BLUEGRASS SMOKERS

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

Power ranking

#4084

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1481

peak 1506 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-08-15

latest 2017-08-18

Best ToY finish

#781

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 64%

overall standings

Best overall

686.2628 / 720

Master · Buckeye State BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

651.86 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 657.07 (-5.20)

Walk rate

23%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · Buckeye State BBQ Championship

Consistency

±13.40

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.36 · weakest Brisket (160.85)

Road miles

3,274

mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 585 mi

Schedule strength

55%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)

Master avg

657.07 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

High-water mark

686.2628 career-best overall

95.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 686.2628 at Buckeye State BBQ Championship — 95.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-05-15

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 53%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 53%

A tough matchup

7–1 behind in the head-to-head

WeQ4U ahead in 88% of their meetings

WeQ4U has come out ahead in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.51 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 8%.

Brisket avg 160.85
Chicken avg 167.36
1 calls in 13 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DOLF'S BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

6 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

WeQ4U ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WeQ4U has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared chicken entries.

An August team

Top 54% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 54% across 4 contests, versus top 64% the rest of the year.

4 August contests
top 64% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,274 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,274 miles across 13 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 585 miles to Smokin In The Square.

13 mapped stops
furthest 585 mi

The metronome

±1.86% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.86% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% of a perfect score
13 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.

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

Sofa King/Good BBQ

#4085 of the rated field

1481 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1509

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BLUEGRASS SMOKERS)

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

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2014-09-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Trees BBQ

#4094 of the rated field

1481 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1516

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1516 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

OLD TRUCKERS BBQ

#4069 of the rated field

1481 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1481

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2022-05-14

⚔ Head-to-head

V QUE

#4092 of the rated field

1481 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2020-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN THE GOOD STUFF

#4096 of the rated field

1480 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1480

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2024-10-04

⚔ Head-to-head

ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ

#4086 of the rated field

1481 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1481

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2019-06-28

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Bluedog BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
FRIENDS OF OBR	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BARK BROTHERS BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
FOWL BUTT BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
VICTORY SMOKERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
BUTTRUB.COM	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
HUG HOGS	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	1	0	176.5716	160.5028	167.36	top 55%
Pork Ribs	13	1	1	178.8572	153.6344	166.12	top 49%
Pork	13	0	0	170.8344	150.2056	162.74	top 65%
Brisket	13	1	0	173.1200	147.3600	160.85	top 62%

“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
IN	4	top 54%
OH	3	top 41%
FL	2	top 78%
GA	2	top 84%
KY	1	top 82%
TN	1	top 79%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	3	0	top 61%
Large (40+)	10	0	top 65%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin in the Square	2	31	top 78%	2017-03-17
Flames on the Flint	2	59	top 84%	2017-03-10
The River Grill before the Big Chill	2	23	top 52%	2015-10-09
Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	2	20	top 49%	2015-08-21

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3 yrs 2014-08-15 → 2017-08-18

Busiest season 2015 5 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IN 4 of 13 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 9 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 13 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.36 · weakest Brisket (160.85)

Walk rate 23% a top-10 call in 3 of 13 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 1 of 13 contests

Master average 657.07 out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 402 243–452 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,274 13 mapped stops · furthest 585 mi

Schedule strength 1570 average field rating faced — tougher than 55% of rated contests

Power rating 1481 peak 1506 · #4084 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Aug 15 First tracked contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival
Oct 10 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0172 The River Grill before the Big Chill
2015
May 15 First call Buckeye State BBQ Championship
May 15 First overall top-10 Buckeye State BBQ Championship
May 15 Career-best overall score686.2628 Buckeye State BBQ Championship
May 15 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Buckeye State BBQ Championship
Aug 21 Peak power rating (1506) Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival
2016
Aug 19 10th tracked contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval
2017
Aug 18 Most recent contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.2	Buckeye State BBQ Championship	2015-05-15
+9.2	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	2015-08-21
+2.1	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval	2016-08-19
+1.9	The River Grill before the Big Chill	2015-10-09

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.1	Flames on the Flint	2017-03-10
-6.8	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2015-10-02
-6.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-05-29
-6	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier)	2016-03-11
-5.1	The River Grill before the Big Chill	2014-10-10

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	3	0	0%	top 80%	89.7%	89.4%
2016	3	0	0%	top 68%	92.3%	91.3%
2015	5	1	60%	top 53%	95.3%	92.6%
2014	2	0	0%	top 60%	91.8%	90.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-08-18	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	37 / 55 (646.1488)	31 (167.3828)	38 (158.8116)	38 (157.6916)	32 (162.2628)
2017-03-17	Smokin in the Square Pensacola, FL	32 / 38 (646.1144)	13 (174.2628)	36 (153.6344)	29 (161.6916)	33 (156.5256)
2017-03-10	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	59 / 67 (639.2228)	54 (160.5028)	13 (170.8228)	54 (160.5372)	63 (147.3600)
2016-08-19	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	33 / 63 (664.4916)	28 (169.6800)	22 (168.5372)	33 (165.0972)	38 (161.1772)
2016-03-18	Smokin In The Square Pensacola, FL	31 / 43 (663.3368)	23 (170.2512)	23 (166.8572)	14 (170.8228)	38 (155.4056)
2016-03-11	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) Bainbridge, GA	72 / 89 (644.9940)	69 (161.7028)	24 (169.6684)	73 (159.4172)	75 (154.2056)
2015-10-09	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	23 / 45 (657.0400)	21 (166.8572)	15 (170.2744)	44 (150.2056)	15 (169.7028)
2015-10-02	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	37 / 45 (646.6168)	28 (168.5256)	36 (161.0856)	29 (167.3828)	42 (149.6228)
2015-08-21	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	20 / 64 (673.0288)	37 (165.0972)	34 (163.9772)	18 (170.8344)	6 (173.1200)
2015-05-29	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Hendersonville, TN	23 / 29 (669.1204)	4 (176.5716)	21 (166.2744)	29 (158.8344)	17 (167.4400)
2015-05-15	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	7 / 36 (686.2628)	22 (167.9884)	2 (178.8572)	13 (169.7488)	12 (169.6684)
2014-10-10	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	26 / 49 (661.0172)	35 (162.2400)	29 (165.1200)	27 (167.3944)	18 (166.2628)
2014-08-15	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	40 / 60 (644.4572)	37 (164.5600)	22 (165.6916)	45 (155.9656)	38 (158.2400)

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	#1392 (180 pts)	#1287 (240 pts)	#1290 (240 pts)	#1489 (180 pts)	#1476 (180 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1454 (180 pts)	#1485 (190 pts)	#1416 (210 pts)	#1345 (235 pts)	#1503 (180 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#781 (444 pts)	#769 (479 pts)	#685 (564 pts)	#927 (389 pts)	#662 (564 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1647 (149 pts)	#1725 (149 pts)	#1594 (164 pts)	#1723 (149 pts)	#1500 (184 pts)