The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Palm tree smokehouse has finished one call ahead of BETTER THAN BACON 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
BETTER THAN BACON
BETTER THAN BACON is a competition barbecue team with 15 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 11th of 54 at the Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition (2014). They are ranked #4816 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1467
peak 1518 · rated over 15 contests
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
May 10, 2013
latest Sep 28, 2018 · 5.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 63%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
618.20 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 616.99 (+1.21)
Walk rate
20%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±41.91
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 161.24 · weakest Brisket (153.68)
Road miles
728
across 15 mapped stops · furthest 73 mi
Schedule strength
32%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1543)
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
616.99 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #1323 (176 pts) | #1370 (176 pts) | #1392 (176 pts) | #1268 (201 pts) | #1297 (191 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2212 (60 pts) | #2286 (60 pts) | #2304 (60 pts) | #2260 (60 pts) | #2230 (65 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1775 (120 pts) | #1883 (120 pts) | #1593 (175 pts) | #1872 (120 pts) | #1686 (150 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1372 (180 pts) | #1341 (215 pts) | #1470 (180 pts) | #1357 (225 pts) | #1431 (180 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #2084 (75 pts) | #2167 (75 pts) | #1730 (145 pts) | #2172 (75 pts) | #2148 (75 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #919 (320 pts) | #940 (340 pts) | #1293 (220 pts) | #882 (370 pts) | #916 (335 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to BETTER THAN BACON, each with one reason worth a look.
132 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,808 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1519
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BETTER THAN BACON)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BETTER THAN BACON has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,805 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1507
They've been 1507 at their best, 40 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,801 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1467
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,823 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1467
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#4,819 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1500
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careers#4,791 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1467
Level with BETTER THAN BACON on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN GNOME BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| HAWG NATION BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGHEADED BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| PIG PEN BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokestack Redemption | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Fire Ants BBQ | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| WILLY'S Q SHACK | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Badlands BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| WILBUR'S REVENGE | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEN DUDES BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| DRILLING & GRILLING | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| D&G'S REAL BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 168.5828 | 141.7028 | 155.98 | top 64% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 168.5600 | 154.8000 | 161.24 | top 43% |
| Pork | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 165.7484 | 149.0744 | 156.83 | top 58% |
| Brisket | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 164.0228 | 134.7888 | 153.68 | top 57% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 84% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 62% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Holland Summer Fest | 5 | 17 | 0 | top 54% | Aug 25, 2017 |
| Keystone Classic Barbeque | 3 | 14 | 0 | top 50% | Oct 2, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2018
3 contests
Contests a season
2.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
15 of 15 contests
Contests visited
9
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
317
finished ahead 330 times, behind 519
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20181 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke in the Park
20161 milestone
- 10th tracked contest New Holland Summer Fest
20141 milestone
- Peak power rating (1518) New Holland Summer Fest
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Green Lane Fire CO's
- First call New Holland Summer Fest
- Career-best overall score646.1944 New Holland Summer Fest
- Career-best single call (Chicken)168.5828 New Holland Summer Fest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.8 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition | May 9, 2014 |
| +9.7 | New Holland Summer Fest | Aug 23, 2013 |
| +8.9 | Keystone Classic Barbeque | Oct 4, 2013 |
| +4.9 | New Holland Summer Fest | Aug 22, 2014 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -15.8 | Green Lane Fire CO's | May 10, 2013 |
| -10 | Smoke in the Grove | Jul 27, 2018 |
| -9.1 | Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship | Oct 7, 2016 |
| -5.8 | New Holland Summer Fest | Aug 26, 2016 |
| -5.1 | Smoke in the Park | Sep 28, 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 87.5% | 85.8% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 86.9% | 86.9% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 86.7% | 85.9% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 64% | 88.5% | 87.3% |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 40% | 88.8% | 87.9% |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 50% | 89.7% | 81.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2018 | Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA | 26 / 31 (616.4344) | 29 (151.3716) | 25 (155.9656) | 20 (158.2972) | 25 (150.8000) |
| Jul 27, 2018 | Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA | 53 / 54 (606.1032) | 48 (150.8228) | 37 (158.2744) | 53 (149.0744) | 52 (147.9316) |
| Jun 1, 2018 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 43 / 61 (629.6916) | 54 (149.6916) | 31 (159.4172) | 39 (156.5600) | 22 (164.0228) |
| Aug 25, 2017 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 51 / 69 (625.6456) | 58 (150.2744) | 36 (160.5828) | 59 (150.7884) | 24 (164) |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA | 41 / 47 (613.1088) | 41 (157.1544) | 18 (166.2628) | 42 (150.2972) | 44 (139.3944) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 48 / 66 (624.5372) | 63 (141.7028) | 21 (165.1200) | 51 (154.8916) | 19 (162.8228) |
| Oct 2, 2015 | Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA | 35 / 57 (636.9828) | 18 (166.2628) | 42 (155.3828) | 35 (158.2400) | 34 (157.0972) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 45 / 70 (624.5716) | 34 (160) | 29 (161.7144) | 52 (152.5600) | 47 (150.2972) |
| May 8, 2015 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA | 38 / 57 (623.3484) | 28 (162.8456) | 25 (159.9656) | 16 (165.7484) | 53 (134.7888) |
| Oct 3, 2014 | Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA | 33 / 53 (621.0060) | 47 (150.2400) | 6 (168.5600) | 35 (155.4288) | 43 (146.7772) |
| Aug 22, 2014 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 26 / 70 (639.3256) | 32 (160.5256) | 11 (167.4056) | 33 (156) | 31 (155.3944) |
| May 9, 2014 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA | 11 / 54 (639.3600) | 17 (161.7028) | 12 (161.0972) | 10 (164.0228) | 28 (152.5372) |
| Oct 4, 2013 | Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA | 14 / 55 (642.8112) | 34 (154.8572) | 11 (162.8684) | 13 (164.5828) | 17 (160.5028) |
| Aug 23, 2013 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 17 / 71 (646.1944) | 6 (168.5828) | 40 (154.8000) | 9 (165.1316) | 29 (157.6800) |
| May 10, 2013 | Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA | 58 / 58 (465.7142) | 34 (153.7142) | — | 33 (150.8572) | 11 (161.1428) |