BIG BULLY BBQ

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

Power ranking

#4835

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1466

peak 1466 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-25

latest 2018-08-10

Best ToY finish

#1616

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 69%

overall standings

Best overall

647.3488 / 720

Master · 14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash

Perfect 180s

Current form

627.29 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 628.16 (-0.87)

Walk rate

27%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

170.2628

Pork · Maryland State BBQ Bash

Consistency

±13.70

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 159.05 · weakest Brisket (155.03)

Road miles

331

mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 71 mi

Schedule strength

31%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)

Master avg

628.16 / 720

11 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

JUST SMOKIN' AROUND has finished one call ahead of BIG BULLY BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.02 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 9% of the time against 18%.

Brisket avg 155.03
Chicken avg 159.05
1 calls in 11 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of RIBS BY ANDY in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

7 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 7 shared chicken entries.

A June team

Top 61% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 61% across 3 contests, versus top 69% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 69% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.90% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.90% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 87.2% of a perfect score
11 contests

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.

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

SLABULOUS

#4820 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to BIG BULLY BBQ)

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

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2018-08-10

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN SOMBRERO

#4851 of the rated field

1465 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1465

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2021-08-13

⚔ Head-to-head

KCBEER'S SMOKE SHACK

#4821 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2018-10-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Back 40 BBQ

#4845 of the rated field

1465 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1465

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-10-10

⚔ Head-to-head

BootsBBQ

#4828 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1466

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2026-04-03

⚔ Head-to-head

SONS OF BRISKETS - KS

#4826 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1466

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2020-08-07

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
3 EYZ BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
PORK BARREL BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
BONE TO BARK BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	2	168.5600	149.1088	159.05	top 61%
Pork Ribs	11	0	166.2972	143.3600	156.76	top 68%
Pork	11	1	170.2628	149.6456	157.31	top 63%
Brisket	11	1	165.1200	140.5600	155.03	top 63%

“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
MD	7	top 71%
DC	3	top 61%
WV	1	top 84%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 73%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 65%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Maryland State BBQ Bash	2	29	0	top 76%	2018-08-10

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.2 yrs 2013-05-25 → 2018-08-10

Busiest season 2014 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MD 7 of 11 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 10 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 11 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 159.05 · weakest Brisket (155.03)

Walk rate 27% a top-10 call in 3 of 11 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 11 contests

Master average 628.16 out of 720 · 11 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 309 156–343 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 331 11 mapped stops · furthest 71 mi

Schedule strength 1541 average field rating faced — tougher than 31% of rated contests

Power rating 1466 peak 1466 · #4835 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 25 First tracked contest The Memorial Day Pignic
May 25 Peak power rating (1492) The Memorial Day Pignic
Sep 6 First call Pickin' in the Panhandle
2015
Aug 14 Career-best overall score647.3488 14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash
2017
Aug 11 10th tracked contest Maryland State BBQ Bash
Aug 11 Career-best single call (Pork)170.2628 Maryland State BBQ Bash
2018
Aug 10 Most recent contest Maryland State BBQ Bash

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.3	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle	2014-10-10
+2	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle	2014-06-21
+1.2	National Capital Barbecue Battle	2015-06-27
+0.9	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash	2015-08-14

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.4	Pickin' in the Panhandle	2013-09-06
-8	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-08-22
-7.6	The Memorial Day Pignic	2013-05-25
-6.8	Maryland State BBQ Bash	2016-08-12
-5.2	Maryland State BBQ Bash	2017-08-11

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)
2018	1	0%	top 76%	85.3%	85.3%
2017	1	100%	top 77%	86%	86%
2016	2	0%	top 79%	88.3%	87.2%
2015	2	0%	top 56%	89.9%	89.6%
2014	3	33%	top 60%	89.3%	87.8%
2013	2	50%	top 80%	86.6%	85.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-08-10	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	29 / 38 (614.1028)	35 (149.1088)	20 (164.0116)	32 (150.7768)	28 (150.2056)
2017-08-11	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	36 / 47 (619.3028)	27 (165.1200)	43 (143.3600)	7 (170.2628)	40 (140.5600)
2016-08-12	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	35 / 42 (619.7712)	41 (151.9772)	31 (160.5256)	34 (157.0512)	35 (150.2172)
2016-06-25	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	26 / 35 (635.9204)	32 (151.9772)	24 (159.9888)	27 (158.8344)	18 (165.1200)
2015-08-14	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	26 / 46 (647.3488)	28 (161.7144)	27 (162.8344)	27 (161.1200)	21 (161.6800)
2015-06-27	National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	23 / 42 (642.8228)	14 (168.0000)	27 (161.1544)	35 (151.9540)	23 (161.7144)
2014-10-10	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle Clarksburg, MD	11 / 25 (642.8456)	7 (166.8456)	11 (161.7488)	16 (154.2512)	8 (160.0000)
2014-08-22	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	24 / 29 (610.7084)	14 (161.7372)	26 (146.2400)	20 (151.9428)	23 (150.7884)
2014-06-21	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	22 / 41 (642.8688)	29 (154.2628)	14 (166.2972)	11 (164.0116)	21 (158.2972)
2013-09-06	Pickin' in the Panhandle Inwood, WV	31 / 37 (623.8172)	4 (168.5600)	31 (153.6688)	35 (149.6456)	29 (151.9428)
2013-05-25	The Memorial Day Pignic Fort Ritchie, MD	29 / 38 (610.2860)	31 (150.2856)	32 (144.5714)	16 (160.5714)	21 (154.8576)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1891 (85 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2319 (65 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2143 (95 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1616 (130 pts)	#1520 (175 pts)	#1776 (120 pts)	#1790 (120 pts)	#1601 (150 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2726 (59 pts)	#1989 (109 pts)	#2794 (54 pts)	#2153 (79 pts)	#2651 (64 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2527 (63 pts)	#2568 (63 pts)	#2558 (63 pts)	#1900 (108 pts)	#1995 (83 pts)