JOHN'S TWISTED Q

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

Power ranking

#1158

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1589

peak 1589 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-09-27

latest 2019-06-01

Best ToY finish

#321

Master 2016

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

14 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 28 contests

Avg finish

top 44%

overall standings

Best overall

677.0512 / 720

Master · The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest

Perfect 180s

Current form

653.37

last 5 Master vs avg 653.07 (+0.30)

Walk rate

79%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.2972

Pork · The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest

Consistency

±13.69

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.51 · weakest Brisket (160.75)

Road miles

2,767

mi across 28 mapped stops · furthest 237 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)

Purse competed for

$27K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

653.07 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

They almost always walk

79% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 22 of 28 contests

A top-10 category call in 79% of their 28 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

677.0512 career-best overall

94.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 677.0512 at The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest — 94.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-08-26

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

FOUR SMOKING GUYS has finished one call ahead of JOHN'S TWISTED Q 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 8 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 34%.

8 contests
4 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 34%

A tough matchup

20–3 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 87% of their meetings

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 20 of their 23 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.77 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 36% of the time against 43%.

Brisket avg 160.75
Chicken avg 165.51
10 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

9–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 82% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BEVERAGE BROTHERS in 9 of their 11 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

16 of 23 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead 70% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has out-cooked them in 16 of 23 shared chicken entries.

Announced themselves early

5th at their very first contest

Finished 5 of 15 at their very first tracked contest, The Best BBQ Chef Competition (2014-09-27).

2014-09-27
15-team field

A big fish in small ponds

Top 35% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 35% finish in small fields against top 45% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 35% (4)
Large (40+): top 45% (9)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Q HAVEN BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

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 90.7% of a perfect score
28 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Sun BBQ Fest every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 22nd

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.

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

piratesBBQ

#1164 of the rated field

1588 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 57%
Peak: 1588

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to JOHN'S TWISTED Q)

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2019-09-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Smoking OCD

#1155 of the rated field

1589 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1589

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2024-12-06

⚔ Head-to-head

3D BBQ

#1160 of the rated field

1589 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1589

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2026-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

WOODPILE BBQ SHACK

#1156 of the rated field

1589 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1596

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 4 years before JOHN'S TWISTED Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 20 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Big Reds Backyard BBQ

#1161 of the rated field

1589 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1610

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 46 contests, alongside a 50% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

BEHIND BBQ

#1159 of the rated field

1589 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1601

No shared contest yet.

Level with JOHN'S TWISTED Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 44 contests
last seen 2024-05-25

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	23	3	20	13%	⚔ compare
FIRE DOWN BELOW	21	6	15	29%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	19	9	10	47%	⚔ compare
FOUR SMOKING GUYS	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
INSANE SWINE BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT	17	10	7	59%	⚔ compare
Smokin Aces	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
ACK-QUE	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
THAT'S OUR QUE	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
A MAZIE Q	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Chicken Chokers	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Q HAVEN BBQ	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
BIG ROCK BBQ	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	12	2	4	177.7028	152.5256	165.51	top 41%
Pork Ribs	28	10	1	4	176.0344	150.8572	164.34	top 43%
Pork	28	6	2	3	178.2972	145.0740	162.47	top 52%
Brisket	28	10	0	3	174.8572	143.9544	160.75	top 47%

“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
CT	13	top 46%
MA	5	top 46%
ME	3	top 42%
RI	2	top 42%
NJ	2	top 36%
NY	2	top 26%
DE	1	top 57%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	top 35%
Medium (20–39)	15	top 45%
Large (40+)	9	top 45%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Sun BBQ Fest	4	22	top 46%	2018-06-02
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	3	6	top 50%	2018-05-05
New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton	2	2	top 39%	2017-08-12
*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest	2	6	top 47%	2017-07-15
Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival	2	5	top 40%	2016-10-07
The Best BBQ Chef Competition	2	5	top 52%	2015-08-29

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.7 yrs 2014-09-27 → 2019-06-01

Busiest season 2016 10 contests

Contests a season 4.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CT 13 of 28 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 19 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 28 entries · 2 wins · 12 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 165.51 · weakest Brisket (160.75)

Walk rate 79% a top-10 call in 22 of 28 contests

Overall top-10 rate 32% 9 of 28 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 653.07 out of 720 · 28 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 372 553–453 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,767 28 mapped stops · furthest 237 mi

Schedule strength 1567 average field rating faced — tougher than 52% of rated contests

Purse competed for $27,100 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Power rating 1589 peak 1589 · #1158 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Sep 27 First tracked contest The Best BBQ Chef Competition
Sep 27 First call The Best BBQ Chef Competition
Sep 27 First overall top-10 The Best BBQ Chef Competition
2015
Jun 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.4056 Sun BBQ Fest
Sep 12 First category win (Chicken) Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest
2016
Aug 13 10th tracked contest New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton
Aug 26 First overall podium The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest
Aug 26 Career-best overall score677.0512 The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest
Aug 26 Career-best single call (Pork)178.2972 The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest
2017
Aug 12 First Reserve Championship New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton
2018
Jun 2 25th tracked contest Sun BBQ Fest
2019
Jun 1 Peak power rating (1589) Sun BBQFest
Jun 1 Most recent contest Sun BBQFest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.6	The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest	2016-08-26
+12.7	Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival	2016-10-07
+12.5	New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton	2017-08-12
+12.2	Red White and Que	2016-09-24
+11.9	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	2017-05-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival	2015-10-09
-10.3	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	2018-05-05
-3.3	Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest	2015-09-12
-3.2	*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest	2016-07-16
-3.1	The Best BBQ Chef Competition	2015-08-29

