBQ #203 today	+141.1	17
Shmack Q #510 today	+138.2	18
Glamping Grillers #239 today	+131.9	21
Swine 'N' Roses BBQ #734 today	+130.3	17
Big Racks BBQ #506 today	+124.4	15

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS	487	JANKY LEG BBQ
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS	211	FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS	167	Damn Fine Beef and Swine
Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	103	Janky Leg BBQ
Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff Waller, TX	99	Race Crew Drum Smokers
5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Mayetta, KS	90	Smoked & Furious
Permian Basin Barbeque Cook-off (COMPETITOR SERIES) Midland, TX	88	Valtek
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	81	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Lebanon, TN	80	TRIPLE H BBQ
South Carolina Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	76	CHUNKY BBQ

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

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

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

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
29.7368	BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2023 GETTIN' BASTED over BBQ Rebels
25.0860	Smoke on the Waters 2023 BUNCH OF SWINES over North West BBQ
21.7716	Smokin' in the Valley The King and His Q over Pit Bull Smokers
18.3888	Small Town Smoke Down PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ over Hunny and Hooch BBQ
15.3940	Belgisch Barbecue Weekend - Day 1 Backcorner BBQ over SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE

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

Odds	Contest
6%	Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" BrewsCue (1455) over a field led by SLAPS BBQ (1947)
7%	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) Drilling And Grilling BBQ Team (1529) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1986)
7%	Lake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) Smoked & Furious (1552) over a field led by CLARK CREW BBQ (1992)
10%	Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition Smoked & Furious (1586) over a field led by CLARK CREW BBQ (1972)
10%	Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge STEVO'S BBQ TEAM (1583) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1965)
10%	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT! (1500) over a field led by TRIPLE H BBQ (1880)
10%	Best Dam Barbeque STEVO'S BBQ TEAM (1601) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1981)
11%	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off Pittie Q (1530) over a field led by SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (1894)
11%	Art of Barbeque Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ (1628) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1990)
12%	City of Springs BBQ Championship The Pitfather BBQ (1538) over a field led by RAZORRACKS (1891)

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

Clean sweeps (all four meats at one contest)

Team	Contest
SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ 🏆	IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) May 19, 2023
BUNCH OF SWINES 🏆	Smoke on the Waters 2023 Sep 23, 2023

Most perfect 180s (in 2023)

Team	180s	Contests
JANKY LEG BBQ	13	11
GETTIN' BASTED	12	12
Smoked & Furious	9	8
TRIPLE H BBQ	8	6
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	7	7
MAN MEAT BBQ	7	7
Kith n' Kin	6	5
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	6	6
SLAPS BBQ	6	6
BrewsCue	5	5

Class of 2023 (1,286 teams debuted · how the class did →)

Team	Contests	GCs
Leaning Jowler BBQ	18	3
Smokey Bey's Barbecue	20	1
Aww Shucks BBQ	17	1
Rack Shack bbq	9	1
Ramblin Fork BBQ Co	5	1
Bear's Den BBQ	4	1
CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT!	3	1
Belen Grill and Chill	2	1
Mini Butts	2	1
Silver Creek Barbecue	2	1
SoCal Outlaw BBQ	2	1
3SLUGGZBBQ	1	1

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
KS 26 titles	43	32	60
MO 19 titles	41	33	28
AL 5 titles	20	18	28
VA 11 titles	20	19	26
GA 9 titles	19	10	37
IL 5 titles	18	14	26
TN 8 titles	17	13	38
CA 11 titles	16	14	24
WI 8 titles	15	14	24
NC 13 titles	14	13	26
IA 9 titles	11	9	32
OK 4 titles	11	11	19
IN 6 titles	10	10	28
MN 3 titles	10	8	31
NJ 5 titles	9	9	28
PA 7 titles	9	8	34
AB	7	6	21
WV 5 titles	7	6	15
AR 6 titles	6	5	28
CO 5 titles	6	6	31
FL 5 titles	6	5	36
AK	5	4	10
AZ 3 titles	5	4	31
MT 4 titles	5	4	32
TX 3 titles	5	4	73
DC 1 title	4	3	27
DE 2 titles	4	4	14
HI 1 title	4	3	15
MA 4 titles	4	4	29
MD 1 title	4	2	17
MI 2 titles	4	4	31
MS 4 titles	4	4	23
OH 3 titles	4	4	28
SD 3 titles	4	4	29
ON	3	2	17
VT 1 title	3	3	16
CT 1 title	2	2	33
KY 2 titles	2	2	31
LA 1 title	2	1	27
ME 1 title	2	2	39
NE 2 titles	2	2	33
NY	2	2	19
OR 2 titles	2	2	32
RI 1 title	2	1	50
SK	2	2	21
WY 2 titles	2	2	28
BZ	1	1	23
ID	1	0	—
LT	1	1	14
NH 1 title	1	1	39
NV 1 title	1	1	27
QC	1	1	33
SC 1 title	1	1	76
UT 1 title	1	1	16
WA 1 title	1	1	30

State championships (219 in 2023)

Contest	Grand Champion
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge AZ · Jan 13, 2023	STEVO'S BBQ
Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest FL · Jan 13, 2023	Optimus Swine
Lakeland Pig Festival FL · Jan 27, 2023	UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT
SJV Winter Rub NE · Jan 27, 2023	Bushmaster BBQ
Budweiser Smoke on the Water FL · Feb 3, 2023	Fred Vegas Smokers
Mission Farm's King of the Farm NC · Feb 24, 2023	MUTTLEY CREW
The Golden State Battle V CA · Mar 3, 2023	Big Red BBQ
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival GA · Mar 3, 2023	CHEWIN' THE BBQ FAT!
BBQ & Brew Fest - Best in the Southwest AZ · Mar 10, 2023	Bushmaster BBQ
5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship KS · Mar 17, 2023	Bull Creek BBQ
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship TN · Mar 17, 2023	TRIPLE H BBQ
Kickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 1) MO · Mar 24, 2023	Razorracks BBQ
BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) VA · Mar 24, 2023	Off the Rack BBQ
Kickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 2) MO · Mar 25, 2023	There's No Place Like Smoke
BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) VA · Mar 25, 2023	Redneck Scientific
Lake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) OK · Mar 31, 2023	Smoked and Furious
Smokin' for Down Syndrome AR · Mar 31, 2023	Janky Leg BBQ
Iowa State BBQ Championship IA · Mar 31, 2023	Gothic Town Grillers
Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff TX · Mar 31, 2023	Gettin'Based
Swampfest GA · Mar 31, 2023	ATLANTA BBQ STORE

Busiest reps (contests worked in 2023)

Rep	Contests
Bunny Tuttle	34
Rich Tuttle	33
Dave Rogers	28
Peg Rogers	27
Larry Voth	24
Lynda Voth	24
Bill Jones	21
Charlie Brinza	21
Julie Cook	21
Louise Weidner	21

More from 2023

Season ran Jan 13 → Dec 15 first and last contest on the 2023 calendar

Average winning margin 4.72 across 259 Master contests · 6 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 13,434 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

New teams 1,286 first tracked contest anywhere was in 2023

Contest series 372 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 16 contests all on Jun 9, 2023

Reps working 95 KCBS reps on the season’s contests

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 165.14

Outside the rating 17 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 38 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 76 of 452 contests on the 2023 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 2023 contest →