2 LIVE CUE

2 LIVE CUE is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 10th of 31 at the Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club (2016). They are ranked #3820 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,820

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1487

peak 1501 · rated over 26 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest Oct 6, 2018 · 5.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#806

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

4% of 27 contests

Avg finish

top 61%

overall standings

Best overall

679.9084 / 720

Master · Mid-South Barbecue Festival

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

657.24 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 661.10 (-3.86)

Walk rate

44%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff

Consistency

±10.71

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.44 · weakest Brisket (160.72)

Road miles

3,030

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 555 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

Purse competed for

$35K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

661.10 / 720

26 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 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 chicken.

Chicken ×1

High-water mark

679.9084 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.9084 at Mid-South Barbecue Festival — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 17, 2014

A tough matchup

22–0 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 100% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 22 of their 22 shared contests.

The weak link

−9.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.72 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 31%.

Brisket avg 160.72
Chicken avg 170.44
0 calls in 26 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG ORANGE SMOKERS in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

16 of 22 shared chicken entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 16 of 22 shared chicken entries.

A September team

Top 43% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 43% across 3 contests, versus top 61% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 61% the rest of the year

Show 3 more storylines

The long haul

3,030 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,030 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 555 miles to Rib's and Bibs.

27 mapped stops
furthest 555 mi

The metronome

±1.49% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.49% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.8% of a perfect score
27 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked High on the Hog Festival every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 33rd

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#1949 (70 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1144 (295 pts)	#1660 (145 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1082 (293 pts)	#651 (633 pts)	#1637 (168 pts)	#1128 (308 pts)	#1276 (243 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#989 (310 pts)	#677 (565 pts)	#1119 (290 pts)	#836 (435 pts)	#1158 (260 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#855 (396 pts)	#502 (766 pts)	#495 (806 pts)	#809 (456 pts)	#841 (411 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#806 (378 pts)	#688 (478 pts)	#497 (668 pts)	#909 (353 pts)	#882 (353 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to 2 LIVE CUE, each with one reason worth a look.

131 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

TENNESSEE RIVER PORKERS

#3,814 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1507

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to 2 LIVE CUE)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team 2 LIVE CUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2015

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKAPALOOZA

#3,815 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1505

Careers of much the same size, 24 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Aug 31, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

River Smokers WV

#3,823 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1529

They've been 1529 at their best, 43 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 14, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

LAST SMOKER STANDING

#3,821 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1511

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 14, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

BUTT RUBBIN BBQ

#3,799 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

Level with 2 LIVE CUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 20, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

A&R Q

#3,834 of the rated field

1486 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1524

They turned up 10 years after 2 LIVE CUE did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	23	8	15	35%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	22	0	22	0%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	19	0	19	0%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HAWG	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
BIG BLUE QUE	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
South Pork	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
BIG G BBQ	15	8	7	53%	⚔ compare
Big B BBQ Company	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
BEAN BANDITS	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
RT QUE KUSINE	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
TEAM HOGWEISER	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	8	1	4	180 🔥	153.1088	170.44	top 40%
Pork Ribs	26	6	0	2	176.5600	156.5714	165.56	top 53%
Pork	26	3	0	0	176	154.7772	164.38	top 64%
Brisket	26	0	0	0	172	143.9428	160.72	top 68%

“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)	9	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	17	0	top 63%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	17	top 63%
AL	8	top 53%
KS	1	top 78%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
High on the Hog Festival	5	33	top 73%	Apr 21, 2017
Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff	3	17	top 62%	May 27, 2016
Smoke on the Shores	2	40	top 71%	Mar 9, 2018
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	2	30	top 62%	May 6, 2016
Smokin' in McMinnville	2	24	top 70%	Aug 8, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 7 contests

Contests a season 3.9 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 17 of 27 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 17 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 535 finished ahead 529 times, behind 781

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

20191 milestone

Feb 8 Most recent contest KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship

20181 milestone

Mar 9 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores

20161 milestone

Aug 26 First overall top-10 Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club

20152 milestones

May 15 First category win (Chicken) Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff
May 15 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff

20142 milestones

Sep 19 10th tracked contest 20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest
Oct 17 Career-best overall score679.9084 Mid-South Barbecue Festival

20134 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest High on the Hog Festival
May 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.8568 The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
May 24 First call Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off
Sep 13 Peak power rating (1501) Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.3	Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club	Aug 26, 2016
+7.7	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest	Sep 13, 2013
+6	Mid-South Barbecue Festival	Oct 17, 2014
+5.2	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest	Sep 19, 2014
+4.8	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	May 6, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 17, 2015
-7.8	The WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (JUDGES SIGN UP STARTS DECEMBER 2, 2013)	May 2, 2014
-5.7	Smoke on the Shores	Mar 11, 2016
-5.5	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 21, 2017
-5	Smokin' in McMinnville	Aug 8, 2014

