SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA

SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA is a competition barbecue team with 22 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 4th of 18 at the Aksarben Stock Show & Rodeo (2015). They are ranked #1433 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,433

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1569

peak 1569 · rated over 22 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 8, 2015

latest Oct 26, 2018 · 3.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#555

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

23% of 22 contests

Avg finish

top 49%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2400 / 720

Master · Table Rock Boats and Bones

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

665.50 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 660.15 (+5.34)

Walk rate

64%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork Ribs · Table Rock Boats and Bones

Consistency

±16.68

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.42 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.98)

Road miles

2,511

across 22 mapped stops · furthest 353 mi

Schedule strength

71%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)

Master avg

660.15 / 720

22 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.

Pork Ribs ×1

They almost always walk

64% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 14 of 22 contests

A top-10 category call in 64% of their 22 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.2400 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2400 at Table Rock Boats and Bones — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 17, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ has finished one call ahead of SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

PORKY BUTTS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

PORKY BUTTS BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.4 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.45 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 14% of the time against 32%.

Pork Ribs avg 161.98
Chicken avg 168.42
3 calls in 22 entries

A strong matchup

10–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SPICE YOUR LIFE RUB YOUR MEAT in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

9 of 13 shared chicken entries lost

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WHEN PIGS DIE has out-cooked them in 9 of 13 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

ALWAYS SMOK'D has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A July team

Top 40% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 40% across 3 contests, versus top 49% the rest of the year.

3 July contests
top 49% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.32% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.32% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.7% of a perfect score
22 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked BBQ in the Bluffs every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 14th

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
2018 ↗	Master	#813 (400 pts)	#665 (555 pts)	#970 (335 pts)	#738 (485 pts)	#813 (415 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#555 (709 pts)	#622 (644 pts)	#762 (529 pts)	#306 (1,149 pts)	#477 (849 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#775 (483 pts)	#627 (648 pts)	#656 (623 pts)	#1175 (293 pts)	#707 (568 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#573 (641 pts)	#479 (821 pts)	#634 (616 pts)	#550 (711 pts)	#678 (551 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA, each with one reason worth a look.

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

YELLOW JACKET BBQ

#1,425 of the rated field

1570 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1570

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Oct 4, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

UNFAMOUS DAVE'S

#1,424 of the rated field

1570 power rating

Contests: 132
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1724

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA)

They've been 1724 at their best, 155 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 124 contests
last seen Oct 2, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

LIBERTY BBQ

#1,428 of the rated field

1570 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1589

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 22, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 28, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES

#1,431 of the rated field

1569 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1573

23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 22% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Jul 9, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

HUNTER'S HOT ASH BBQ

#1,427 of the rated field

1570 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1570

They turned up 7 years after SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

PLUM SUPERIOR BBQ

#1,439 of the rated field

1569 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1571

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 3 years before SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 19 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HELPING U BBQ	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
WHEN PIGS DIE	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
PORKY BUTTS BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
SPICE YOUR LIFE RUB YOUR MEAT	10	10	0	100%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
TATTOO BOB'S BAR-B-Q	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
ALWAYS SMOK'D	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
ELWOOD BBQ	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
TEAM BREW & QUE	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
YOU GONNA LIKE IT	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	22	7	1	2	177.1544	158.8000	168.42	top 42%
Pork Ribs	22	3	1	1	180 🔥	144.5604	161.98	top 58%
Pork	22	8	0	3	177.7028	153.6460	166.56	top 45%
Brisket	22	6	0	2	172.5600	150.7884	163.20	top 50%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 22%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 55%
Large (40+)	10	top 44%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NE	12	top 41%
MO	5	top 55%
IA	4	top 63%
KS	1	top 52%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ in the Bluffs	4	14	top 63%	May 11, 2018
Table Rock Boats and Bones	2	6	top 29%	Sep 16, 2017
RiverFest Red White and Que	2	17	top 42%	Jul 15, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 7 contests

Contests a season 5.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NE 12 of 22 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 17 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 368 finished ahead 440 times, behind 402

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

20182 milestones

Oct 26 Peak power rating (1569) Border War Barbeque
Oct 26 Most recent contest Border War Barbeque

20164 milestones

Sep 9 10th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 17 First category win (Pork Ribs) Table Rock Boats and Bones
Sep 17 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Table Rock Boats and Bones
Sep 17 Career-best overall score694.2400 Table Rock Boats and Bones

