DESPERADO

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

Power ranking

#5661

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1446

peak 1446 · rated over 18 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-03-21

latest 2017-06-02

Best ToY finish

#433

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 18 contests

Avg finish

top 71%

overall standings

Best overall

679.3944 / 720

Master · Blazin' BBQ Throwdown

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

639.53

last 5 Master vs avg 639.47 (+0.06)

Walk rate

33%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Brisket · Horse Town Brew n Que Festival

Consistency

±19.15

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.09 · weakest Pork (157.61)

Road miles

1,462

mi across 18 mapped stops · furthest 223 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Master avg

639.47 / 720

18 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.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.

Brisket ×1

High-water mark

679.3944 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.3944 at Blazin' BBQ Throwdown — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-10-17

A tough matchup

15–1 behind in the head-to-head

ZZYZX BAR.B.Q ahead in 94% of their meetings

ZZYZX BAR.B.Q has come out ahead in 15 of their 16 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.48 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 11%.

Pork avg 157.61
Chicken avg 162.09
1 calls in 18 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of MOSSY ROCK BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

13 of 14 shared chicken entries lost

Burnin and Lootin ahead 93% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Burnin and Lootin has out-cooked them in 13 of 14 shared chicken entries.

An October team

Top 40% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 40% across 3 contests, versus top 71% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 71% the rest of the year

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.

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

BBQ'S DUNN

#5647 of the rated field

1446 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to DESPERADO)

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2020-02-28

⚔ Head-to-head

UNCLE BUTCH BBQ

#5654 of the rated field

1446 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2019-07-26

⚔ Head-to-head

KEN'S BURNT ENDS

#5657 of the rated field

1446 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 18 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2015-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Splitlog Smokers

#5667 of the rated field

1446 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

17 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN BARRELS

#5670 of the rated field

1446 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2025-09-20

⚔ Head-to-head

BoomBoomQue

#5671 of the rated field

1446 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2019-08-23

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
COOL GRILLING	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
Rooftop BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKE HOUND BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
Smokin it Up BBQ	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
LEFT COAST Q	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
Porterhouse BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
FUNTIME BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
TWISTED BRISKET BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	18	2	1	175.4172	151.3372	162.09	top 67%
Pork Ribs	18	1	0	174.2972	148.5484	160.44	top 66%
Pork	18	1	0	166.8572	139.8856	157.61	top 75%
Brisket	18	3	1	180.0000 🔥	144.4572	159.32	top 60%

“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
CA	15	0	top 74%
NV	3	0	top 53%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	8	0	top 68%
Large (40+)	10	0	top 73%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
West Coast BBQ Classic	2	44	0	top 79%	2015-05-08

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3.2 yrs 2014-03-21 → 2017-06-02

Busiest season 2014 12 contests

Contests a season 6 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CA 15 of 18 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 17 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 18 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 162.09 · weakest Pork (157.61)

Walk rate 33% a top-10 call in 6 of 18 contests

Overall top-10 rate 6% 1 of 18 contests

Master average 639.47 out of 720 · 18 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 373 284–654 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,462 18 mapped stops · furthest 223 mi

Schedule strength 1548 average field rating faced — tougher than 36% of rated contests

Longest layoff 1.5 yrs 2015-12-11 → 2017-06-02

Power rating 1446 peak 1446 · #5661 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Mar 21 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
Mar 21 Peak power rating (1491) 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
May 2 First call Best of the Best BBQ Championship & Boat Show
Oct 2 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.1484 Dana Point State BBQ Championship
Oct 17 First overall top-10 Blazin' BBQ Throwdown
Oct 17 10th tracked contest Blazin' BBQ Throwdown
Oct 17 Career-best overall score679.3944 Blazin' BBQ Throwdown
2015
May 29 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
2017
Jun 2 Most recent contest *Horse Town Brew B Que Festival( Judges Full)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Blazin' BBQ Throwdown	2014-10-17
+7.1	2014 Down Town Throw Down	2014-12-12
+6.6	USA Barbecue Championship	2014-10-30
+3.5	Dana Point State BBQ Championship	2014-10-02

