SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES

SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES is a competition barbecue team with 37 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 34 at the Jack Town Throw Down (2017), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1562 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,562

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1561

peak 1574 · rated over 37 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 7, 2014

latest Mar 23, 2018 · 4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#376

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

14% of 37 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2516 / 720

Master · Downtown BBQ Showdown

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.92 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 665.19 (-3.26)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Brisket · Southaven Springfest

Consistency

±14.34

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.93 · weakest Chicken (165.67)

Road miles

6,632

across 37 mapped stops · furthest 307 mi

Schedule strength

48%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1562)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

665.19 / 720

37 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 26 of 37 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 37 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.2516 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2516 at Downtown BBQ Showdown — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 3, 2014

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

CUZ'S CUSTOM COOKING has finished one call ahead of SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

19–2 behind in the head-to-head

BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ ahead in 90% of their meetings

BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ has come out ahead in 19 of their 21 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 73% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PLUMB CRAZY Q in 8 of their 11 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

16 of 18 shared pork entries lost

CAJUN BLAZE ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, CAJUN BLAZE has out-cooked them in 16 of 18 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

RED EYED SMOKERS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 3 more storylines

A June team

Top 39% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 39% across 3 contests, versus top 51% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 51% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,632 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,632 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 307 miles to Flames on the Flint.

37 mapped stops
furthest 307 mi

The metronome

±1.99% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.99% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.4% of a perfect score
37 contests

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	#1066 (248 pts)	#922 (353 pts)	#865 (398 pts)	#1177 (238 pts)	#1276 (198 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#457 (822 pts)	#685 (592 pts)	#478 (822 pts)	#501 (787 pts)	#546 (722 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#399 (977 pts)	#447 (887 pts)	#428 (947 pts)	#337 (1,087 pts)	#302 (1,172 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#500 (758 pts)	#524 (743 pts)	#469 (823 pts)	#276 (1,173 pts)	#420 (893 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#376 (991 pts)	#488 (791 pts)	#379 (986 pts)	#327 (1,086 pts)	#254 (1,341 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BUTTRUB.COM

#1,561 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 73
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1687

0–4 in 4 shared contests (0% to SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — BUTTRUB.COM ahead 4–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 73 contests
last seen May 14, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

BUTTS-N-RACKS BBQ, LLC

#1,563 of the rated field

1560 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1588

Careers of much the same size, 35 contests to 37, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 35 contests
last seen Oct 4, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

BIG DOGG BBQ - CINCINNATI, OH

#1,565 of the rated field

1560 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1605

They've been 1605 at their best, 45 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Aug 21, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Darty-Q

#1,557 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1576

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 33 contests, alongside a 18% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 28 contests
last seen May 16, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Butts Bellies & Buddies Too

#1,564 of the rated field

1560 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1562

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKING JOKERS AUSTRALIA

#1,558 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1561

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 15, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BAYOU BOOGIE BBQ	21	2	19	10%	⚔ compare
BOOTYQUE	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
CUZ'S CUSTOM COOKING	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
CAJUN BLAZE	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
KOKOMO Q	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
GIVE IT TO GOD	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
KILLER HOGS	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
RED EYED SMOKERS	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
SWEET DREAMS BBQ	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
LIBERTY BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
THE BLUE BLOODS	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
South Pork	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
PLUMB CRAZY Q	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
COCHON 225	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	6	0	0	175.4056	149.6228	165.67	top 58%
Pork Ribs	37	10	1	2	177.1544	150.2056	166.24	top 49%
Pork	37	13	0	2	176.5600	143.8972	166.93	top 47%
Brisket	37	11	1	4	178.8572	147.9428	166.34	top 46%

“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)	20	0	top 50%
Large (40+)	17	0	top 52%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MS	23	top 44%
LA	10	top 60%
AL	2	top 60%
TN	1	top 62%
GA	1	top 79%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival	3	4	top 25%	Apr 28, 2017
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	3	17	top 75%	Mar 3, 2017
'Que at the View	3	20	top 60%	Apr 8, 2016
Hammond BBQ	2	37	top 74%	Mar 23, 2018
George County Firefighters Association BBQ Challenge	2	15	top 67%	May 6, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 10 contests

Contests a season 7.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MS 23 of 37 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 29 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 660 finished ahead 714 times, behind 719

