RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT

RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT is a competition barbecue team with 22 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 4th of 24 at the Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue (2017). They are ranked #4512 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Rub It Smoke It Love It”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,512

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1473

peak 1473 · rated over 21 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 10, 2013

latest Apr 20, 2018 · 4.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#747

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

9% of 22 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

676.5716 / 720

Master · Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

656.72 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 640.89 (+15.83)

Walk rate

36%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork · Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest

Consistency

±20.95

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.56 · weakest Pork Ribs (155.41)

Road miles

2,382

across 22 mapped stops · furthest 121 mi

Schedule strength

44%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)

Master avg

640.89 / 720

22 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (8 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 pork.

Pork ×1

High-water mark

676.5716 career-best overall

94.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 676.5716 at Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue — 94.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 9, 2017

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 56%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10
1 category win
average top 56%

A tough matchup

13–1 behind in the head-to-head

ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ ahead in 93% of their meetings

ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ has come out ahead in 13 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−11.2 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 11.15 points below their pork, and turns into a call 5% of the time against 36%.

Pork Ribs avg 155.41
Pork avg 166.56
1 call in 22 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SCHAEFER BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

10 of 13 shared pork entries lost

QUAU ahead 77% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, QUAU has out-cooked them in 10 of 13 shared pork entries.

Show 1 more storyline

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 has landed one call behind them 2 times.

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	#1701 (115 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1976 (65 pts)	#1049 (285 pts)	#1495 (145 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#747 (504 pts)	#909 (429 pts)	#812 (494 pts)	#482 (814 pts)	#918 (404 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#920 (368 pts)	#939 (388 pts)	#1050 (333 pts)	#686 (588 pts)	#887 (408 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1372 (180 pts)	#1476 (180 pts)	#1470 (180 pts)	#1253 (250 pts)	#1311 (215 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1034 (300 pts)	#999 (350 pts)	#1120 (290 pts)	#653 (585 pts)	#1035 (315 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1970 (75 pts)	#1974 (90 pts)	#1863 (110 pts)	#1942 (100 pts)	#2597 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Broken Hinge BBQ

#4,502 of the rated field

1473 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1473

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jul 16, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

BAJA PIT CREW

#4,524 of the rated field

1473 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1473

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2013, 5 years before RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 5 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

FOUNDING FATHERS BBQ

#4,527 of the rated field

1473 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1505

They've been 1505 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Aug 26, 2016

⚔ Compare careers

Bone Daddy's BBQ

#4,520 of the rated field

1473 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1473

Careers of much the same size, 27 contests to 22, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

FEEL THE BURN BBQ

#4,529 of the rated field

1472 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1511

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2016

⚔ Compare careers

DOUBLE A'S BBQ

#4,516 of the rated field

1473 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1519

Level with RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 11, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
QUAU	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
PORK PARADISE	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY'S Q	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
I QUE & BREW	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
JUGS BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
PITMASTERIQ BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
RURAL ROUTE BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' BUTTS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	22	0	0	0	172.5484	150.2056	162.04	top 65%
Pork Ribs	22	1	0	1	173.7144	133.6344	155.41	top 74%
Pork	22	8	2	4	180 🔥	155.3828	166.56	top 40%
Brisket	22	2	0	0	172.5828	135.4172	156.89	top 65%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 64%
Medium (20–39)	7	top 68%
Large (40+)	13	top 68%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IL	14	0	top 69%
MO	8	0	top 67%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest	2	13	top 34%	Apr 20, 2018
CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	2	28	top 66%	Oct 13, 2017
Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	2	33	top 62%	Sep 22, 2017
Up In smoke on the Square	2	35	top 83%	Jun 3, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 5 contests

Contests a season 3.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 14 of 22 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 18 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 376 finished ahead 276 times, behind 580

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

20181 milestone

Apr 20 Most recent contest Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest

20173 milestones

Apr 21 First category win (Pork) Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest
Apr 21 First perfect 180 (Pork) Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest
Jun 9 Career-best overall score676.5716 Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue

20161 milestone

Jun 24 First overall top-10 Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest

20151 milestone

Jun 5 10th tracked contest Up In Smoke On The Square

20141 milestone

Sep 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5716 Hermann Bar-BQ and Brats Festival

20133 milestones

May 10 First tracked contest 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 10 First call 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 10 Peak power rating (1487) 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.8	Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue	Jun 9, 2017
+11	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest	Apr 21, 2017
+9.3	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest	Apr 20, 2018
+7.5	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest	Jun 24, 2016
+5.3	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	Sep 23, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off	May 10, 2013
-8.2	Up In Smoke On The Square	Jun 5, 2015
-7.2	Q the Lou	Sep 13, 2013
-6.5	Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest	Apr 15, 2016
-6.4	7th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest	Apr 17, 2015

