Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Chicken ×1
- Pork ×1
ROYAL SMOKERS
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1572
peak 1578 · rated over 26 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
26
in the data
First seen
2014-05-02
latest 2018-09-28
Best ToY finish
#352
Master 2017
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
4
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
of 26 contests
Avg finish
top 50%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
669.88 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 662.72 (+7.15)
Walk rate
73%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±16.35
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 166.13 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.96)
Road miles
3,022
mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 266 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1576)
Master avg
662.72 / 720
26 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (14 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.
On the rise
+32
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 32 points across 8 contests since 2017-09-29 — from 1540 up to 1572.
- 8 contests since 2017-09-29
- now 1572
They almost always walk
73%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 19 of 26 contests
A top-10 category call in 73% of their 26 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
694.2400
career-best overall
96.4% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 694.2400 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 96.4% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2018-06-08
The one to beat
5×
one call ahead of them
SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY has finished one call ahead of ROYAL SMOKERS 5 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2016
their best year
2016 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 38%.
- 4 contests
- 2 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 38%
A tough matchup
18–2
behind in the head-to-head
FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead in 90% of their meetings
FIRE DANCER BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 20 shared contests.
A strong matchup
7–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 78% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Kermit's Ex in 7 of their 9 shared contests.
Pork nemesis
15 of 20
shared pork entries lost
FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead 75% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, FIRE DANCER BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 20 shared pork entries.
Built for the big stage
Top 38%
average finish in large fields
Field size changes the story: they average a top 38% finish in large fields against top 70% in small ones.
- Large (40+): top 38% (6)
- Small (<20 teams): top 70% (4)
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Tater 2 has landed one call behind them 2 times.
A June team
Top 32%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 32% across 4 contests, versus top 50% the rest of the year.
- 4 June contests
- top 50% the rest of the year
The long haul
3,022
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,022 miles across 26 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 266 miles to Blues Hog BBQ & Music Fest.
- 26 mapped stops
- furthest 266 mi
The metronome
±2.27%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±2.27% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 92.0% of a perfect score
- 26 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.
36 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1376 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1572
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to ROYAL SMOKERS)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team ROYAL SMOKERS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1366 of the rated field
- Contests
- 79
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1632
2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to ROYAL SMOKERS)
They've been 1632 at their best, 60 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#1378 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 30 contests to 26, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1372 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
31 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 35% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1380 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1583
No shared contest yet.
Level with ROYAL SMOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1371 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1589
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 26, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 20 | 2 | 18 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQR'S DELIGHT | 18 | 7 | 11 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| 501 BBQ | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Survivor-Que | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT AND FAST BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Kermit's Ex | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| EPIC BBQ CRU | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLIND HOG BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Q-BONES BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 26 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 180.0000 🔥 | 147.9200 | 165.87 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 176.5716 | 146.2516 | 164.96 | top 53% |
| Pork | 26 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 152.5028 | 166.13 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 26 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 175.4172 | 149.0856 | 165.76 | top 48% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR | 21 | 0 | top 51% |
| MS | 2 | 0 | top 35% |
| LA | 2 | 0 | top 64% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 42% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 70% |
| Medium (20–39) | 16 | 0 | top 50% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 38% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Bikes, Blues and BBQ | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 48% | 2018-09-28 |
| Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 35% | 2018-06-15 |
| Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 28% | 2018-06-08 |
| *Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 38% | 2017-10-06 |
| *Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 43% | 2017-09-29 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 64% | 2017-03-03 |
| Biggest Buck and Best Rack | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 58% | 2015-09-11 |
The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.4 yrs
2014-05-02 → 2018-09-28
Busiest season
2017
9 contests
Contests a season
5.2
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
AR
21 of 26 contests · 4 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
19
7 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
26 entries · 1 win · 9 calls
Strongest meat
Pork
averages 166.13 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.96)
Walk rate
