SMOKIN BIG DAWGS

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#6303

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1397

peak 1397 · rated over 16 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-21

latest 2021-06-18

Best ToY finish

#1411

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 17 contests

Avg finish

top 85%

overall standings

Best overall

647.4286 / 720

Master · Iowa State BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

604.33 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 617.30 (-12.97)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

170.8572

Pork Ribs · BBQ'Loo & Blues Too

Consistency

±18.65

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 157.56 · weakest Brisket (149.83)

Road miles

1,794

mi across 17 mapped stops · furthest 275 mi

Schedule strength

50%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)

Purse competed for

$13K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

617.30 / 720

16 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (8 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

A tough matchup

13–0 behind in the head-to-head

DRY 2 DA BONE ahead in 100% of their meetings

DRY 2 DA BONE has come out ahead in 13 of their 13 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.73 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 149.83
Chicken avg 157.56
0 calls in 16 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Jim's Smokin The Wheels On the Grill" BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

1.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.9 years, then back at Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition (2021-06-18).

last seen 2019-07-19
back 2021-06-18

Chicken nemesis

12 of 13 shared chicken entries lost

DRY 2 DA BONE ahead 92% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DRY 2 DA BONE has out-cooked them in 12 of 13 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

GAME ON BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 77% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 77% across 7 contests, versus top 85% the rest of the year.

7 July contests
top 85% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 21st

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

OLD HENRY'S BBQ

#6306 of the rated field

1396 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1396

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 17 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2026-05-08

⚔ Head-to-head

TOBACCO ROAD PITMASTERS

#6301 of the rated field

1397 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1397

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2025-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ

#6304 of the rated field

1397 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1397

No shared contest yet.

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2024-04-26

⚔ Head-to-head

DOUBLE J SMOKERS

#6300 of the rated field

1397 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1397

No shared contest yet.

Level with SMOKIN BIG DAWGS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2024-09-06

⚔ Head-to-head

2 SKINNY COOKS

#6302 of the rated field

1397 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1397

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before SMOKIN BIG DAWGS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 21 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Royal Smoke

#6305 of the rated field

1396 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1396

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 30 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
DRY 2 DA BONE	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
2 CASE BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
SMOKEHOUSE 72	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO.	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
BIG T'Z Q CRU	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BLACK DOG BBQ IA	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BIG CHAIN BBQ GANG	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
LTS BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
MARK'S SMOKIN QUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SLIM D'S BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	17	0	168.5600	139.3256	157.56	top 77%
Pork Ribs	17	1	170.8572	144.5832	156.39	top 73%
Pork	17	0	165.7028	136.5372	153.46	top 81%
Brisket	16	0	157.1428	134.2400	149.83	top 82%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IA	15	0	top 84%
MN	1	0	top 98%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 94%
Medium (20–39)	13	top 83%
Large (40+)	2	top 92%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ'Loo & Blues Too!	7	21	0	top 77%	2019-07-19
Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition	4	16	0	top 95%	2021-06-18

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8 yrs 2013-06-21 → 2021-06-18

Busiest season 2016 3 contests

Contests a season 2.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IA 15 of 17 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 7 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 17 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 157.56 · weakest Brisket (149.83)

Walk rate 6% a top-10 call in 1 of 17 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 17 contests

Master average 617.30 out of 720 · 16 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 259 83–438 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,794 17 mapped stops · furthest 275 mi

Schedule strength 1565 average field rating faced — tougher than 50% of rated contests

Purse competed for $13,350 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 3 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.9 yrs 2019-07-19 → 2021-06-18

Power rating 1397 peak 1397 · #6303 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 21 First tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
Jun 21 Career-best overall score647.4286 Iowa State BBQ Championship
Jun 21 Peak power rating (1496) Iowa State BBQ Championship
2016
Jul 15 First call BBQ'Loo & Blues Too
Jul 15 10th tracked contest BBQ'Loo & Blues Too
Jul 15 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)170.8572 BBQ'Loo & Blues Too
2021
Jun 18 Most recent contest Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2016-03-04
-10.1	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition	2019-06-14
-9.7	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition	2021-06-18
-8.8	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition	2017-06-16
-8.5	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship	2015-06-19

Category scores over time

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0%	top 100%	79.7%	79.7%
2019	2	0%	top 98%	83.5%	83.3%
2018	2	0%	top 86%	87.3%	86.7%
2017	2	0%	top 86%	86.9%	86.1%
2016	3	33%	top 88%	88.2%	86%
2015	3	0%	top 80%	87.5%	87.3%
2014	2	0%	top 79%	85.5%	84.9%
2013	2	0%	top 64%	89.9%	88.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-06-18	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA	32 / 32 (573.6228)	30 (151.9656)	29 (150.8800)	32 (136.5372)	32 (134.2400)
2019-07-19	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! 🏅 Waterloo, IA	32 / 33 (601.5428)	33 (153.0856)	31 (151.9200)	32 (143.4056)	28 (153.1316)
2019-06-14	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA	31 / 31 (598.1028)	31 (139.3256)	30 (150.2172)	29 (156.5600)	28 (152.0000)
2018-07-20	BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	36 / 42 (619.9432)	26 (164.5944)	36 (154.8344)	38 (154.8228)	39 (145.6916)
2018-06-15	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition State Center, IA	20 / 23 (628.4572)	19 (164.5256)	21 (151.3944)	13 (165.7028)	20 (146.8344)
2017-07-14	*BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	26 / 33 (614.2180)	26 (156.5488)	29 (144.5832)	23 (155.9772)	21 (157.1088)
2017-06-16	Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition State Center, IA	16 / 17 (625.5316)	17 (156.5256)	15 (154.8116)	11 (165.6800)	16 (148.5144)
2016-07-15	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too Waterloo, IA	24 / 32 (633.6688)	26 (161.1200)	4 (170.8572)	27 (149.1544)	25 (152.5372)
2016-06-17	State Center Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition (Judges Full) State Center, IA	28 / 31 (635.2800)	17 (168.5600)	15 (166.2628)	31 (153.6456)	30 (146.8116)
2016-03-04	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Isle, MN	58 / 59 (588.9368)	57 (145.0856)	54 (147.4172)	55 (149.6340)	54 (146.8000)
2015-07-17	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	28 / 39 (626.8460)	32 (152.6172)	18 (162.2400)	23 (161.1544)	27 (150.8344)
2015-06-19	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	24 / 27 (630.1828)	19 (159.3828)	19 (161.1200)	25 (154.2628)	19 (155.4172)
2015-02-27	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series) Isle, MN	—	19 (164.0000)	39 (150.8916)	35 (151.4056)	—
2014-07-18	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	25 / 37 (607.3604)	27 (155.9772)	28 (153.1088)	25 (152.0000)	26 (146.2744)
2014-04-26	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew Boone, IA	35 / 39 (615.4172)	33 (157.7028)	26 (164.0344)	38 (141.7028)	32 (151.9772)
2013-07-19	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	21 / 35 (630.2516)	18 (161.1428)	22 (158.8456)	21 (158.2972)	21 (151.9660)
2013-06-21	Iowa State BBQ Championship Marshalltown, IA	19 / 28 (647.4286)	17 (166.2858)	15 (165.1428)	22 (158.8572)	22 (157.1428)

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1828 (117 pts)	#1662 (142 pts)	#1503 (177 pts)	#1784 (122 pts)	#1647 (142 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1814 (126 pts)	#1901 (126 pts)	#1870 (126 pts)	#1901 (126 pts)	#1875 (126 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1411 (163 pts)	#1389 (188 pts)	#1453 (178 pts)	#1631 (148 pts)	#1567 (148 pts)