ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ

ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 12th of 33 at the Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (2016). They are ranked #4118 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,118

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1481

peak 1481 · rated over 12 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 18, 2013

latest Jun 28, 2019 · 5.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#996

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

657.6572 / 720

Master · BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.94 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 623.40 (+22.54)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7144

Chicken · BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland

Consistency

±49.42

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 160.40 · weakest Pork Ribs (156.67)

Road miles

1,253

across 12 mapped stops · furthest 193 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1572)

Purse competed for

$6,300

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

623.40 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 8 of 12 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 12 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BURNIN BENJAMINS has finished one call ahead of ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

9–0 behind in the head-to-head

BIG "E" BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BIG "E" BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WE WILL ROCK QUE in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Central Illinois Bragging Rights (Oct 9, 2015).

last seen Oct 18, 2013
back Oct 9, 2015

Brisket nemesis

8 of 9 shared brisket entries lost

BIG "E" BBQ ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BIG "E" BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared brisket entries.

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#1041 (260 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1069 (245 pts)	#916 (355 pts)	#1074 (280 pts)	#1060 (280 pts)	#1139 (245 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#996 (339 pts)	#1213 (264 pts)	#977 (384 pts)	#838 (479 pts)	#709 (559 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1441 (183 pts)	#1255 (258 pts)	#2024 (118 pts)	#1314 (243 pts)	#1197 (268 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2181 (65 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Hair of the Hog

#4,104 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

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Smokin Trees BBQ

#4,131 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1515

They've been 1515 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

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OLD TRUCKERS BBQ

#4,122 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1481

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen May 14, 2022

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Udder Chaos

#4,113 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1502

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

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jul 23, 2022

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GEM CITY BBQ

#4,133 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1480

Level with ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 20, 2019

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Burn Out BBQ

#4,132 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1516

They've been 1516 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 23, 2021

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BIG "E" BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
JH OLD SCHOOL	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
QUAU	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
WE WILL ROCK QUE	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
BURNIN BENJAMINS	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
Monsters of the Ribway	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
STRESS RELIEF BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
CARNIVORE'S PARADISE	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	3	2	177.7144	144.5140	159.29	top 62%
Pork Ribs	12	0	0	167.4516	146.7888	156.67	top 65%
Pork	12	4	0	172.5716	150.2288	160.32	top 55%
Brisket	12	3	1	171.4172	149.1084	160.40	top 51%

“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
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 55%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 79%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IL	9	0	top 67%
WI	3	0	top 67%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	2	15	0	top 48%	Aug 18, 2018
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2	12	0	top 54%	Jun 23, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 4 contests

Contests a season 2 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 9 of 12 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 10 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 267 finished ahead 144 times, behind 304

Longest layoff 2 yrs Oct 18, 2013 → Oct 9, 2015

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

20193 milestones

Jun 28 Career-best overall score657.6572 BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland
Jun 28 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7144 BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland
Jun 28 Most recent contest BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland

20181 milestone

Aug 18 10th tracked contest McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ

20162 milestones

May 6 First call Route 66 Smoke Out
Jun 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3376 Heritage Days BBQ Showdown

20132 milestones

Oct 18 First tracked contest 8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL)
Oct 18 Peak power rating (1492) 8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.6	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	Jun 24, 2016
+6.4	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	Aug 19, 2017
+4.1	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	Aug 18, 2018
+2.4	7th Annual Smokin' In The Bogs	Sep 1, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.4	Route 66 Smoke Out	May 6, 2016
-8.5	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL)	Oct 18, 2013
-6.2	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 9, 2015
-3.9	Badger Brews & Que	Aug 4, 2017
-3	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1	Jun 22, 2018

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	100%	top 69%	91.3%	91.3%
2018	3	67%	top 67%	89.7%	89.2%
2017	4	75%	top 60%	89.7%	88.7%
2016	2	100%	top 68%	91%	78%
2015	1	0%	top 77%	86.7%	86.7%
2013	1	0%	top 78%	82.5%	82.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 28, 2019	BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 🏅 Joliet, IL	29 / 42 (657.6572)	2 (177.7144)	28 (162.2400)	37 (154.2972)	29 (163.4056)
Aug 31, 2018	Smokin in the Bogs Warrens, WI	18 / 25 (646.1256)	5 (170.2744)	16 (158.2056)	19 (157.6684)	13 (159.9772)
Aug 18, 2018	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	16 / 30 (640.4460)	12 (163.3944)	17 (157.0744)	9 (164.5944)	21 (155.3828)
Jun 22, 2018	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 Belvidere, IL	39 / 51 (639.3488)	47 (158.2400)	19 (167.4516)	45 (153.1200)	36 (160.5372)
Sep 1, 2017	7th Annual Smokin' In The Bogs Warrens, WI	16 / 29 (646.1372)	28 (150.8000)	20 (156.5028)	10 (167.4172)	2 (171.4172)
Aug 19, 2017	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	15 / 36 (646.1828)	18 (163.9772)	19 (159.3944)	5 (169.1772)	18 (153.6340)
Aug 4, 2017	Badger Brews & Que Port Washington, WI	22 / 30 (628.4232)	26 (150.2288)	17 (156.5260)	18 (158.2512)	8 (163.4172)
Jun 23, 2017	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	30 / 42 (634.1832)	39 (148.5488)	13 (166.8572)	22 (162.8572)	34 (155.9200)
Jun 24, 2016	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	12 / 33 (655.3376)	2 (177.1772)	29 (146.7888)	5 (172.5716)	18 (158.8000)
May 6, 2016	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	40 / 40 (468.4116)	—	38 (148.4800)	34 (150.2288)	6 (169.7028)
Oct 9, 2015	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	37 / 48 (624.4112)	47 (147.3484)	39 (153.6572)	34 (159.9656)	24 (163.4400)
Oct 18, 2013	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	42 / 54 (594.1480)	51 (144.5140)	45 (146.8228)	28 (153.7028)	37 (149.1084)

ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (6 found in their record)

They almost always walk

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Brisket nemesis

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)