TEX'S SMOKE

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

Power ranking

#2441

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1522

peak 1522 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-08-30

latest 2021-06-04

Best ToY finish

#949

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 50%

overall standings

Best overall

665.5996 / 720

Master · Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.15 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 645.19 (+0.97)

Walk rate

45%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4172

Brisket · Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship

Consistency

±12.33

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 162.72 · weakest Chicken (159.25)

Road miles

2,240

mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 322 mi

Schedule strength

31%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)

Purse competed for

$15K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

645.19 / 720

11 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.

High-water mark

665.5996 career-best overall

92.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 665.5996 at Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship — 92.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-08-26

A tough matchup

7–1 behind in the head-to-head

BUTCHER BBQ ahead in 88% of their meetings

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

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PAPPO'S BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

4.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.2 years, then back at Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off (2021-06-04).

last seen 2017-03-31
back 2021-06-04

Brisket nemesis

6 of 8 shared brisket entries lost

BUTCHER BBQ ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BUTCHER BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared brisket entries.

The metronome

±1.71% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.71% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.6% of a perfect score
11 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.

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

Kanned Heat

#2443 of the rated field

1522 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1530

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 16 contests to 11.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

Q-WE-DO BBQ

#2442 of the rated field

1522 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before TEX'S SMOKE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Rubbin Butts Bone In

#2455 of the rated field

1521 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1524

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-06-27

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ

#2434 of the rated field

1522 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1522

No shared contest yet.

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 23% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2022-07-23

⚔ Head-to-head

TEXAS PEPPER JELLY

#2437 of the rated field

1522 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1544

No shared contest yet.

Level with TEX'S SMOKE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2019-03-22

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG ISLAND BBQ

#2452 of the rated field

1522 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1542

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 6 years before TEX'S SMOKE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BUTCHER BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
OLD 99 MEAT CO.	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
PAPPO'S BBQ	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
EL REY SMOKERS COMPETITION TEAM	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
HONKY-TONK SMOKERS	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
3 WOODYS BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
Smokin Hot J's	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	0	0	0	167.9772	149.1084	159.25	top 60%
Pork Ribs	11	1	1	1	173.1200	154.2400	161.99	top 50%
Pork	11	2	0	0	173.1428	144.5484	161.22	top 53%
Brisket	11	3	1	1	175.4172	154.2172	162.72	top 40%

“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
TX	9	top 41%
AR	1	top 82%
LA	1	top 93%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	2	0	top 86%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off	2	23	top 43%	2021-06-04
Cedar Fest BBQ	2	18	top 30%	2016-04-01
City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	2	25	top 40%	2015-09-04

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

On the trail 6.8 yrs 2014-08-30 → 2021-06-04

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 2.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in TX 9 of 11 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 11 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 162.72 · weakest Chicken (159.25)

Walk rate 45% a top-10 call in 5 of 11 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 11 contests

Master average 645.19 out of 720 · 11 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 398 334–255 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,240 11 mapped stops · furthest 322 mi

Schedule strength 1541 average field rating faced — tougher than 31% of rated contests

Purse competed for $15,000 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 4.2 yrs 2017-03-31 → 2021-06-04

Power rating 1522 peak 1522 · #2441 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Aug 30 First tracked contest City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
2015
Apr 10 First call Cedar Fest BBQ
Apr 10 First category win (Brisket) Cedar Fest BBQ
Sep 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.0628 City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
2016
Aug 26 Career-best overall score665.5996 Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship
Aug 26 Career-best single call (Brisket)175.4172 Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship
2017
Mar 31 10th tracked contest *Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off
2021
Jun 4 Peak power rating (1522) Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off
Jun 4 Most recent contest Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9	Cedar Fest BBQ	2016-04-01
+8.1	Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown	2016-02-25
+7.6	Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship	2016-08-26
+6.9	Cedar Fest BBQ	2015-04-10
+6.4	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	2015-09-04

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-03-06
-7.5	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2016-03-11
-5.9	14th Annual Bordertown Bash	2015-07-10

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0	100%	top 48%	91%	91%
2017	1	0	0%	top 39%	87.9%	87.9%
2016	4	1	50%	top 43%	92.4%	90.4%
2015	4	1	50%	top 61%	91.3%	88.9%
2014	1	0	0%	top 43%	89.4%	89.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-06-04	Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off 🏅 Cedar Park, TX	23 / 48 (655.2452)	35 (158.7884)	36 (158.2284)	17 (169.7028)	8 (168.5256)
2017-03-31	*Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Cedar Park, TX	27 / 70 (633.0628)	36 (156.0116)	19 (163.9884)	36 (158.2400)	31 (154.8228)
2016-08-26	Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX	21 / 72 (665.5996)	61 (149.1084)	24 (168.5256)	10 (172.5484)	4 (175.4172)
2016-04-01	Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX	18 / 67 (641.0284)	18 (161.6800)	1 (173.1200)	57 (144.5484)	21 (161.6800)
2016-03-11	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Worth, TX	23 / 29 (635.8284)	24 (154.2172)	17 (160.5372)	20 (160.5256)	17 (160.5484)
2016-02-25	Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX	15 / 42 (661.6344)	12 (167.9772)	15 (164.5488)	14 (168.0000)	22 (161.1084)
2015-09-04	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	25 / 70 (657.0628)	60 (153.6800)	26 (166.2744)	6 (173.1428)	21 (163.9656)
2015-07-10	14th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	36 / 44 (628.5028)	27 (163.4516)	35 (156.5256)	42 (147.4172)	26 (161.1084)
2015-04-10	Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX	18 / 53 (644.4684)	19 (162.8572)	37 (154.2400)	35 (154.8112)	1 (172.5600)
2015-03-06	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	27 / 29 (630.7200)	20 (165.7028)	25 (154.2628)	27 (156.5372)	25 (154.2172)
2014-08-30	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	33 / 76 (643.8856)	47 (158.2972)	33 (161.6800)	20 (167.9656)	40 (155.9428)

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1193 (70 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1113 (100 pts)	#861 (155 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2123 (90 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#949 (349 pts)	#1028 (339 pts)	#728 (554 pts)	#963 (389 pts)	#817 (459 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1094 (269 pts)	#1106 (289 pts)	#1300 (234 pts)	#991 (349 pts)	#766 (479 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2084 (75 pts)	#2167 (75 pts)	#2161 (75 pts)	#2040 (100 pts)	#2148 (75 pts)