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 31%	92.3%	92.3%
2018	4	1	1	50%	top 56%	92.8%	90.4%
2017	8	4	2	100%	top 34%	93.9%	91.7%
2016	10	3	1	80%	top 44%	94%	90.4%
2015	4	0	1	75%	top 54%	91%	89.6%
2014	1	1	0	100%	top 33%	89.9%	89.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-06-01	Sun BBQFest 🏅 Uncasville, CT	19 / 61 (664.4800)	20 (167.9656)	13 (169.1544)	23 (168.5372)	41 (158.8228)
2018-10-12	Bay State BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) Monson, MA	15 / 26 (668.4456)	7 (171.4056)	10 (168.5372)	17 (165.0856)	18 (163.4172)
2018-08-11	*Thrillin & Grillin at Aquaboggan Water park Saco, ME	10 / 30 (659.9196)	13 (162.2856)	8 (168.5600)	1 (177.7028)	23 (151.3712)
2018-06-02	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	30 / 59 (654.7424)	11 (170.2512)	17 (167.9656)	37 (160.0116)	35 (156.5140)
2018-05-05	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	33 / 40 (619.2684)	26 (161.1084)	23 (158.2744)	36 (149.6456)	33 (150.2400)
2017-10-21	Ocean Sate BBQ Championship West Kingston, RI	8 / 24 (665.0856)	3 (172.5828)	14 (160.0116)	14 (162.2284)	3 (170.2628)
2017-10-14	Bay State BBQ Championship Monson, MA	16 / 30 (663.3256)	20 (164.5372)	6 (171.4056)	16 (167.4172)	21 (159.9656)
2017-09-30	*Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	16 / 31 (644.9824)	13 (166.2628)	25 (155.9656)	3 (173.1084)	23 (149.6456)
2017-08-12	New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton New London, CT	2 / 14 (673.0972)	2 (170.8456)	2 (173.7144)	11 (157.6800)	3 (170.8572)
2017-08-04	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Windsor, CT	15 / 30 (649.6340)	23 (158.8456)	7 (168.0000)	20 (160.5372)	12 (162.2512)
2017-07-15	*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest Old Orchard Beach, ME	6 / 29 (675.9200)	1 (177.7028)	16 (165.7028)	23 (157.6572)	5 (174.8572)
2017-06-03	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	22 / 73 (666.2052)	48 (158.2284)	1 (176.0344)	17 (167.9884)	31 (163.9540)
2017-05-06	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	6 / 38 (645.7028)	9 (162.8456)	20 (156.5372)	8 (166.8572)	10 (159.4628)
2016-10-21	Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE	38 / 67 (630.2056)	19 (166.2628)	34 (158.8572)	25 (161.1312)	61 (143.9544)
2016-10-07	Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival Greenfield, MA	5 / 33 (665.0856)	6 (170.8456)	11 (168.0000)	20 (156.5372)	6 (169.7028)
2016-09-24	Red White and Que Cresskill, NJ	8 / 41 (658.2972)	31 (154.8800)	3 (172.5600)	15 (162.8800)	9 (167.9772)
2016-08-26	The Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest Fleischmanns, NY	3 / 15 (677.0512)	7 (164.5372)	3 (171.4056)	1 (178.2972)	4 (162.8112)
2016-08-19	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	17 / 52 (653.7372)	33 (160.5828)	17 (164.0116)	9 (170.2972)	27 (158.8456)
2016-08-13	New London's Best BBQ Chef Competiton New London, CT	16 / 25 (649.0856)	10 (167.4172)	12 (165.7372)	16 (163.4400)	18 (152.4912)
2016-07-22	Rotary Club of Wakefield Rhode Island Kingston, RI	17 / 34 (649.1200)	27 (157.1200)	23 (159.4400)	16 (161.7372)	3 (170.8228)
2016-07-16	*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest Old Orchard Beach, ME	19 / 26 (644.0116)	4 (169.1200)	22 (157.1772)	24 (152.5828)	12 (165.1316)
2016-06-11	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	43 / 69 (642.6736)	12 (171.4056)	46 (159.3712)	62 (145.0740)	23 (166.8228)
2016-04-30	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	20 / 39 (638.7888)	4 (171.9656)	32 (150.8572)	20 (157.1200)	20 (158.8460)
2015-10-09	Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival Greenfield, MA	16 / 25 (639.8972)	20 (159.4056)	9 (165.6916)	15 (161.1200)	14 (153.6800)
2015-09-12	Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest Harvard, MA	15 / 37 (647.9200)	1 (177.1428)	23 (155.9772)	20 (161.1428)	25 (153.6572)
2015-08-29	The Best BBQ Chef Competition New London, CT	12 / 17 (636.4916)	14 (152.5256)	11 (158.2744)	13 (159.4172)	4 (166.2744)
2015-06-13	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	22 / 52 (655.4056)	29 (164.0228)	21 (165.7372)	19 (166.8228)	26 (158.8228)
2014-09-27	The Best BBQ Chef Competition New London, CT	5 / 15 (647.3028)	7 (162.2744)	4 (168.5372)	10 (157.0856)	5 (159.4056)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1754 (90 pts)	#1884 (85 pts)	#1575 (120 pts)	#1963 (70 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#874 (351 pts)	#751 (461 pts)	#798 (446 pts)	#730 (491 pts)	#1072 (271 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#332 (1108 pts)	#268 (1208 pts)	#283 (1198 pts)	#407 (943 pts)	#354 (1073 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#321 (1133 pts)	#262 (1248 pts)	#329 (1108 pts)	#354 (1063 pts)	#280 (1218 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#866 (387 pts)	#718 (517 pts)	#897 (397 pts)	#947 (377 pts)	#859 (417 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1510 (165 pts)	#1754 (145 pts)	#1481 (190 pts)	#1957 (115 pts)	#1599 (165 pts)