BLUEGRASS SMOKERS

BLUEGRASS SMOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2017. Their best overall finish is 7th of 36 at the Buckeye State BBQ Championship (2015). They are ranked #3940 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,940

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1484

peak 1511 · rated over 13 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 15, 2014

latest Aug 18, 2017 · 3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#781

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

8% 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

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.36 · weakest Brisket (160.85)

Road miles

3,274

across 13 mapped stops · furthest 585 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1571)

Master avg

657.07 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

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
May 15, 2015

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-10
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 call 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

Show 2 more storylines

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

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the 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)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BLUEGRASS SMOKERS, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Close Butt No Cigar

#3,918 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1485

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 12 contests
last seen Oct 23, 2020

⚔ Head-to-head

Feher Nyul BBQ Team

#3,945 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1521

They've been 1521 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Aug 12, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

D'S SMOKEHOUSE

#3,916 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1485

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 3 years before BLUEGRASS SMOKERS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Compare careers

The Sauce And All That Goes With It

#3,923 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1485

Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Nov 8, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

LittleBrothersBBQ

#3,934 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1485

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

rated over 11 contests
last seen Oct 13, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Boss Hog BBQ

#3,948 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1484

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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 field size and state

By contest size

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

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin in the Square	2	31	top 78%	Mar 17, 2017
Flames on the Flint	2	59	top 84%	Mar 10, 2017
The River Grill before the Big Chill	2	23	top 52%	Oct 9, 2015
Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	2	20	top 49%	Aug 21, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 5 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IN 4 of 13 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 9 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 377 finished ahead 243 times, behind 427

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

20171 milestone

Aug 18 Most recent contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival

20161 milestone

Aug 19 10th tracked contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval

20155 milestones

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 (1511) Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival

20142 milestones

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12	Buckeye State BBQ Championship	May 15, 2015
+9	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	Aug 21, 2015
+2	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval	Aug 19, 2016
+1.8	The River Grill before the Big Chill	Oct 9, 2015
+0.4	The River Grill before the Big Chill	Oct 10, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.3	Flames on the Flint	Mar 10, 2017
-7	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	Oct 2, 2015
-6.5	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	May 29, 2015
-6.2	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier)	Mar 11, 2016
-4.8	Smokin in the Square	Mar 17, 2017

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

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
Aug 18, 2017	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	37 / 55 (646.1488)	31 (167.3828)	38 (158.8116)	38 (157.6916)	32 (162.2628)
Mar 17, 2017	Smokin in the Square Pensacola, FL	32 / 38 (646.1144)	13 (174.2628)	36 (153.6344)	29 (161.6916)	33 (156.5256)
Mar 10, 2017	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	59 / 67 (639.2228)	54 (160.5028)	13 (170.8228)	54 (160.5372)	63 (147.3600)
Aug 19, 2016	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	33 / 63 (664.4916)	28 (169.6800)	22 (168.5372)	33 (165.0972)	38 (161.1772)
Mar 18, 2016	Smokin In The Square Pensacola, FL	31 / 43 (663.3368)	23 (170.2512)	23 (166.8572)	14 (170.8228)	38 (155.4056)
Mar 11, 2016	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) Bainbridge, GA	72 / 89 (644.9940)	69 (161.7028)	24 (169.6684)	73 (159.4172)	75 (154.2056)
Oct 9, 2015	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)
Oct 2, 2015	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	37 / 45 (646.6168)	28 (168.5256)	36 (161.0856)	29 (167.3828)	42 (149.6228)
Aug 21, 2015	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	20 / 64 (673.0288)	37 (165.0972)	34 (163.9772)	18 (170.8344)	6 (173.1200)
May 29, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Hendersonville, TN	23 / 29 (669.1204)	4 (176.5716)	21 (166.2744)	29 (158.8344)	17 (167.4400)
May 15, 2015	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	7 / 36 (686.2628)	22 (167.9884)	2 (178.8572)	13 (169.7488)	12 (169.6684)
Oct 10, 2014	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)
Aug 15, 2014	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	40 / 60 (644.4572)	37 (164.5600)	22 (165.6916)	45 (155.9656)	38 (158.2400)

BLUEGRASS SMOKERS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

An August team

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)