73%
a top-10 call in 19 of 26 contests
Overall top-10 rate
27%
7 of 26 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Master average
662.72
out of 720 · 26 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
2
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
410
431–369 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
3,022
26 mapped stops · furthest 266 mi
Schedule strength
1576
average field rating faced — tougher than 61% of rated contests
Power rating
1572
peak 1578 · #1373 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Smokelawn
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.7772 Smokelawn
- First call Que'n In The Park
- 2016
- First overall top-10 * Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff
- 10th tracked contest Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash
- 2017
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Blues Hog BBQ & Music Fest
- First overall podium *Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
- 2018
- First perfect 180 (Pork) *Smoke on the Border
- Career-best overall score694.2400 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- Peak power rating (1578) Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off
- 25th tracked contest *17th Annual Bordertown Bash
- Most recent contest *Bikes, Blues and BBQ
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.9 | *Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off | 2017-04-28 |
| +13.4 | * Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff | 2016-08-13 |
| +12.4 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | 2018-06-08 |
| +9.9 | Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash | 2016-09-23 |
| +8.1 | *Smoke on the Border | 2018-04-07 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.3 | Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 | 2015-08-21 |
| -9.1 | Hot Springs Blues & BBQ | 2015-09-19 |
| -7.1 | Que'n In The Park | 2014-07-04 |
| -7.1 | Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 2 | 2015-08-22 |
| -5.2 | *17th Annual Bordertown Bash | 2018-07-13 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 83% | top 42% | 96.4% | 93.4% |
| 2017 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 78% | top 43% | 96% | 93% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 94% | 91.8% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 86% | 90.9% | 89.4% |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 56% | 91.4% | 90.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-28 | *Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR | 28 / 49 (652.4456) | 9 (173.1428) | 27 (162.8344) | 21 (167.3828) | 43 (149.0856) |
| 2018-07-13 | *17th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR | 25 / 32 (651.3600) | 14 (171.4172) | 32 (155.3828) | 18 (168.5600) | 26 (156.0000) |
| 2018-06-15 | Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off Hernado, MS | 13 / 45 (684.0000) | 9 (173.7256) | 35 (161.1200) | 3 (177.7028) | 18 (171.4516) |
| 2018-06-08 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR | 7 / 44 (694.2400) | 1 (180.0000) | 5 (176.0116) | 13 (172.5600) | 28 (165.6684) |
| 2018-05-25 | *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off Gillett, AR | 7 / 18 (667.3368) | 4 (171.4056) | 12 (162.2400) | 14 (161.0856) | 4 (172.6056) |
| 2018-04-07 | *Smoke on the Border Gravette, AR | 10 / 33 (685.7144) | 9 (170.8800) | 18 (165.1316) | 1 (180.0000) | 13 (169.7028) |
| 2017-10-06 | *Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR | 8 / 25 (667.9316) | 11 (165.6800) | 8 (169.6916) | 14 (162.8456) | 7 (169.7144) |
| 2017-09-29 | *Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR | 11 / 19 (651.9084) | 16 (155.3828) | 10 (165.0856) | 14 (159.4400) | 3 (172.0000) |
| 2017-09-22 | Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR | 15 / 38 (662.7428) | 8 (170.8228) | 14 (166.8572) | 6 (174.2972) | 27 (150.7656) |
| 2017-07-07 | *16th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR | 17 / 31 (669.7032) | 22 (167.4516) | 6 (173.7144) | 22 (164.0000) | 17 (164.5372) |
| 2017-06-16 | Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off Nesbit, MS | 17 / 41 (676.4456) | 8 (173.7028) | 14 (170.8344) | 15 (170.8228) | 29 (161.0856) |
| 2017-06-09 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR | 18 / 45 (675.3144) | 21 (169.6800) | 26 (165.6916) | 15 (170.2628) | 19 (169.6800) |
| 2017-04-28 | *Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off Stuttgart, AR | 3 / 29 (691.4056) | 3 (176.5828) | 1 (176.5600) | 19 (164.5600) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2017-03-31 | Blues Hog BBQ & Music Fest Savannah, TN | 20 / 48 (679.8972) | 43 (162.2284) | 1 (176.5716) | 2 (177.1544) | 35 (163.9428) |
| 2017-03-03 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA | 20 / 29 (650.7200) | 23 (161.7028) | 26 (157.6572) | 14 (167.3828) | 14 (163.9772) |
| 2016-10-07 | *Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR | 12 / 27 (659.3028) | 14 (163.3828) | 18 (158.8000) | 5 (169.7144) | 11 (167.4056) |
| 2016-09-23 | Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR | 7 / 25 (661.0632) | 22 (150.2516) | 2 (175.4288) | 14 (159.9656) | 2 (175.4172) |
| 2016-08-13 | * Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff Russellville, AR | 6 / 28 (677.1432) | 7 (173.7488) | 19 (162.2744) | 8 (171.4172) | 6 (169.7028) |
| 2016-03-04 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA | 18 / 30 (645.6000) | 20 (161.1544) | 19 (161.6572) | 26 (154.2284) | 8 (168.5600) |
| 2015-09-19 | Hot Springs Blues & BBQ Hot Springs, AR | 26 / 29 (633.5428) | 27 (153.6456) | 20 (162.2744) | 26 (154.2056) | 20 (163.4172) |
| 2015-09-11 | Biggest Buck and Best Rack Alma, AR | 18 / 25 (654.2172) | 12 (171.4400) | 10 (169.1200) | 25 (152.5028) | 19 (161.1544) |
| 2015-08-22 | Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 2 Hot Springs, AR | 16 / 18 (650.1600) | 16 (159.4056) | 16 (161.6688) | 17 (159.4056) | 11 (169.6800) |
| 2015-08-21 | Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 Hot Springs, AR | 18 / 19 (637.5428) | 19 (147.9200) | 19 (146.2516) | 2 (173.7028) | 10 (169.6684) |
| 2014-09-12 | Biggest Buck and Best Rack Alma, AR | 12 / 27 (658.1488) | 13 (167.9772) | 19 (158.8116) | 11 (165.6800) | 11 (165.6800) |
| 2014-07-04 | Que'n In The Park Bryant, AR | 26 / 33 (638.1028) | 32 (151.3600) | 18 (163.9656) | 10 (166.2516) | 21 (156.5256) |
| 2014-05-02 | Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR | 17 / 39 (654.7772) | 14 (168.5828) | 23 (163.4172) | 31 (154.2288) | 13 (168.5484) |
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 | #524 (683 pts) | #322 (1023 pts) | #651 (563 pts) | #390 (908 pts) | #629 (583 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #352 (1053 pts) | #362 (1023 pts) | #226 (1343 pts) | #317 (1123 pts) | #349 (1078 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #712 (530 pts) | #900 (410 pts) | #787 (505 pts) | #806 (485 pts) | #583 (690 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1002 (306 pts) | #1009 (331 pts) | #950 (366 pts) | #846 (431 pts) | #902 (391 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1286 (221 pts) | #1307 (231 pts) | #1624 (156 pts) | #1516 (186 pts) | #1238 (246 pts) |