20154 milestones

May 8 First tracked contest BBQ in the Bluffs
May 29 First call 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
May 29 First overall top-10 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
May 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.4804 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.5	Table Rock Boats and Bones	Sep 17, 2016
+11.9	Aksarben Stock Show & Rodeo	Sep 25, 2015
+11.1	26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska	Aug 10, 2018
+10.7	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge	Sep 2, 2017
+9.6	6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	May 19, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.2	BBQ in the Bluffs	May 11, 2018
-8.4	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2	Aug 5, 2017
-7.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Sep 9, 2016
-5.2	Table Rock and Ribs (GC receives Golden Ticket to the World Food Championship)	May 22, 2015
-5.1	BBQ in the Bluffs	May 8, 2015

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	4	1	1	75%	top 51%	94.4%	92.1%
2017	7	1	0	71%	top 43%	94.3%	92.7%
2016	5	1	1	40%	top 50%	96.4%	91.5%
2015	6	2	0	67%	top 52%	93.8%	90.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 26, 2018	Border War Barbeque Osawatomie, KS	29 / 56 (675.9428)	32 (166.8456)	12 (173.7144)	8 (176)	41 (159.3828)
Sep 28, 2018	Smoking in the Golden Valley Clinton, MO	11 / 25 (659.8284)	7 (167.3712)	16 (158.7884)	11 (162.8344)	6 (170.8344)
Aug 10, 2018	26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Arlington, NE	7 / 30 (679.9316)	1 (177.1544)	26 (159.9544)	8 (173.7144)	10 (169.1084)
May 11, 2018	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	33 / 39 (635.3488)	29 (163.9884)	31 (158.2516)	33 (156)	32 (157.1088)
Sep 16, 2017	Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling, MO	21 / 47 (676.4340)	33 (167.3712)	35 (163.3944)	4 (177.7028)	23 (167.9656)
Sep 2, 2017	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	6 / 29 (678.7656)	12 (167.9656)	14 (163.3944)	3 (176)	3 (171.4056)
Aug 5, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2 Omaha, NE	45 / 50 (646.0800)	36 (165.6800)	37 (164.5256)	47 (153.6460)	37 (162.2284)
Aug 4, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 Omaha, NE	20 / 54 (667.9084)	17 (170.2628)	13 (169.1200)	10 (172.5600)	43 (155.9656)
Jul 21, 2017	Riverfest Community Festival Bellevue, NE	17 / 46 (662.7428)	12 (170.2628)	31 (159.3828)	23 (164.5372)	13 (168.5600)
May 19, 2017	6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	12 / 47 (675.9432)	19 (167.4060)	28 (161.7028)	5 (174.2744)	5 (172.5600)
May 12, 2017	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	19 / 39 (666.2400)	19 (169.6912)	32 (150.8232)	2 (177.1428)	12 (168.5828)
Sep 17, 2016	Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling City, MO	6 / 43 (694.2400)	7 (175.4172)	1 (180)	26 (166.2628)	12 (172.5600)
Sep 9, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Kansas City, MO	27 / 30 (639.9884)	17 (166.2856)	14 (167.4744)	29 (153.7028)	29 (152.5256)
Aug 5, 2016	24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	41 / 70 (643.8972)	55 (158.8000)	55 (154.2516)	42 (160.5600)	15 (170.2856)
Jul 15, 2016	RiverFest Red White and Que Bellevue, NE	21 / 45 (657.1084)	23 (162.8456)	15 (168)	26 (163.9772)	23 (162.2856)
May 13, 2016	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	14 / 33 (657.6340)	2 (176.5828)	31 (150.8228)	26 (159.3828)	4 (170.8456)
Sep 25, 2015	Aksarben Stock Show & Rodeo Omaha, NE	4 / 18 (675.4632)	12 (163.4172)	6 (166.8800)	2 (173.1316)	3 (172.0344)
Sep 5, 2015	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-Eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	18 / 31 (658.2060)	7 (171.4400)	24 (161.0856)	12 (167.4172)	22 (158.2632)
Jul 17, 2015	RiverFest Red White and Que Bellevue, NE	17 / 45 (653.7032)	6 (172.0228)	17 (165.1316)	23 (163.4400)	34 (153.1088)
May 29, 2015	4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	10 / 28 (648.4804)	7 (166.8572)	6 (164)	14 (165.0972)	19 (152.5260)
May 22, 2015	Table Rock and Ribs (GC receives Golden Ticket to the World Food Championship) Kimberling City, MO	21 / 26 (643.2912)	15 (170.2628)	21 (158.2628)	17 (163.9772)	23 (150.7884)
May 8, 2015	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	25 / 33 (626.2292)	13 (167.4172)	31 (144.5604)	21 (162.8688)	26 (151.3828)

SMOKEY BEAR'S BBQ NEBRASKA

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 (12 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A July team

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)