They almost always walk
62%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 13 of 21 contests
A top-10 category call in 62% of their 21 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
SMOKE EM UP BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1559
peak 1559 · rated over 20 contests ⓘ
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
2015-06-26
latest 2019-08-23
Best ToY finish
#537
Master 2019
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
of 21 contests
Avg finish
top 46%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
665.06 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 657.18 (+7.89)
Walk rate
62%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±13.39
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.64 · weakest Brisket (160.11)
Road miles
5,098
mi across 21 mapped stops · furthest 502 mi
Schedule strength
49%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)
Purse competed for
$46K
listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 5 state-championship entries
Master avg
657.18 / 720
20 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (10 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
690.2516
career-best overall
95.9% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 690.2516 at Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) — 95.9% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2019-05-11
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX has finished one call ahead of SMOKE EM UP BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2016
their best year
2016 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 28%.
- 5 contests
- 1 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 28%
The weak link
−6.5
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.53 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 15% of the time against 35%.
- Brisket avg 160.11
- Chicken avg 166.64
- 3 calls in 20 entries
A strong matchup
7–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' DOUBLE Z BBQ in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
9 of 13
shared chicken entries lost
KISS MY RACK ahead 69% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, KISS MY RACK has out-cooked them in 9 of 13 shared chicken entries.
An April team
Top 33%
average finish in April
Something about April: average finish in the top 33% across 3 contests, versus top 46% the rest of the year.
- 3 April contests
- top 46% the rest of the year
The long haul
5,098
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,098 miles across 21 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 502 miles to *City of Show Low's 6th Annual BBQ Throwdown.
- 21 mapped stops
- furthest 502 mi
The metronome
±1.86%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.86% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 91.3% of a perfect score
- 21 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.
41 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1585 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1559
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1580 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 65%
- Peak
- 1559
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 21, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1581 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1576
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 20 contests, alongside a 40% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1570 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1569
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 9 years after SMOKE EM UP BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Head-to-head#1584 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1577
No shared contest yet.
Level with SMOKE EM UP BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1572 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1560
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTLER'S BACKDRAFT BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| KISS MY RACK | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BarrelHead Cookers | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| HONKY-TONK SMOKERS | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin' Smoke BBQ Texas | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Texas-car-b-que | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' DOUBLE Z BBQ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 173.1428 | 154.8228 | 166.64 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 20 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 178.8572 | 144.5828 | 166.05 | top 41% |
| Pork | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 173.7256 | 156.4912 | 164.38 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 177.1544 | 144.5144 | 160.11 | top 55% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 10 | 0 | top 32% |
| NM | 6 | 0 | top 50% |
| OK | 2 | 0 | top 88% |
| CO | 1 | 0 | top 69% |
| AZ | 1 | 0 | top 50% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 13 | 0 | top 46% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 31% | 2018-08-24 |
| Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 30% | 2019-05-11 |
| Smokin On The Pecos(Day 1) | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 52% | 2018-06-22 |
| Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2) | 2 | 72 | 0 | top 88% | 2017-03-25 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.2 yrs
2015-06-26 → 2019-08-23
Busiest season
2019
5 contests
Contests a season
3.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TX
10 of 21 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
15
4 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
20 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 166.64 · weakest Brisket (160.11)
Walk rate
62%
a top-10 call in 13 of 21 contests
Overall top-10 rate
19%
4 of 21 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests
Master average
657.18
out of 720 · 20 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
