BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q

BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 21 at the BBQ Throw Down 2014 @ Windcreek (2014). They are ranked #696 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#696

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1642

peak 1642 · rated over 13 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 15, 2013

latest Sep 12, 2019 · 6.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#749

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

50% of 16 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 20%

overall standings

Best overall

698.8456 / 720

Master · Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

686.22 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 683.05 (+3.18)

Walk rate

63%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)

Consistency

±12.32

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 172.63 · weakest Brisket (169.01)

Road miles

10,492

across 16 mapped stops · furthest 1,741 mi

Schedule strength

63%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1579)

Purse competed for

$68K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

683.05 / 720

16 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.

Brisket ×1

They almost always walk

63% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 10 of 16 contests

A top-10 category call in 63% of their 16 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

698.8456 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 698.8456 at Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 27, 2017

A tough matchup

10–2 behind in the head-to-head

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead in 83% of their meetings

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 12 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 82% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Cool Smoke in 9 of their 11 shared contests.

The long haul

10,492 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 10,492 miles across 16 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,741 miles to The Smithfield King of the Smoker (INVITATIONAL) (Judges Full).

16 mapped stops
furthest 1,741 mi

The metronome

±1.71% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.71% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.9% of a perfect score
16 contests

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#1820 (95 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1931 (65 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2083 (90 pts)	#1736 (145 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1484 (164 pts)	#2082 (84 pts)	#1368 (209 pts)	#1717 (134 pts)	#1928 (114 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1286 (221 pts)	#1189 (271 pts)	#1645 (151 pts)	#1949 (116 pts)	#1567 (171 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#749 (411 pts)	#893 (361 pts)	#698 (476 pts)	#1245 (221 pts)	#743 (436 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q, each with one reason worth a look.

Tuffy's BBQ

#695 of the rated field

1643 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1643

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 30 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

FIRED UP SMOKERS

#697 of the rated field

1642 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1656

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 34 contests to 16.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Oct 13, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

DIVA Q

#700 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1654

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Jan 25, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE

#690 of the rated field

1644 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 47
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1658

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q)

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 47 contests, alongside a 26% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 45 contests
last seen Feb 21, 2020

⚔ Head-to-head

BEAN BANDITS

#691 of the rated field

1644 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1652

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q)

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 46 contests
last seen May 3, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

GREAT PLAINS BBQ

#689 of the rated field

1644 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1658

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q)

Level with BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Oct 19, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
Cool Smoke	11	9	2	82%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
QUAU	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
BUNCH OF SWINES	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKING HILLS	9	6	3	67%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	9	6	3	67%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	16	6	1	2	178.8572	162.8228	172.63	top 25%
Pork Ribs	16	5	2	2	178.8800	165.1200	172.10	top 23%
Pork	16	3	0	0	177.7028	155.4284	169.31	top 34%
Brisket	16	3	0	1	180 🔥	158.2284	169.01	top 37%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	4	0	top 23%
Large (40+)	12	0	top 19%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	4	top 21%
MO	4	top 26%
KS	3	top 8%
CA	2	top 29%
AL	2	top 17%
MS	1	top 12%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL)	3	4	0	top 24%	Oct 26, 2018
The Smithfield King of the Smoker (INVITATIONAL) (JUDGES FULL)	2	6	0	top 29%	Dec 1, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 2.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 4 of 16 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 13 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,830 finished ahead 3,203 times, behind 665

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs Oct 3, 2015 → Oct 29, 2016

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20192 milestones

Sep 12 Peak power rating (1642) 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST
Sep 12 Most recent contest 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST

20172 milestones

Oct 27 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)
Oct 27 Career-best overall score698.8456 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)

20161 milestone

Oct 29 10th tracked contest 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)

20141 milestone

Mar 27 First overall podium BBQ Throw Down 2014 @ Windcreek

20135 milestones

Mar 15 First tracked contest Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Mar 15 First call Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Mar 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score680.5710 Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
May 3 First category win (Pork Ribs) West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff
May 3 First overall top-10 West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.6	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)	Oct 24, 2014
+15.6	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)	Oct 27, 2017
+14.8	BBQ Throw Down 2014 @ Windcreek	Mar 27, 2014
+14.6	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	Oct 3, 2015
+13.9	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Oct 29, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-0.9	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL)	Oct 26, 2018

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 15%	94.7%	94.7%
2018	2	0	0	0%	top 31%	96.1%	94.2%
2017	2	2	1	100%	top 21%	97.1%	96.7%
2016	2	1	0	100%	top 14%	96.4%	96.1%
2015	2	2	0	100%	top 11%	96.9%	96.3%
2014	4	2	1	50%	top 26%	95.9%	94.1%
2013	3	1	1	67%	top 14%	94.5%	93.4%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 12, 2019	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	68 / 468 (681.6916)	130 (169.7028)	18 (176.0344)	190 (167.4172)	154 (168.5372)
Oct 26, 2018	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN	59 / 102 (665.0052)	77 (162.8228)	57 (168.5256)	21 (172.5484)	78 (161.1084)
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	24 / 467 (691.9316)	36 (175.4172)	192 (167.9772)	63 (173.1200)	27 (175.4172)
Dec 1, 2017	The Smithfield King of the Smoker (INVITATIONAL) (JUDGES FULL) unrated Rancho Mirage, CA	8 / 25 (693.6456)	14 (170.8344)	1 (178.8800)	17 (171.9656)	13 (171.9656)
Oct 27, 2017	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	10 / 95 (698.8456)	11 (177.1428)	28 (173.1200)	48 (168.5828)	2 (180)
Dec 2, 2016	The Smithfield King of the Smoker (INVITATIONAL) (Judges Full) unrated Rancho Mirage, CA	6 / 24 (694.2516)	2 (177.7144)	5 (175.4400)	5 (177.7028)	21 (163.3944)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	19 / 557 (689.6800)	9 (177.1428)	37 (174.2744)	79 (172)	196 (166.2628)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	5 / 606 (697.6572)	4 (178.2972)	46 (174.2628)	41 (174.2744)	105 (170.8228)
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	7 / 34 (688.4684)	20 (169.6684)	4 (176.5716)	10 (170.8228)	14 (171.4056)
Oct 24, 2014	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	4 / 92 (690.8344)	5 (176.5716)	12 (173.1428)	4 (177.1772)	55 (163.9428)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	76 / 165 (671.8628)	83 (168.5256)	104 (165.6800)	40 (171.4172)	93 (166.2400)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	214 / 552 (661.6340)	147 (169.7028)	178 (168)	227 (165.7028)	347 (158.2284)
Mar 27, 2014	BBQ Throw Down 2014 @ Windcreek Atmore, AL	3 / 21 (686.7772)	1 (178.8572)	7 (170.8344)	11 (165.1084)	5 (171.9772)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	103 / 535 (659.8972)	129 (167.3828)	154 (165.1200)	277 (160.0116)	94 (167.3828)
May 3, 2013	West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff Knoxville, TN	5 / 46 (675.9996)	12 (169.7142)	1 (176.5714)	33 (155.4284)	4 (174.2856)
Mar 15, 2013	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	12 / 100 (680.5710)	10 (172.5714)	19 (169.1428)	29 (165.7142)	12 (173.1426)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (7 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

They almost always walk

High-water mark

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)