High-water mark
673.6228
career-best overall
93.6% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 673.6228 at 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST — 93.6% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 12, 2019
SMOKEY JOKERS
SMOKEY JOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 23 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 10th of 28 at the Smokin on Oak (2017). They are ranked #4336 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1476
peak 1505 · rated over 21 contests
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
Sep 27, 2013
latest May 15, 2026 · 12.6 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
4% of 23 contests
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
647.71 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 639.95 (+7.76)
Walk rate
30%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.13
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 161.53 · weakest Brisket (158.89)
Road miles
296
across 23 mapped stops · furthest 32 mi
Schedule strength
29%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)
Purse competed for
$154K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
639.95 / 720
20 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
330.25 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #288 (96 pts) | #303 (86 pts) | #114 (491 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | — | #546 (365 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #1293 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #1242 (60 pts) | #1317 (60 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1432 (60 pts) | #1287 (60 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1309 (60 pts) | #858 (185 pts) | #1404 (60 pts) | #1147 (110 pts) | #1333 (60 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1471 (120 pts) | #1593 (120 pts) | #1575 (120 pts) | #1578 (120 pts) | #1277 (180 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1189 (246 pts) | #1286 (241 pts) | #1348 (226 pts) | #1420 (196 pts) | #1174 (271 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1775 (120 pts) | #1883 (120 pts) | #1884 (120 pts) | #1872 (120 pts) | #1799 (125 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to SMOKEY JOKERS, each with one reason worth a look.
150 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,358 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1514
4–5 in 9 shared contests (44% to SMOKEY JOKERS)
These two have cooked 9 of the same contests — Hogs Breath BBQ ahead 5–4 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,350 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 3%
- Peak
- 1516
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to SMOKEY JOKERS)
They've been 1516 at their best, 41 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,322 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1517
4–0 in 4 shared contests (100% to SMOKEY JOKERS)
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before SMOKEY JOKERS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,361 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1476
4–1 in 5 shared contests (80% to SMOKEY JOKERS)
Fewer contests behind them than SMOKEY JOKERS has cooked, 8 to 23, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,325 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SMOKEY JOKERS)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,357 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1502
20 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| KC Rib doctor | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| HAROLD'S HOT MEAT SMOKERS | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE LICKS | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| DUNN UP BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| B&D BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Fork BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Can't Beat Our Meat | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Grill on Grill Action | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| This is Nice | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Hawg Wild | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 174.8572 | 142.2396 | 160.45 | top 58% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 178.8800 | 142.2512 | 161.53 | top 55% |
| Pork | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 174.2972 | 147.9428 | 160.35 | top 61% |
| Brisket | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 142.8572 | 158.89 | top 56% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 88% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 62% |
| Large (40+) | 17 | 0 | top 57% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 3 | 79 | 0 | top 62% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | 3 | 71 | 0 | top 63% | Jun 24, 2016 |
| Smoke on the Bricks | 2 | 35 | 0 | top 77% | Aug 9, 2024 |
| Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 62% | Jun 4, 2021 |
| Smokin on Oak | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 60% | Aug 18, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
4 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
17 of 23 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
14
5 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
23 entries · 2 wins · 3 calls
Opponents faced
1,165
finished ahead 1,218 times, behind 1,361
Longest layoff
1.7 yrs
Sep 12, 2019 → Jun 4, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8800 West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Most recent contest West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- Peak power rating (1505) The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
