STRUGGLETOWN BBQ

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

Power ranking

#3837

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1486

peak 1486 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-07-04

latest 2017-07-07

Best ToY finish

#1070

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 58%

overall standings

Best overall

658.1716 / 720

Master · Hudson Valley Ribfest

Perfect 180s

Current form

623.64 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 599.85 (+23.79)

Walk rate

20%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

173.1200

Pork · Hudson Valley Ribfest

Consistency

±36.15

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 154.66 · weakest Brisket (147.57)

Road miles

1,528

mi across 10 mapped stops · furthest 256 mi

Schedule strength

26%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1536)

Master avg

599.85 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 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.

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.09 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 20%.

Brisket avg 147.57
Chicken avg 154.66
0 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

3–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of NY PHAT DADDY'S in 3 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

8 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GOOD SMOKE BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 8 shared chicken entries.

An August team

Top 34% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 34% across 4 contests, versus top 58% the rest of the year.

4 August contests
top 58% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked I love Barbecue & Music Festival every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 3rd

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.

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

MIKE'S BAD ASH BBQ

#3852 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1507

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to STRUGGLETOWN BBQ)

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

rated over 5 contests
last seen 2017-05-19

⚔ Head-to-head

DAY-LICIOUS BBQ

#3814 of the rated field

1487 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1487

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 2019-08-09

⚔ Head-to-head

DIVINE SMOKE

#3816 of the rated field

1487 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1502

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2018-07-12

⚔ Head-to-head

E.M. AZING BBQ

#3813 of the rated field

1487 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1487

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2015-09-11

⚔ Head-to-head

A&R Q

#3824 of the rated field

1486 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1524

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 29% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2026-03-20

⚔ Head-to-head

BBQ BUDDHA

#3853 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2019-10-18

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	7	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BOAR-N-Q	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
DR. BUTTS BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
BUCKNER BROTHERS BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
TEAM EATAPEDIA	5	0	4	0%	⚔ compare
Smokin' Bulldogs	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
ACK-QUE	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	2	1	171.4056	137.0856	154.66	top 59%
Pork Ribs	10	1	0	163.4516	131.3600	149.24	top 68%
Pork	10	1	1	173.1200	132.5028	148.52	top 70%
Brisket	10	0	0	161.0972	123.9428	147.57	top 64%

“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
NY	9	0	top 54%
NJ	1	0	top 94%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 58%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 58%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
I love Barbecue & Music Festival	5	3	0	top 70%	2017-07-07
Hudson Valley Ribfest	3	9	0	top 37%	2016-08-19

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

On the trail 4 yrs 2013-07-04 → 2017-07-07

Busiest season 2015 3 contests

Contests a season 2 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NY 9 of 10 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 4 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 10 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 154.66 · weakest Brisket (147.57)

Walk rate 20% a top-10 call in 2 of 10 contests

Overall top-10 rate 30% 3 of 10 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 599.85 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 232 152–256 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,528 10 mapped stops · furthest 256 mi

Schedule strength 1536 average field rating faced — tougher than 26% of rated contests

Longest layoff 1 yrs 2013-07-04 → 2014-07-04

Power rating 1486 peak 1486 · #3837 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jul 4 First tracked contest I Love Barbecue & Music Festival
2015
Aug 1 First call 8th Annual Smokin at the Maples
Aug 1 First overall top-10 8th Annual Smokin at the Maples
2016
Jul 2 First overall podium I love Barbecue & Music Festival
Aug 19 Career-best overall score658.1716 Hudson Valley Ribfest
Aug 19 Career-best single call (Pork)173.1200 Hudson Valley Ribfest
Aug 19 Peak power rating (1495) Hudson Valley Ribfest
2017
Jul 7 10th tracked contest I love Barbecue & Music Festival
Jul 7 Most recent contest I love Barbecue & Music Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.8	I love Barbecue & Music Festival	2016-07-02
+11.9	8th Annual Smokin at the Maples	2015-08-01
+9.2	Hudson Valley Ribfest	2016-08-19
+1.2	Hudson Valley Ribfest	2015-08-14

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.8	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	2014-07-04
-11.7	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	2014-10-03
-10.9	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	2013-07-04
-8.9	I love Barbecue & Music Festival	2017-07-07
-3.8	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	2015-07-03

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 88%	82.5%	82.5%
2016	2	2	50%	top 14%	89.6%	88.8%
2015	3	1	33%	top 51%	87.4%	85.9%
2014	3	0	0%	top 75%	81.3%	77.5%
2013	1	0	0%	top 86%	78.8%	78.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-07-07	I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	35 / 40 (594.1372)	12 (160.5600)	40 (131.3600)	27 (152.5372)	30 (149.6800)
2016-08-19	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	9 / 52 (645.0284)	9 (171.4056)	36 (152.5488)	3 (173.1200)	24 (161.0972)
2016-07-02	I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	3 / 28 (633.1080)	28 (137.0856)	19 (153.1088)	24 (143.3372)	14 (154.2172)
2015-08-14	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	31 / 57 (619.8396)	32 (155.8968)	27 (159.4172)	48 (145.6912)	16 (158.8344)
2015-08-01	8th Annual Smokin at the Maples Manorville, NY	8 / 32 (629.1320)	3 (166.8688)	5 (163.4516)	13 (153.6800)	19 (145.1316)
2015-07-03	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	23 / 31 (607.2800)	19 (154.2628)	23 (153.1084)	28 (143.3600)	13 (156.5488)
2014-10-03	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	61 / 65 (567.8172)	41 (156.5256)	60 (140.5716)	60 (146.7772)	63 (123.9428)
2014-08-16	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	23 / 60 (519.9772)	52 (147.4284)	34 (156.5828)	58 (132.5028)	44 (146.2972)
2014-07-04	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	25 / 27 (585.6116)	23 (151.4400)	21 (142.8344)	14 (151.9428)	24 (139.3944)
2013-07-04	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	24 / 28 (567.4276)	22 (145.1428)	23 (139.4284)	23 (142.2854)	22 (140.5710)

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)	#1768 (125 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1573 (163 pts)	#1447 (198 pts)	#1757 (143 pts)	#1175 (293 pts)	#1578 (173 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1070 (278 pts)	#922 (378 pts)	#1080 (308 pts)	#1325 (233 pts)	#1043 (308 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1358 (202 pts)	#1404 (212 pts)	#1348 (222 pts)	#1235 (257 pts)	#1397 (207 pts)