BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS

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

Power ranking

#4377

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1475

peak 1475 · rated over 17 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-23

latest 2018-05-04

Best ToY finish

#1541

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 17 contests

Avg finish

top 63%

overall standings

Best overall

671.9544 / 720

Master · Grill Games

Perfect 180s

Current form

649.57 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 624.88 (+24.69)

Walk rate

29%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.7028

Chicken · Grill Games

Consistency

±46.24

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.84 · weakest Brisket (153.50)

Road miles

4,057

mi across 17 mapped stops · furthest 556 mi

Schedule strength

29%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)

Master avg

624.88 / 720

17 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

671.9544 career-best overall

93.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 671.9544 at Grill Games — 93.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-08-26

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 51%.

4 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 51%

A tough matchup

9–0 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

THE SMOKE HUNTERS has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−9.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.34 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 18%.

Brisket avg 153.50
Chicken avg 162.84
1 calls in 17 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Q-N WITH ATTITUDE in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

7 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 7 shared chicken entries.

An October team

Top 50% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 50% across 4 contests, versus top 63% the rest of the year.

4 October contests
top 63% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,057 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,057 miles across 17 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 556 miles to The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ.

17 mapped stops
furthest 556 mi

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Grill Games every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 4th

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.

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

Heat's Neat

#4383 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1515

0–3 in 3 shared contests (0% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Heat's Neat ahead 3–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Smoke Therapy

#4391 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1475

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2023-10-27

⚔ Head-to-head

DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA

#4368 of the rated field

1475 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1523

2–3 in 5 shared contests (40% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 36 contests to 17.

rated over 36 contests
last seen 2017-10-06

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN' SAUCED

#4366 of the rated field

1475 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1475

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2016-09-23

⚔ Head-to-head

MOTORMOUTH BBQ

#4399 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1475

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

Level with BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 5 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

Rub'N & Squeal'N

#4382 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1475

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 5 contests
last seen 2019-09-12

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE SMOKE HUNTERS	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
QUAU	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
ROLL THE BONES BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
T-BAUM BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
MUD'S BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
MOOSE'S BARBECUE	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
MEMPHIS IN MUNDELEIN	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
GILLY'S BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
HAZY BLUE BBQ	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	17	3	1	173.7028	142.2172	162.84	top 52%
Pork Ribs	17	1	0	170.2860	126.2400	158.33	top 59%
Pork	17	1	0	173.7028	148.5944	159.75	top 61%
Brisket	17	1	0	170.2628	139.9772	153.50	top 71%

“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
WI	7	top 57%
IL	6	top 74%
MO	2	top 46%
AL	1	top 74%
KS	1	top 65%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 65%
Large (40+)	12	0	top 62%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Grill Games	5	4	0	top 52%	2017-08-25

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

On the trail 4.7 yrs 2013-08-23 → 2018-05-04

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 2.8 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WI 7 of 17 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 13 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 17 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 162.84 · weakest Brisket (153.50)

Walk rate 29% a top-10 call in 5 of 17 contests

Overall top-10 rate 6% 1 of 17 contests

Master average 624.88 out of 720 · 17 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,392 962–1,398 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,057 17 mapped stops · furthest 556 mi

Schedule strength 1539 average field rating faced — tougher than 29% of rated contests

Power rating 1475 peak 1475 · #4377 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 23 First tracked contest Grill Games
Aug 23 Peak power rating (1486) Grill Games
Sep 27 First call Taste of Downtown Danville BBQ Competition
2015
Aug 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.3832 Grill Games
Oct 3 10th tracked contest 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open
2016
Aug 26 First overall top-10 Grill Games
Aug 26 Career-best overall score671.9544 Grill Games
Aug 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)173.7028 Grill Games
2018
May 4 Most recent contest The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	Grill Games	2016-08-26
+10.4	Grill Games	2015-08-28
+8.8	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
+5.4	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	2016-10-21
+4.6	Grill Games	2017-08-25

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.7	Grill Games	2013-08-23
-12.2	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)	2016-07-22
-10.1	Grillin' in Grafton	2015-06-26
-9.2	Grill Games	2014-08-22
-7	Taste of Downtown Danville BBQ Competition	2013-09-27

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)
2018	1	0	0%	top 74%	91.2%	91.2%
2017	2	0	50%	top 56%	90.7%	90.1%
2016	4	1	25%	top 54%	93.3%	88.6%
2015	4	0	50%	top 51%	90.5%	81.8%
2014	3	0	0%	top 73%	88.9%	86.9%
2013	3	0	33%	top 83%	88.1%	85.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-05-04	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	45 / 61 (656.9484)	46 (165.0856)	20 (170.2628)	58 (151.3372)	27 (170.2628)
2017-09-22	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	38 / 55 (653.0172)	35 (165.6800)	24 (168.5372)	35 (166.2628)	50 (152.5372)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	17 / 39 (644.5028)	10 (166.8228)	18 (162.2744)	16 (161.7144)	30 (153.6912)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	361 / 557 (643.8052)	201 (167.3828)	313 (163.4056)	295 (163.9656)	489 (149.0512)
2016-10-21	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	22 / 51 (649.5884)	15 (166.8456)	28 (158.2400)	11 (167.4056)	36 (157.0972)
2016-08-26	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	4 / 37 (671.9544)	3 (173.7028)	17 (162.8344)	5 (173.1428)	12 (162.2744)
2016-07-22	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) Peoria, IL	36 / 37 (586.7200)	36 (151.9544)	37 (126.2400)	19 (165.1200)	34 (143.4056)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	114 / 606 (462.8000)	195 (167.4744)	186 (167.9884)	56 (173.7028)	402 (156.5828)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	14 / 49 (651.3832)	12 (168.0228)	17 (163.9888)	41 (152.5260)	9 (166.8456)
2015-06-26	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	31 / 33 (599.9316)	31 (151.3828)	29 (149.0972)	21 (158.3316)	31 (141.1200)
2015-05-01	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL	25 / 40 (641.7028)	10 (169.7372)	29 (157.1428)	32 (156.0000)	28 (158.8228)
2014-10-02	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	408 / 552 (632.5604)	191 (168.0228)	255 (164.6060)	480 (151.3944)	482 (148.5372)
2014-08-22	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	40 / 47 (605.0400)	33 (158.2856)	35 (151.3944)	33 (155.3828)	39 (139.9772)
2014-05-24	Red, White, And BBQ Westmont, IL	44 / 72 (639.9776)	38 (163.9656)	53 (155.3944)	47 (158.8688)	39 (161.7488)
2013-09-27	Taste of Downtown Danville BBQ Competition Danville, IL	20 / 25 (618.7888)	24 (142.2172)	7 (170.2860)	15 (158.8112)	21 (147.4744)
2013-09-19	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off Murphysboro, IL	57 / 76 (634.2744)	36 (165.1200)	63 (156.5144)	66 (153.1428)	48 (159.4972)
2013-08-23	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	40 / 43 (589.1204)	30 (156.5600)	37 (143.4288)	39 (148.5944)	39 (140.5372)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1891 (85 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1541 (160 pts)	#1435 (195 pts)	#1622 (160 pts)	#1579 (165 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2483 (72 pts)	#2528 (72 pts)	#2526 (72 pts)	#2539 (72 pts)	#2515 (72 pts)