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)
2018	1	0	1	100%	top 35%	92.9%	92.9%
2017	5	1	1	60%	top 56%	94%	91.4%
2016	5	1	0	20%	top 64%	92.6%	89.8%
2015	3	0	0	0%	top 82%	87.6%	86.9%
2014	4	0	0	50%	top 74%	90.1%	89.2%
2013	4	0	0	25%	top 79%	88.3%	85.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Apr 20, 2018	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO	14 / 40 (669.1204)	28 (161.6916)	24 (159.9544)	1 (174.8916)	9 (172.5828)
Oct 13, 2017	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	33 / 41 (634.1368)	37 (150.2056)	20 (161.7028)	4 (173.1428)	36 (149.0856)
Oct 6, 2017	Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Decatur, IL	23 / 30 (651.3372)	16 (166.8572)	23 (158.8344)	17 (166.8228)	20 (158.8228)
Sep 22, 2017	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	40 / 55 (652.4344)	34 (165.6800)	43 (159.3828)	31 (167.4172)	38 (159.9544)
Jun 9, 2017	Beardstown Blues,Brews & Barbecue Beardstown, IL	4 / 24 (676.5716)	11 (168.0116)	3 (173.7144)	6 (170.2856)	11 (164.5600)
Apr 21, 2017	Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO	13 / 40 (674.1716)	19 (166.2400)	27 (162.8344)	1 (180)	20 (165.0972)
Oct 14, 2016	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL	28 / 55 (658.7660)	27 (165.7144)	31 (163.9772)	31 (163.9544)	28 (165.1200)
Sep 23, 2016	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	33 / 64 (666.7884)	16 (172.5484)	52 (159.4172)	13 (174.2628)	44 (160.5600)
Jun 24, 2016	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest Assumption, IL	9 / 18 (662.2056)	13 (165.6684)	17 (152.5372)	2 (172.5600)	5 (171.4400)
Jun 3, 2016	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	41 / 52 (626.7544)	44 (159.4056)	23 (163.4288)	16 (166.2856)	52 (137.6344)
Apr 15, 2016	Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	47 / 53 (619.8972)	45 (157.7028)	48 (150.8000)	31 (161.6800)	45 (149.7144)
Sep 25, 2015	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL	43 / 55 (630.7200)	31 (165.6684)	51 (146.8116)	47 (155.3828)	30 (162.8572)
Jun 5, 2015	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	35 / 40 (619.8404)	36 (155.9888)	38 (147.3716)	32 (155.9544)	21 (160.5256)
Apr 17, 2015	7th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	40 / 49 (625.5772)	37 (159.9772)	49 (133.6344)	11 (169.1200)	22 (162.8456)
Oct 17, 2014	Casino Queen BBQ Competition Greater St. Louis, IL	37 / 44 (633.0628)	29 (163.4284)	41 (146.8344)	6 (172.5600)	38 (150.2400)
Sep 26, 2014	Hermann Bar-BQ and Brats Festival Hermann, MO	25 / 37 (648.5716)	21 (165.1428)	30 (158.8460)	22 (162.8800)	23 (161.7028)
Jun 26, 2014	Legacy State BBQ Championship Cook-Off Effingham, IL	14 / 18 (645.0972)	16 (156.5600)	16 (157.6800)	3 (169.1428)	13 (161.7144)
Apr 11, 2014	6th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	31 / 46 (642.2288)	17 (165.7144)	34 (156.0116)	18 (165.6800)	35 (154.8228)
Sep 27, 2013	Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival Hermann, MO	27 / 39 (635.9320)	31 (156.5600)	26 (158.8804)	27 (159.9544)	18 (160.5372)
Sep 13, 2013	Q the Lou Litchfield, IL	20 / 25 (615.4972)	17 (158.3428)	13 (160.5828)	15 (161.1544)	23 (135.4172)
Jun 14, 2013	Southern Pride Invitational (Competitor's Series) unrated Marion, IL	22 / 29 (603.9998)	17 (158.8572)	22 (147.4284)	18 (155.4284)	22 (142.2858)
May 10, 2013	2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off Florissant, MO	23 / 25 (606.8576)	17 (158.8572)	23 (138.2858)	8 (165.7144)	24 (144.0002)

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

RUB IT, SMOKE IT, LOVE IT

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

Master avg

Storylines (8 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

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)