OLD TOWN SMOKERS

OLD TOWN SMOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 4th of 26 at the NYC BBQ Cookoff (2019). They are ranked #946 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#946

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1611

peak 1615 · rated over 27 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 27, 2015

latest Oct 14, 2022 · 7.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#472

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

29% of 28 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 43%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3484 / 720

Master · Boo-B-Que

Perfect 180s

Current form

669.14 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 659.81 (+9.34)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.3200

Pork · Boo-B-Que

Consistency

±14.22

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.15 · weakest Chicken (163.44)

Road miles

2,550

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 254 mi

Schedule strength

68%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1587)

Purse competed for

$102K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

659.81 / 720

27 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

289.63 / 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.

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

Happy hunting ground

Top 7% average finish here

Boo-B-Que is their spot: an average finish in the top 7% across 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 4th
average top 7%

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 28 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 28 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.3484 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3484 at Boo-B-Que — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 20, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BAD AZZ MULE BBQ has finished one call ahead of OLD TOWN SMOKERS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

18–0 behind in the head-to-head

APORKALYPSE NOW ahead in 100% of their meetings

APORKALYPSE NOW has come out ahead in 18 of their 18 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKETASTIC BBQ in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Maryland State BBQ Bash (Oct 15, 2021).

last seen Oct 18, 2019
back Oct 15, 2021

Show 3 more storylines

Pork nemesis

17 of 18 shared pork entries lost

APORKALYPSE NOW ahead 94% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, APORKALYPSE NOW has out-cooked them in 17 of 18 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

HOOS SMOKIN has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 30% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 30% across 8 contests, versus top 43% the rest of the year.

8 October contests
top 43% the rest of the year

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
2022 ↗	Master	#788 (192 pts)	#811 (207 pts)	#1016 (147 pts)	#789 (212 pts)	#740 (237 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#599 (543 pts)	#561 (618 pts)	#687 (493 pts)	#649 (513 pts)	#690 (488 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#472 (754 pts)	#611 (609 pts)	#491 (754 pts)	#395 (899 pts)	#512 (724 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#565 (695 pts)	#804 (490 pts)	#718 (555 pts)	#577 (695 pts)	#601 (655 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#805 (450 pts)	#1070 (325 pts)	#771 (515 pts)	#798 (490 pts)	#841 (445 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2127 (65 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#1954 (105 pts)	#2086 (85 pts)	#1970 (105 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

TOPEKA BBQ SHOP

#949 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1626

Careers of much the same size, 31 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Aug 7, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Big Al and the Boys

#940 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1611

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Aug 23, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

SLIM D'S BBQ

#939 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1624

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before OLD TOWN SMOKERS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 30 contests

⚔ Compare careers

FATTY MAC BARBECUE

#942 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 81%
Peak: 1618

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 16 contests, alongside a 81% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

FYC BARBEQUE

#943 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1679

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

rated over 50 contests
last seen Aug 20, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKE ON WHEELS

#947 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 55
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1673

They've been 1673 at their best, 63 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
3 EYZ BBQ	19	3	16	16%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
HOOS SMOKIN	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
BAD AZZ MULE BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKETASTIC BBQ	10	9	1	90%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
Serial Griller	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	7	0	0	174.8456	139.3716	163.44	top 53%
Pork Ribs	28	8	0	0	174.2972	150.2628	164.35	top 44%
Pork	27	11	1	2	178.3200	150.2400	166.15	top 39%
Brisket	27	10	0	0	170.8800	138.2516	164.45	top 41%

“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 100%
Medium (20–39)	16	top 46%
Large (40+)	11	top 35%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MD	7	top 37%
VA	7	top 50%
DC	6	top 53%
DE	4	top 13%
NY	1	top 15%
WV	1	top 53%
PA	1	top 63%
MO	1	top 100%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Beltway BBQ Showdown	3	7	top 42%	Jun 8, 2019
Boo-B-Que	3	4	top 7%	Oct 19, 2018
Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle	3	13	top 49%	Jun 23, 2018
Maryland State BBQ Bash	2	7	top 39%	Oct 14, 2022
Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest	2	13	top 54%	Oct 13, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 7 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MD 7 of 28 contests · 8 states in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 567 finished ahead 755 times, behind 457

Longest layoff 2 yrs Oct 18, 2019 → Oct 15, 2021

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

20221 milestone

Oct 14 Most recent contest Maryland State BBQ Bash

20192 milestones

Apr 5 Peak power rating (1615) NYC BBQ Cookoff
Oct 18 25th tracked contest Boo-B-Que

20172 milestones

Jun 24 10th tracked contest Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle
Oct 20 Career-best overall score683.3484 Boo-B-Que

20163 milestones

May 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.6460 BBQ Jamboree
Oct 21 First category win (Pork) Boo-B-Que
Oct 21 Career-best single call (Pork)178.3200 Boo-B-Que

—3 milestones

First tracked contest Bowling Green Backyard Event (BACKYARD ONLY)
First call Bowling Green Backyard Event (BACKYARD ONLY)
First overall top-10 Bowling Green Backyard Event (BACKYARD ONLY)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.1	Boo-B-Que	Oct 21, 2016
+14.9	Boo-B-Que	Oct 20, 2017
+12.8	Boo-B-Que	Oct 19, 2018
+12.5	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown	Mar 2, 2018
+12	NYC BBQ Cookoff	Apr 5, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.1	Beltway BBQ Showdown	Jun 8, 2019
-2.5	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest	Oct 16, 2015
-2.4	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle	Jun 23, 2018
-1.8	BBQ Gives Back	Mar 23, 2018
-1.7	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle	Jun 25, 2022