20191 milestone
- Career-best overall score673.6228 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST
20174 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.7768 Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smokin on Oak
- First overall top-10 Smokin on Oak
- 10th tracked contest Smokin on Oak
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
- First call Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.9 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | Jun 23, 2017 |
| +10.7 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 24, 2022 |
| +8.4 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle | Jun 22, 2018 |
| +8.2 | Smokin on Oak | Aug 18, 2017 |
| +4.4 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 26, 2015 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12 | The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | Apr 8, 2016 |
| -11.9 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -9.4 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY) | May 15, 2026 |
| -9 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | Jun 24, 2016 |
| -7.3 | Smoke on the Bricks | Aug 9, 2024 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67% | top 88% | 91.7% | 91.7% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 90% | 86.5% | 86.5% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 83% | 90.1% | 90.1% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 47% | 90.7% | 90.7% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 21% | 92.9% | 92.9% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 51% | 89.6% | 89.6% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 50% | 93.6% | 90.3% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 58% | 90.4% | 89.4% |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 46% | 93.1% | 89.9% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 87% | 85.1% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 39% | 89% | 89% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 69% | 85.3% | 85.3% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 51% | 89% | 89% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY) Kansas City, MO | 14 / 16 (330.2516) | 16 (158.2516) | 9 (172) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Kansas City, MO | — | — | 1 (178.8800) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS Contest #2) Kansas City, MO | — | — | 13 (161.0972) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 143 / 159 (622.6748) | 138 (154.8116) | 133 (154.7888) | 135 (155.3944) | 115 (157.6800) |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 38 / 46 (648.4456) | 31 (165.7372) | 37 (158.7884) | 33 (164.5256) | 36 (159.3944) |
| Jun 23, 2023 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 79 / 167 (653.0972) | 147 (148.5600) | 32 (170.8800) | 31 (172.5600) | 88 (161.0972) |
| Jun 24, 2022 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 34 / 164 (669.1200) | 5 (174.8572) | 85 (162.2856) | 15 (174.2972) | 116 (157.6800) |
| Jun 4, 2021 | Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) 🏅 Kansas City, MO | 28 / 55 (645.2116) | 18 (168.6060) | 27 (162.8800) | 38 (157.1084) | 34 (156.6172) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 139 / 468 (673.6228) | 225 (165.7028) | 78 (171.9772) | 355 (158.2400) | 13 (177.7028) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 90 / 183 (642.1828) | 103 (159.4172) | 95 (159.4172) | 111 (159.4056) | 63 (163.9428) |
| May 31, 2019 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 35 / 49 (634.7428) | 34 (161.1428) | 42 (148.5144) | 35 (158.8228) | 15 (166.2628) |
| Jun 22, 2018 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle Lenexa, KS | 51 / 185 (650.7884) | 10 (172) | 23 (169.7144) | 152 (149.6340) | 78 (159.4400) |
| May 11, 2018 | The Grasshopper '18 (formerly Kansas 10x10) (JUDGES FULL) De Soto, KS | 49 / 56 (635.9436) | 47 (157.1316) | 39 (162.3088) | 54 (152.5260) | 38 (163.9772) |
| Aug 18, 2017 | Smokin on Oak Bonner Springs, KS | 10 / 28 (670.2744) | 10 (168.5828) | 1 (175.4172) | 21 (162.8344) | 16 (163.4400) |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 18 / 184 (662.7768) | 51 (163.9772) | 93 (159.9884) | 38 (167.4056) | 10 (171.4056) |
| Jun 2, 2017 | Kelley Wilson BBQ Kansas City, MO | 45 / 61 (611.8288) | 30 (160.5372) | 49 (149.6688) | 50 (147.9428) | 35 (153.6800) |
| Apr 28, 2017 | Smokin in the Ville Edwardsville, KS | 17 / 26 (643.8856) | 11 (166.8112) | 14 (164.5600) | 20 (162.2628) | 20 (150.2516) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Smokin' On Oak Bonner Springs, KS | 31 / 37 (626.7196) | 28 (154.8112) | 33 (155.4172) | 28 (159.9312) | 24 (156.5600) |
| Jun 24, 2016 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 149 / 183 (609.0628) | 167 (146.8228) | 99 (158.8000) | 84 (160.5828) | 154 (142.8572) |
| Apr 8, 2016 | The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO | 51 / 53 (603.2452) | 52 (142.2396) | 52 (142.2512) | 32 (162.8344) | 38 (155.9200) |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 71 / 183 (640.5028) | 117 (157.6912) | 91 (159.4172) | 22 (168.5828) | 105 (154.8116) |
| Jun 27, 2014 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 127 / 184 (614.3200) | 160 (149.6912) | 93 (158.3544) | 96 (157.7256) | 129 (148.5488) |
| Sep 27, 2013 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 58 / 114 (640.5944) | 9 (172) | 64 (157.7372) | 86 (154.2972) | 63 (156.5600) |