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

20181 milestone

Mar 23 Most recent contest Hammond BBQ

20172 milestones

Mar 31 First Reserve Championship Jack Town Throw Down
Jun 16 Peak power rating (1574) Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off

20162 milestones

Apr 22 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8572 Southaven Springfest
May 6 25th tracked contest George County Firefighters Association BBQ Challenge

20151 milestone

Mar 6 10th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20147 milestones

Mar 7 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 7 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.8856 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
May 2 First call Battle of Brandon BBQ Challenge
Oct 3 First category win (Brisket) Downtown BBQ Showdown
Oct 3 First overall top-10 Downtown BBQ Showdown
Oct 3 First overall podium Downtown BBQ Showdown
Oct 3 Career-best overall score694.2516 Downtown BBQ Showdown

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.3	Jack Town Throw Down	Mar 31, 2017
+13.4	Downtown BBQ Showdown	Oct 3, 2014
+11.4	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival	May 27, 2016
+11.4	Stand By Your Grill	Aug 15, 2014
+11.3	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival	Apr 28, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Mar 3, 2017
-7.3	Hammond BBQ	Mar 23, 2018
-7	Flames on the Flint	Mar 13, 2015
-5.6	George County Firefighters Association BBQ Challenge	May 1, 2015
-4.7	'Que at the View	Apr 4, 2014