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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)
—	1	1	0	100%	top 100%	80.5%	80.5%
2022	2	0	0	50%	top 55%	93.7%	93.1%
2021	1	1	0	100%	top 28%	94.8%	94.8%
2019	5	1	0	40%	top 45%	92.6%	91%
2018	7	2	0	71%	top 39%	94.4%	91.7%
2017	6	2	0	100%	top 35%	94.9%	92.2%
2016	4	1	1	75%	top 37%	93.3%	91.4%
2015	2	0	0	0%	top 59%	89.7%	88.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 14, 2022	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	15 / 30 (666.1716)	12 (172)	23 (156.5260)	11 (169.1200)	7 (168.5256)
Jun 25, 2022	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle 🏅 Washington, DC	19 / 32 (674.7312)	19 (169.7144)	20 (168.5256)	19 (170.8228)	21 (165.6684)
Oct 15, 2021	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	7 / 25 (682.2168)	7 (174.8456)	6 (171.4400)	11 (166.8228)	9 (169.1084)
Oct 18, 2019	Boo-B-Que 🏅 Rehoboth Beach, DE	19 / 63 (657.0060)	10 (170.8228)	10 (166.2860)	28 (163.9428)	41 (155.9544)
Sep 6, 2019	15th annual Recovery Fest/ 10th annual State BBQ Championship (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Richmond, VA	16 / 31 (665.5884)	14 (168.5828)	20 (161.6572)	13 (167.9656)	13 (167.3828)
Jun 22, 2019	Giant National Capital BBQ Battle 🏅 Washington, DC	18 / 31 (662.7428)	15 (166.8228)	18 (165.1200)	17 (164.5372)	17 (166.2628)
Jun 8, 2019	Beltway BBQ Showdown 🏅 Upper Marlboro, MD	25 / 37 (624.9488)	19 (162.2400)	18 (161.6456)	18 (162.8116)	32 (138.2516)
Apr 5, 2019	NYC BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Staten Island, NY	4 / 26 (666.7884)	5 (171.4056)	17 (159.4400)	8 (166.2628)	7 (169.6800)
Oct 19, 2018	Boo-B-Que Rehoboth Beach, DE	7 / 73 (679.3940)	18 (168.5484)	4 (174.2972)	10 (170.2744)	28 (166.2740)
Sep 28, 2018	Smithfield BBQ Classic Richmond, VA	18 / 41 (656.4232)	37 (153.0972)	18 (167.3944)	13 (167.3944)	8 (168.5372)
Aug 31, 2018	West Virginia BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Ranson, WV	21 / 40 (653.5544)	16 (168.5372)	18 (161.1316)	29 (159.9428)	21 (163.9428)
Jun 23, 2018	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	25 / 42 (652.4456)	32 (153.6456)	30 (161.6800)	10 (168.5600)	15 (168.5600)
Jun 9, 2018	Beltway BBQ Showdown Upper Marlboro, MD	14 / 42 (655.3136)	28 (158.2512)	11 (166.8228)	10 (167.3940)	13 (162.8456)
Mar 23, 2018	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	44 / 75 (647.2800)	46 (162.8228)	25 (166.8572)	46 (159.9544)	50 (157.6456)
Mar 2, 2018	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD	5 / 29 (676.4912)	6 (171.9656)	15 (162.8572)	2 (173.1428)	9 (168.5256)
Oct 20, 2017	Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE	4 / 69 (683.3484)	21 (169.1200)	15 (169.7028)	5 (174.2628)	8 (170.2628)
Oct 13, 2017	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA	13 / 30 (652.4112)	22 (156.5256)	17 (163.3828)	6 (169.1200)	9 (163.3828)
Aug 4, 2017	Smithfield BBQ Classic Smithfield, VA	16 / 28 (659.8744)	24 (162.2516)	9 (169.7144)	9 (167.4056)	17 (160.5028)
Jun 24, 2017	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	13 / 33 (661.0284)	9 (172.5600)	21 (161.0856)	19 (162.2400)	14 (165.1428)
Jun 9, 2017	Beltway BBQ Showdown Upper Marlboro, MD	7 / 29 (670.1596)	13 (167.3712)	6 (168.5372)	9 (166.8456)	8 (167.4056)
May 5, 2017	Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest Crownsville, MD	15 / 37 (657.0168)	18 (164.5484)	28 (153.0972)	9 (169.7028)	9 (169.6684)
Oct 21, 2016	Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE	4 / 67 (671.9888)	47 (156.5372)	6 (169.7488)	1 (178.3200)	11 (167.3828)
Sep 23, 2016	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	24 / 38 (638.1140)	25 (161.6684)	6 (166.8344)	35 (150.2400)	26 (159.3712)
Jun 25, 2016	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	17 / 35 (668.5488)	9 (167.9772)	18 (165.7144)	20 (163.9772)	10 (170.8800)
May 13, 2016	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	22 / 72 (653.6460)	51 (157.0628)	23 (165.1544)	35 (161.7144)	13 (169.7144)
Oct 16, 2015	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA	24 / 37 (631.9084)	34 (147.9884)	16 (165.1772)	20 (158.2400)	16 (160.5028)
Jun 27, 2015	National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	22 / 42 (645.6228)	24 (159.9656)	23 (161.7144)	17 (165.1200)	26 (158.8228)
—	Bowling Green Backyard Event (BACKYARD ONLY) Bowling Green, MO	9 / 9 (289.6344)	9 (139.3716)	5 (150.2628)	—	—

OLD TOWN SMOKERS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October team

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, averaged over 5 contests — 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)