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.2	Mission Beach Centennial Party and BBQ	2014-09-26
-11.3	6th Annual Vista Q Classic	2014-07-25
-8.7	3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	2014-03-21
-8.7	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2	2014-08-09
-8.4	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 1	2014-08-08

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	1	0	0%	top 86%	87.8%	87.8%
2015	5	0	40%	top 73%	90.9%	89.4%
2014	12	1	33%	top 69%	94.4%	88.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-06-02	*Horse Town Brew B Que Festival( Judges Full) Norco, CA	49 / 57 (631.8632)	52 (154.7884)	46 (162.2516)	41 (162.8688)	45 (151.9544)
2015-12-11	2015 Downtown Barbecue Throwdown Las Vegas, NV	21 / 30 (641.0400)	20 (163.9656)	20 (163.9772)	19 (165.6800)	27 (147.4172)
2015-06-26	Newport Beach Barbecue Contest Newport Beach, CA	21 / 29 (651.2800)	3 (174.8572)	19 (162.2628)	27 (156.5028)	24 (157.6572)
2015-05-29	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	58 / 75 (643.3372)	60 (161.1200)	73 (151.3600)	72 (150.8572)	3 (180.0000)
2015-05-08	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	47 / 57 (630.1260)	50 (151.9772)	47 (156.5144)	51 (155.3828)	25 (166.2516)
2015-03-20	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	62 / 100 (654.2172)	68 (164.5600)	58 (165.1428)	87 (156.5372)	38 (167.9772)
2014-12-12	2014 Down Town Throw Down Las Vegas, NV	11 / 26 (661.0972)	17 (165.6916)	11 (165.1200)	18 (161.1428)	6 (169.1428)
2014-10-30	USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV	38 / 79 (667.3260)	9 (175.4172)	30 (169.1200)	56 (162.2400)	58 (160.5488)
2014-10-17	Blazin' BBQ Throwdown Lancaster, CA	6 / 29 (679.3944)	13 (166.8228)	6 (174.2972)	11 (166.8572)	6 (171.4172)
2014-10-02	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	49 / 97 (658.1484)	61 (165.1084)	24 (170.8228)	75 (158.2628)	40 (163.9544)
2014-09-26	Mission Beach Centennial Party and BBQ San Diego, CA	20 / 20 (612.2744)	20 (151.3372)	18 (153.6456)	19 (157.0972)	20 (150.1944)
2014-08-09	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2 Huntington Beach, CA	35 / 38 (636.9484)	37 (155.9428)	31 (160.5028)	29 (164.5484)	34 (155.9544)
2014-08-08	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 1 Huntington Beach, CA	35 / 39 (634.6280)	34 (162.8000)	19 (166.8456)	37 (154.7540)	36 (150.2284)
2014-07-25	6th Annual Vista Q Classic Vista, CA	56 / 60 (620.3428)	49 (161.0972)	56 (149.0856)	59 (139.8856)	14 (170.2744)
2014-06-20	3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	48 / 65 (630.6284)	43 (162.8000)	51 (157.0856)	50 (154.8112)	43 (155.9316)
2014-05-09	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	44 / 59 (622.7084)	28 (163.9772)	52 (148.5484)	28 (163.3828)	51 (146.8000)
2014-05-02	Best of the Best BBQ Championship & Boat Show Lake Elsinore, CA	16 / 27 (632.3312)	13 (163.9656)	14 (157.6340)	4 (166.2744)	20 (144.4572)
2014-03-21	3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	56 / 69 (602.6972)	61 (151.3828)	50 (153.7144)	63 (139.9200)	35 (157.6800)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#955 (329 pts)	#754 (489 pts)	#1001 (344 pts)	#1056 (319 pts)	#779 (469 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#433 (896 pts)	#414 (911 pts)	#410 (951 pts)	#404 (926 pts)	#385 (976 pts)