T-BAUM BBQ

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

Power ranking

#1655

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1554

peak 1556 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-23

latest 2018-08-24

Best ToY finish

#1701

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 15 contests

Avg finish

top 41%

overall standings

Best overall

678.2628 / 720

Master · Red, White, And BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

651.42 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 653.24 (-1.81)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.7144

Brisket · Grill Games

Consistency

±13.77

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 165.28 · weakest Pork (161.91)

Road miles

864

mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 108 mi

Schedule strength

33%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1544)

Master avg

653.24 / 720

15 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 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.

Happy hunting ground

Top 19% average finish here

Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 10th
average top 19%

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 10 of 15 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 15 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

678.2628 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.2628 at Red, White, And BBQ — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-05-24

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MUD'S BBQ has finished one call ahead of T-BAUM BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 15%.

3 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 15%

A tough matchup

10–3 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead in 77% of their meetings

THE SMOKE HUNTERS has come out ahead in 10 of their 13 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

8 of 13 shared pork ribs entries lost

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead 62% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE SMOKE HUNTERS has out-cooked them in 8 of 13 shared pork ribs entries.

The metronome

±1.91% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.91% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.7% of a perfect score
15 contests

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Grill Games every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 9th

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.

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

A BOY NAMED QUE

#1652 of the rated field

1554 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1554

2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to T-BAUM BBQ)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 37 contests
last seen 2019-10-18

⚔ Head-to-head

Just Katie

#1660 of the rated field

1554 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1554

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-08-30

⚔ Head-to-head

Hog's Plan BBQ

#1651 of the rated field

1554 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1554

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2023-06-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Checkered Flag 500

#1659 of the rated field

1554 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1571

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 7 years after T-BAUM BBQ did, first appearing in 2020.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2023-04-07

⚔ Head-to-head

OUTTA GAS BBQ

#1662 of the rated field

1554 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1554

No shared contest yet.

23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2018-12-14

⚔ Head-to-head

MASTER OF DISASTER

#1657 of the rated field

1554 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1570

No shared contest yet.

Level with T-BAUM BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2017-03-31

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE SMOKE HUNTERS	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
MUD'S BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
Q-N WITH ATTITUDE	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
ROLL THE BONES BBQ	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
Monsters of the Ribway	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
Risky Brisket	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
2 SKINNY COOKS	7	7	0	100%	⚔ compare
KEN'S BURNT ENDS	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	15	3	0	0	174.8456	151.9772	163.67	top 50%
Pork Ribs	15	3	1	1	173.1428	155.4172	165.28	top 36%
Pork	15	4	0	0	170.2744	150.2400	161.91	top 46%
Brisket	15	5	1	2	177.7144	154.2284	162.37	top 42%

“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	Avg finish
WI	7	top 41%
IL	7	top 36%
IN	1	top 64%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 48%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 36%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Grill Games	6	9	top 37%	2018-08-24
*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2	17	top 57%	2017-06-23
Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)	2	10	top 19%	2015-05-23

The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5 yrs 2013-08-23 → 2018-08-24

Busiest season 2016 3 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WI 7 of 15 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 15 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 165.28 · weakest Pork (161.91)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 10 of 15 contests

Overall top-10 rate 27% 4 of 15 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 653.24 out of 720 · 15 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 283 412–244 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 864 15 mapped stops · furthest 108 mi

Schedule strength 1544 average field rating faced — tougher than 33% of rated contests

Power rating 1554 peak 1556 · #1655 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 23 First tracked contest Grill Games
Oct 18 First call 8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL)
2014
May 24 First overall top-10 Red, White, And BBQ
May 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score678.2628 Red, White, And BBQ
May 24 Career-best overall score678.2628 Red, White, And BBQ
Aug 22 First category win (Brisket) Grill Games
Aug 22 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7144 Grill Games
2015
May 23 Peak power rating (1556) Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)
2016
Jul 15 10th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2018
Aug 24 Most recent contest Grill Games

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.9	Red, White, And BBQ	2014-05-24
+12.5	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2014-07-11
+10.3	Grill Games	2018-08-24
+9.5	Grill Games	2014-08-22
+9.2	Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)	2015-05-23

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-5.5	Grillin' in Grafton	2015-06-26
-2.8	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2017-06-23
-2.1	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2018-05-26
-0.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2016-07-15
-0.9	Grill Games	2015-08-28

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	2	1	1	50%	top 42%	93.8%	92.3%
2017	2	0	0	50%	top 55%	89.6%	89.4%
2016	3	0	0	100%	top 54%	90.3%	89.8%
2015	3	0	0	67%	top 47%	92.9%	90.4%
2014	3	3	1	67%	top 15%	94.2%	93.2%
2013	2	0	0	50%	top 34%	89.2%	88.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-08-24	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	9 / 42 (675.3716)	4 (174.8456)	1 (173.1428)	8 (168.5716)	24 (158.8116)
2018-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	38 / 60 (653.5772)	16 (170.8456)	26 (166.2400)	44 (161.0972)	44 (155.3944)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	19 / 39 (642.7320)	35 (153.6344)	13 (164.5832)	4 (169.7028)	28 (154.8116)
2017-06-23	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	26 / 42 (645.0176)	29 (161.0972)	27 (162.2860)	27 (160.5488)	27 (161.0856)
2016-08-26	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	17 / 37 (640.4228)	4 (172.0000)	13 (163.9544)	30 (150.2400)	21 (154.2284)
2016-07-15	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN	18 / 28 (650.1712)	18 (162.8456)	23 (156.5256)	4 (170.2744)	19 (160.5256)
2016-06-24	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	17 / 33 (649.6800)	18 (165.1428)	21 (155.4172)	18 (161.7144)	8 (167.4056)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	24 / 49 (642.7432)	28 (159.9660)	12 (168.0000)	23 (160.5372)	32 (154.2400)
2015-06-26	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	22 / 33 (639.9084)	30 (151.9772)	12 (165.1428)	25 (157.0856)	9 (165.7028)
2015-05-23	Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	14 / 58 (669.1200)	28 (166.8456)	35 (162.2744)	23 (166.2628)	3 (173.7372)
2014-08-22	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	9 / 47 (666.1600)	26 (161.6684)	5 (173.1316)	35 (153.6456)	1 (177.7144)
2014-07-11	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	4 / 34 (667.8744)	5 (170.8228)	13 (163.9772)	4 (169.1200)	10 (163.9544)
2014-05-24	Red, White, And BBQ Westmont, IL	10 / 72 (678.2628)	19 (170.2972)	11 (171.4400)	12 (169.1084)	12 (167.4172)
2013-10-18	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	15 / 54 (642.1940)	40 (153.0856)	4 (172.5600)	19 (158.2628)	19 (158.2856)
2013-08-23	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	17 / 43 (635.3144)	24 (159.9772)	13 (160.5372)	34 (152.5372)	15 (162.2628)

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
2013 ↗	Master	#1701 (125 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#1271 (225 pts)	#1918 (105 pts)	#1867 (105 pts)