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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%	—	—	—
2018	2	0	0	0%	top 70%	92.3%	90.3%
2017	2	0	0	50%	top 69%	92.5%	91.8%
2016	7	1	0	43%	top 57%	93.8%	92.8%
2015	4	0	1	50%	top 67%	93.7%	91.9%
2014	6	0	0	67%	top 61%	94.4%	91.7%
2013	5	0	0	40%	top 53%	92.3%	91.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Feb 8, 2019	KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 6, 2018	Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS	29 / 37 (636.4692)	36 (153.1088)	32 (158.2516)	17 (168.5716)	26 (156.5372)
Mar 9, 2018	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	53 / 87 (664.4112)	23 (172.5600)	75 (157.0856)	64 (165.0856)	33 (169.6800)
Apr 21, 2017	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	33 / 41 (655.2572)	29 (167.3828)	38 (157.6916)	22 (169.6684)	32 (160.5144)
Mar 10, 2017	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	36 / 62 (666.1716)	57 (160.5144)	3 (175.4172)	23 (168.5600)	45 (161.6800)
Nov 11, 2016	World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL	58 / 89 (663.9088)	46 (169.6800)	46 (167.3944)	74 (160.5372)	53 (166.2972)
Oct 14, 2016	Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	15 / 27 (675.3372)	2 (179.4400)	25 (162.2400)	14 (169.1200)	20 (164.5372)
Aug 26, 2016	Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club Franklin, TN	10 / 31 (671.3488)	2 (178.8572)	25 (158.2172)	9 (169.1316)	15 (165.1428)
May 27, 2016	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN	17 / 31 (673.6460)	6 (174.8572)	12 (170.8460)	28 (161.7028)	18 (166.2400)
May 6, 2016	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	30 / 67 (664.3768)	16 (171.9656)	19 (169.6800)	61 (154.7772)	26 (167.9540)
Apr 15, 2016	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	38 / 56 (666.7544)	31 (169.1312)	38 (165.1088)	42 (163.3944)	28 (169.1200)
Mar 11, 2016	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	40 / 49 (662.1600)	12 (173.1200)	40 (163.9772)	38 (162.8228)	37 (162.2400)
Sep 11, 2015	Decatur Jaycee's 21st Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	32 / 55 (656.9828)	12 (173.1084)	21 (166.8228)	48 (160.5028)	48 (156.5488)
May 22, 2015	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	18 / 28 (674.7768)	15 (171.9656)	23 (163.4056)	5 (176)	21 (163.4056)
May 15, 2015	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL	15 / 27 (667.3488)	1 (180)	18 (162.8344)	16 (165.0972)	22 (159.4172)
Apr 17, 2015	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	53 / 59 (646.7196)	50 (163.9428)	40 (163.4400)	17 (171.9884)	58 (147.3484)
Oct 17, 2014	Mid-South Barbecue Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	14 / 35 (679.9084)	10 (175.4172)	6 (174.2628)	33 (158.2284)	11 (172)
Sep 19, 2014	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL	31 / 75 (659.9200)	3 (177.1428)	4 (174.8572)	68 (155.9428)	64 (151.9772)
Aug 8, 2014	Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN	30 / 40 (655.8056)	8 (172.5600)	20 (167.3944)	33 (165.0856)	38 (150.7656)
May 24, 2014	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	27 / 41 (669.0512)	10 (173.7028)	3 (176.5600)	6 (174.8456)	40 (143.9428)
May 2, 2014	The WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (JUDGES SIGN UP STARTS DECEMBER 2, 2013) Huntsville, AL	49 / 62 (636.3428)	24 (168.5256)	45 (159.3944)	50 (157.0628)	53 (151.3600)
Apr 18, 2014	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	42 / 62 (658.6968)	46 (165.0856)	37 (163.9656)	49 (161.6800)	29 (167.9656)
Sep 13, 2013	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	24 / 80 (664.4684)	19 (169.1084)	12 (170.2628)	60 (158.8228)	24 (166.2744)
Aug 9, 2013	Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN	24 / 37 (660.5028)	14 (170.8572)	7 (169.7144)	30 (162.2284)	33 (157.7028)
May 24, 2013	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off Lewisburg, TN	21 / 36 (656.5716)	16 (166.2856)	4 (169.7144)	24 (163.4286)	30 (157.1430)
May 3, 2013	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	32 / 62 (654.8568)	33 (165.7142)	44 (159.4286)	27 (166.8570)	30 (162.8570)
Apr 19, 2013	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	36 / 60 (646.8568)	25 (167.4284)	43 (156.5714)	31 (162.8572)	36 (159.9998)

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

2 LIVE CUE

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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 (10 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

A September team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

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, averaged over 5 contests — 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)