SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY

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

Power ranking

#4037

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1482

peak 1522 · rated over 25 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-25

latest 2018-06-23

Best ToY finish

#980

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 55%

overall standings

Best overall

657.1200 / 720

Master · Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest

Perfect 180s

Current form

619.16 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 628.96 (-9.79)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.0000

Pork Ribs · Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke

Consistency

±18.72

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.05 · weakest Brisket (152.60)

Road miles

2,529

mi across 25 mapped stops · furthest 198 mi

Schedule strength

21%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1529)

Master avg

628.96 / 720

25 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

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.

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 17 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PIG IRON has finished one call ahead of SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY 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 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 45%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 45%

A tough matchup

21–0 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 21 of their 21 shared contests.

The weak link

−9.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.46 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 40%.

Brisket avg 152.60
Chicken avg 162.05
2 calls in 25 entries

A strong matchup

9–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Big Pappa's Smokin' BBQ in 9 of their 12 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

13 of 20 shared chicken entries lost

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead 65% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 13 of 20 shared chicken entries.

Going the wrong way

-36 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 36 points across 5 contests since 2017-07-28 — from 1518 down to 1482.

5 contests since 2017-07-28
now 1482

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 37% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 37% across 3 contests, versus top 55% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 55% the rest of the year

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.

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

Wild West BBQ

#4047 of the rated field

1482 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

TJOPPIE DOPPIE BBQ TEAM

#4041 of the rated field

1482 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1522

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1522 at their best, 41 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2026-05-22

⚔ Head-to-head

KRAZE-E'S BBQ

#4034 of the rated field

1482 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 12% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2022-04-29

⚔ Head-to-head

HERDER HERDER BBQ

#4020 of the rated field

1482 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2019-10-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Sudden Sam's BBQ

#4043 of the rated field

1482 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1482

No shared contest yet.

Level with SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

SWINE SONG

#4032 of the rated field

1482 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY has cooked, 14 to 25, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2018-09-21

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
KISS MY BBQ	21	6	15	29%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	21	0	21	0%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
Sweet Heat BBQ	17	8	9	47%	⚔ compare
THREE DOGS BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
RED VALLEY BBQ	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
THE 5TH ARTERY	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
BLACK DAWG BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
TEAM EATAPEDIA	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
Big Pappa's Smokin' BBQ	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
Priorville BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	10	1	5	174.3200	141.7140	162.05	top 44%
Pork Ribs	25	8	1	3	176.0000	148.5712	159.50	top 49%
Pork	25	2	0	0	172.0000	144.0228	156.97	top 58%
Brisket	25	2	0	1	167.4628	130.7656	152.60	top 61%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	12	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 55%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	4	15	top 41%	2017-09-22
*Salt City BBQ Festival	2	18	top 62%	2018-05-18
BBQ in The Valley	2	13	top 69%	2018-05-04
Roc City Rib Fest	2	29	top 69%	2016-05-28
Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que	2	22	top 54%	2015-06-19
Roc City Rib Fest	2	40	top 68%	2015-05-23
Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2	12	top 41%	2014-08-08

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

On the trail 5.1 yrs 2013-05-25 → 2018-06-23

Busiest season 2016 5 contests

Contests a season 4.2 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NY 25 of 25 contests

Contests visited 16 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 25 entries · 1 win · 10 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 162.05 · weakest Brisket (152.60)

Walk rate 68% a top-10 call in 17 of 25 contests

Overall top-10 rate 4% 1 of 25 contests

Master average 628.96 out of 720 · 25 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 347 485–583 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,529 25 mapped stops · furthest 198 mi

Schedule strength 1529 average field rating faced — tougher than 21% of rated contests

Power rating 1482 peak 1522 · #4037 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 25 First tracked contest Roc City Rib Fest
Jun 7 First call Podunk Pig Party
Aug 9 First category win (Chicken) Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
2014
Aug 8 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.1200 Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
Sep 20 10th tracked contest Oinktoberfest
2016
Aug 12 First overall top-10 Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Aug 12 Career-best overall score657.1200 Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Sep 3 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.0000 Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke
2017
May 19 Peak power rating (1522) *Salt City BBQ Festival
2018
Jun 23 25th tracked contest Smoke In the Woods CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
Jun 23 Most recent contest Smoke In the Woods CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.9	Oinktoberfest	2013-09-20
+9.7	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest	2016-08-12
+7.7	Oinktoberfest	2015-09-19
+7.2	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke	2016-09-03
+6	Oinktoberfest	2014-09-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.2	Roc City Rib Fest	2015-05-23
-9.6	BBQ in The Valley	2018-05-04
-9.6	Oinktoberfest	2017-09-22
-9.4	Roc City Rib Fest	2013-05-25
-8.8	Smoke In the Woods CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	2018-06-23