558
506–442 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
5,098
21 mapped stops · furthest 502 mi
Schedule strength
1564
average field rating faced — tougher than 49% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$45,700
listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 5 state-championship entries
Power rating
1559
peak 1559 · #1578 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Smokin' On The Pecos
- 2016
- First call Cedar Fest BBQ
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.4912 Bynum School's Best of the Basin
- First overall top-10 Bliss Brews & Que
- 2017
- 10th tracked contest Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 1
- 2018
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 *City of Show Low's 6th Annual BBQ Throwdown
- 2019
- First overall podium Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2)
- Career-best overall score690.2516 Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2)
- Peak power rating (1559) Raider Red Meat BBQ & Ribeye Championship
- Most recent contest Raider Red Meat BBQ & Ribeye Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.1 | Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) | 2019-05-11 |
| +11.1 | *Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | 2018-08-24 |
| +10.6 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | 2016-08-26 |
| +9.1 | Bliss Brews & Que | 2016-10-07 |
| +7.2 | Bynum School's Best of the Basin | 2016-04-22 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.1 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2) | 2017-03-25 |
| -7.5 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) | 2017-03-24 |
| -4.7 | Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 2 | 2019-03-15 |
| -4.1 | Wild West BBQ Cook Off | 2018-05-11 |
| -2.1 | *Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | 2017-08-25 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80% | top 43% | 95.9% | 92.4% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80% | top 45% | 94.2% | 92% |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 70% | 91.1% | 90% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80% | top 28% | 93.4% | 91.1% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 88.2% | 88.2% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | Raider Red Meat BBQ & Ribeye Championship 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 25 / 62 (661.5884) | 19 (170.2628) | 31 (162.8344) | 30 (162.8228) | 23 (165.6684) |
| 2019-05-11 | Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) 🏅 Plainview, TX | 3 / 21 (690.2516) | 12 (171.4172) | 4 (175.4400) | 16 (166.2400) | 3 (177.1544) |
| 2019-05-10 | Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1) 🏅 Plainview, TX | 17 / 38 (663.3940) | 9 (168.5944) | 10 (168.5828) | 20 (161.6912) | 18 (164.5256) |
| 2019-03-15 | Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 2 🏅 Ruidoso, NM | 15 / 21 (647.8968) | 6 (173.1428) | 18 (158.2972) | 17 (156.4912) | 17 (159.9656) |
| 2019-03-14 | Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 1 🏅 Ruidoso, NM | 8 / 18 (662.1824) | 9 (167.4056) | 2 (173.7372) | 7 (169.1084) | 13 (151.9312) |
| 2018-08-24 | *Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 10 / 54 (678.2740) | 21 (166.2512) | 9 (172.5600) | 18 (168.0228) | 9 (171.4400) |
| 2018-06-22 | Smokin On The Pecos(Day 1) Artesia, NM | 20 / 39 (653.0628) | 15 (169.1200) | 13 (170.8228) | 25 (162.2516) | 29 (150.8684) |
| 2018-05-11 | Wild West BBQ Cook Off Lamar, CO | 18 / 26 (651.3600) | 18 (161.6684) | 19 (161.7144) | 4 (172.5600) | 23 (155.4172) |
| 2018-05-04 | *City of Show Low's 6th Annual BBQ Throwdown Show Low, AZ | 26 / 52 (669.6116) | 22 (170.2744) | 3 (178.8572) | 44 (157.6572) | 30 (162.8228) |
| 2018-04-06 | *Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Cedar Park, TX | 24 / 69 (659.9088) | 9 (171.4172) | 19 (169.1200) | 48 (157.0972) | 29 (162.2744) |
| 2017-08-25 | *Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 25 / 44 (651.3252) | 23 (165.1200) | 16 (168.5828) | 23 (159.3940) | 27 (158.2284) |
| 2017-06-23 | Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 1 Artesia, NM | 21 / 43 (655.9544) | 35 (155.3944) | 18 (162.3316) | 18 (165.6684) | 7 (172.5600) |
| 2017-03-25 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2) Shawnee, OK | 72 / 77 (643.3256) | 64 (161.7028) | 46 (167.4056) | 42 (169.7028) | 75 (144.5144) |
| 2017-03-24 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Shawnee, OK | 72 / 87 (642.1600) | 69 (160.5600) | 79 (155.9316) | 69 (159.9884) | 52 (165.6800) |
| 2016-10-07 | Bliss Brews & Que Ft. Bliss, TX | 8 / 32 (658.7772) | 8 (171.4172) | 3 (171.4172) | 13 (161.7144) | 19 (154.2284) |
| 2016-08-26 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 13 / 72 (672.4912) | 8 (173.1200) | 2 (177.1428) | 16 (170.2856) | 59 (151.9428) |
| 2016-06-24 | Smokin' On The Pecos Artesia, NM | 15 / 44 (661.0856) | 18 (167.4400) | 34 (153.0972) | 7 (173.7256) | 13 (166.8228) |
| 2016-04-22 | Bynum School's Best of the Basin Midland, TX | 14 / 46 (648.4912) | 26 (154.8228) | 11 (168.5600) | 14 (164.5484) | 22 (160.5600) |
| 2016-04-01 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX | 23 / 67 (637.1196) | 8 (172.0000) | 51 (144.5828) | 23 (163.3940) | 29 (157.1428) |
| 2015-06-26 | Smokin' On The Pecos Artesia, NM | 25 / 48 (635.2912) | 22 (161.6572) | 28 (159.9656) | 14 (165.1428) | 36 (148.5256) |
| 2014-06-27 | Smokin' On The Pecos Artesia, NM | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #537 (615 pts) | #548 (635 pts) | #485 (715 pts) | #707 (470 pts) | #589 (575 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #759 (431 pts) | #723 (496 pts) | #560 (671 pts) | #746 (476 pts) | #864 (386 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1632 (140 pts) | #1745 (130 pts) | #1423 (200 pts) | #1579 (165 pts) | #1325 (225 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #677 (567 pts) | #661 (617 pts) | #564 (742 pts) | #700 (572 pts) | #895 (402 pts) |