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	3	0	0	67%	top 66%	90.9%	90.3%
2017	6	3	1	67%	top 43%	96.1%	93%
2016	10	1	0	70%	top 46%	95.7%	93%
2015	9	0	0	78%	top 60%	94.7%	91.7%
2014	9	1	1	67%	top 47%	96.4%	92.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Mar 23, 2018	Hammond BBQ Hammond, LA	39 / 48 (650.1140)	18 (169.6800)	33 (162.7884)	26 (165.7256)	46 (151.9200)
Mar 2, 2018	Jack Town Throw Down Ridgeland, MS	19 / 31 (654.1372)	18 (167.4172)	6 (171.4056)	16 (165.0972)	28 (150.2172)
Feb 23, 2018	D'Iberville BBQ Throw down Kids Q & Festival (JUDGES FULL) D'Iberville, MS	15 / 27 (646.0912)	6 (169.7028)	6 (169.6800)	20 (155.9084)	19 (150.8000)
Jun 16, 2017	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off Nesbit, MS	14 / 41 (678.2284)	32 (166.2628)	29 (163.4056)	4 (174.2628)	10 (174.2972)
Apr 28, 2017	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival Brookhaven, MS	4 / 27 (681.0396)	16 (163.9656)	2 (175.4056)	7 (172)	10 (169.6684)
Mar 31, 2017	Jack Town Throw Down Jackson, MS	2 / 34 (692)	5 (174.8572)	13 (169.1428)	5 (173.1200)	3 (174.8800)
Mar 24, 2017	Hammond BBQ Hammond, LA	37 / 55 (659.3256)	37 (166.2400)	40 (162.8000)	34 (165.7256)	33 (164.5600)
Mar 3, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	27 / 29 (638.1140)	18 (165.1200)	24 (160.5256)	19 (164.5256)	29 (147.9428)
Feb 24, 2017	Bud & BBQ (JUDGING IS FULL) Meridian, MS	9 / 22 (669.0400)	14 (166.2744)	1 (177.1544)	16 (160.5256)	12 (165.0856)
Jul 22, 2016	BBQ Fest Cooking Contest Dyersburg, TN	29 / 47 (655.3372)	37 (163.3944)	22 (166.2628)	42 (158.8000)	23 (166.8800)
Jun 17, 2016	The Desoto Shrine Club 8th Annual BBQ Cook Off Hernando, MS	11 / 41 (689.0740)	18 (169.1084)	8 (176)	13 (174.2628)	22 (169.7028)
May 27, 2016	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival Brookhaven, MS	4 / 25 (685.1428)	7 (170.2628)	5 (172.5716)	10 (167.9656)	4 (174.3428)
May 6, 2016	George County Firefighters Association BBQ Challenge Lucedale, MS	15 / 27 (668.4456)	21 (162.8000)	16 (164.5256)	10 (168.5372)	5 (172.5828)
Apr 22, 2016	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	16 / 41 (678.7544)	28 (163.9772)	27 (166.2400)	15 (169.6800)	3 (178.8572)
Apr 8, 2016	'Que at the View Gulfport, MS	20 / 43 (667.8856)	7 (171.9772)	38 (161.6456)	14 (169.1200)	21 (165.1428)
Mar 25, 2016	Hamond BBQ Hammond, LA	16 / 58 (679.3712)	44 (164.5256)	9 (173.1544)	16 (170.2628)	12 (171.4284)
Mar 19, 2016	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 2 Tupelo, MS	37 / 61 (664.9940)	51 (164.5372)	25 (169.1200)	51 (159.9312)	18 (171.4056)
Mar 18, 2016	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	46 / 95 (663.8740)	45 (167.4056)	43 (165.6800)	57 (163.9656)	42 (166.8228)
Mar 4, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	22 / 30 (639.8284)	16 (163.9656)	24 (156.5028)	4 (171.4172)	29 (147.9428)
Dec 4, 2015	Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL	21 / 36 (654.6972)	29 (162.2400)	21 (163.9772)	5 (171.4172)	27 (157.0628)
Oct 9, 2015	Downtown BBQ Showdown Hattiesburg, MS	16 / 26 (661.0512)	22 (157.6456)	11 (167.4400)	5 (172.5484)	15 (163.4172)
Sep 25, 2015	Jim Bowie BBQ Throwdown Vidalia, LA	12 / 45 (681.6572)	26 (165.7028)	16 (169.1200)	12 (171.4172)	5 (175.4172)
May 29, 2015	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival Brookhaven, MS	14 / 31 (657.0968)	23 (155.9428)	16 (165.7256)	2 (173.1428)	17 (162.2856)
May 1, 2015	George County Firefighters Association BBQ Challenge Lucedale, MS	21 / 27 (657.0280)	24 (161.6684)	24 (161.1312)	11 (169.6684)	19 (164.5600)
Apr 3, 2015	'Que at the View Gulfport, MS	26 / 40 (660.9828)	30 (162.2400)	5 (173.1200)	28 (165.6800)	30 (159.9428)
Mar 27, 2015	Smokin Blues & BBQ Hammond, LA	40 / 56 (640.8912)	35 (165.0972)	28 (163.9312)	56 (143.8972)	19 (167.9656)
Mar 13, 2015	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	57 / 72 (666.1828)	9 (175.4056)	64 (160.5372)	67 (161.6684)	35 (168.5716)
Mar 6, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	17 / 29 (662.2056)	6 (170.8688)	26 (150.2056)	10 (169.7028)	7 (171.4284)
Nov 7, 2014	Country Pleasin Grillin & Chillin BBQ Classic Florence, MS	12 / 29 (674.7428)	17 (168.5372)	11 (168.5372)	10 (169.6684)	14 (168)
Oct 3, 2014	Downtown BBQ Showdown Hattiesburg, MS	3 / 27 (694.2516)	13 (167.9888)	5 (171.9656)	3 (176.5600)	1 (177.7372)
Sep 26, 2014	The Jim Bowie BBQ Throwdown Vidalia, LA	13 / 31 (668.4800)	16 (165.6800)	19 (159.9544)	15 (166.8228)	2 (176.0228)
Sep 12, 2014	Bama Brew & Que Tuscaloosa, AL	16 / 26 (659.2912)	20 (162.8228)	20 (161.0972)	23 (162.2284)	4 (173.1428)
Aug 15, 2014	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	15 / 65 (681.0284)	42 (166.2284)	39 (165.0972)	4 (176)	12 (173.7028)
Jun 20, 2014	The Desoto Shrine Club 6th Annual 2014 BBQ Cook Off Hernando, MS	27 / 49 (669.6000)	25 (167.3944)	29 (165.1200)	19 (169.6800)	26 (167.4056)
May 2, 2014	Battle of Brandon BBQ Challenge Brandon, MS	26 / 40 (660.9940)	15 (171.4172)	10 (168.5256)	35 (157.0856)	25 (163.9656)
Apr 4, 2014	'Que at the View Gulfport, MS	25 / 36 (649.0404)	36 (149.6228)	11 (167.4288)	22 (165.1428)	14 (166.8460)
Mar 7, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Baton Rouge, LA	13 / 23 (651.8856)	18 (161.7372)	14 (163.9656)	16 (163.3828)	14 (162.8000)

SMOKIN' SOBER...SOMETIMES

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The long haul

The metronome

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, averaged over 5 contests — 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)