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	3	0	0	33%	top 86%	86.9%	86%
2017	4	0	0	50%	top 60%	90.9%	87.6%
2016	5	1	1	100%	top 45%	91.3%	88%
2015	3	0	0	67%	top 55%	89%	87.1%
2014	5	0	0	80%	top 46%	90.7%	88.3%
2013	5	0	1	60%	top 53%	89.8%	86.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-06-23	Smoke In the Woods CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Galway, NY	21 / 23 (623.2680)	6 (170.3084)	16 (161.0740)	18 (161.1200)	22 (130.7656)
2018-05-18	*Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	27 / 34 (608.9600)	22 (154.8572)	14 (159.3828)	21 (153.6572)	33 (141.0628)
2018-05-04	BBQ in The Valley Jamestown, NY	22 / 25 (625.6456)	18 (158.8456)	18 (157.1200)	18 (157.0972)	21 (152.5828)
2017-09-22	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	43 / 53 (610.6860)	18 (166.2744)	46 (149.6344)	42 (150.2172)	41 (144.5600)
2017-07-28	*The Great Adirondack BBQ Old Forge, NY	20 / 30 (627.2572)	12 (162.8572)	14 (157.6456)	25 (150.7772)	16 (155.9772)
2017-05-19	*Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	18 / 41 (629.5428)	2 (170.2628)	21 (155.9544)	25 (154.2284)	22 (149.0972)
2017-05-05	BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY	13 / 26 (654.7312)	7 (170.2628)	10 (167.4056)	14 (162.2284)	17 (154.8344)
2016-09-23	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	26 / 54 (636.4456)	29 (159.9656)	22 (157.6456)	7 (168.0000)	38 (150.8344)
2016-09-03	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY	12 / 35 (648.4344)	20 (161.6572)	1 (176.0000)	12 (163.3944)	31 (147.3828)
2016-08-12	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY	8 / 28 (657.1200)	2 (172.0000)	12 (164.5944)	15 (163.9772)	20 (156.5484)
2016-07-02	I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	15 / 28 (574.7656)	3 (168.0344)	23 (149.0856)	13 (155.4056)	20 (148.0344)
2016-05-28	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	29 / 50 (650.2284)	9 (171.9884)	3 (173.1772)	48 (151.9656)	38 (153.0972)
2015-09-19	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	15 / 52 (641.0396)	2 (169.7600)	24 (159.3828)	36 (151.9312)	17 (159.9656)
2015-06-19	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY	22 / 47 (628.0456)	44 (144.0000)	3 (168.0572)	30 (153.6800)	12 (162.3084)
2015-05-23	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	51 / 57 (611.8856)	50 (154.2628)	49 (151.3828)	23 (163.4172)	54 (142.8228)
2014-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	22 / 66 (637.1084)	18 (163.4284)	8 (166.2972)	28 (158.2628)	48 (149.1200)
2014-08-08	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	17 / 39 (653.1200)	6 (169.7256)	24 (158.8344)	26 (157.0972)	7 (167.4628)
2014-07-19	Troy Pig Out Troy, NY	11 / 25 (628.6628)	8 (166.3200)	5 (164.0688)	22 (144.0228)	12 (154.2512)
2014-06-13	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY	29 / 47 (628.5028)	27 (160.5600)	43 (149.1200)	4 (172.0000)	38 (146.8228)
2014-05-24	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	40 / 86 (630.6852)	46 (159.9540)	38 (157.6800)	69 (148.5256)	23 (164.5256)
2013-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	16 / 71 (646.8800)	36 (156.5828)	6 (166.8800)	26 (161.1200)	21 (162.2972)
2013-08-09	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	12 / 31 (638.7200)	1 (174.3200)	26 (152.5028)	15 (158.8000)	21 (153.0972)
2013-06-28	Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY	34 / 49 (613.1424)	44 (146.8568)	34 (153.1428)	22 (160.5714)	32 (152.5714)
2013-06-07	Podunk Pig Party Springwater, NY	11 / 20 (633.1426)	14 (156.5714)	9 (162.8572)	14 (149.1428)	2 (164.5712)
2013-05-25	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	64 / 80 (594.2848)	72 (141.7140)	54 (148.5712)	42 (153.7140)	40 (150.2856)

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	#1235 (192 pts)	#975 (322 pts)	#1048 (292 pts)	#1136 (247 pts)	#1290 (192 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1220 (235 pts)	#824 (475 pts)	#1259 (250 pts)	#1536 (175 pts)	#1285 (235 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#980 (333 pts)	#918 (398 pts)	#824 (478 pts)	#956 (393 pts)	#1450 (198 pts)