Close Butt No Cigar

Close Butt No Cigar is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2020. Their best overall finish is 7th of 25 at the Capital City Cook Off (2020). They are ranked #3911 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,911

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1485

peak 1485 · rated over 12 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 17, 2016

latest Oct 23, 2020 · 4.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#252

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

8% of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 69%

overall standings

Best overall

679.3372 / 720

Master · Capital City Cook Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

663.36 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 651.35 (+12.01)

Walk rate

33%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Brisket · Capital City Cook Off

Consistency

±17.92

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.31 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.07)

Road miles

2,459

across 12 mapped stops · furthest 336 mi

Schedule strength

75%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)

Purse competed for

$50K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.35 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

679.3372 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.3372 at Capital City Cook Off — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Feb 21, 2020

Their season

2020 their best year

2020 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 52%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10
1 category win
average top 52%

A tough matchup

9–0 behind in the head-to-head

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BLUE CHIP 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 BULLHEADED BBQ in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

8 of 9 shared chicken entries lost

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BLUE CHIP BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.49% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.49% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.5% of a perfect score
12 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 21st

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
2020 ↗	Master	#252 (443 pts)	#271 (458 pts)	#269 (468 pts)	#310 (403 pts)	#182 (623 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1396 (136 pts)	#1548 (126 pts)	#1466 (141 pts)	#1451 (146 pts)	#1422 (146 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1364 (163 pts)	#1430 (163 pts)	#1236 (223 pts)	#1470 (153 pts)	#1151 (243 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2831 (56 pts)	#2839 (56 pts)	#2844 (56 pts)	#1681 (141 pts)	#2825 (56 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1954 (117 pts)	#2010 (117 pts)	#2030 (117 pts)	#2013 (117 pts)	#1829 (122 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Close Butt No Cigar, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BLUEGRASS SMOKERS

#3,936 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1511

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Close Butt No Cigar)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Close Butt No Cigar has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Aug 18, 2017

⚔ Head-to-head

Rub'em Right BBQ

#3,894 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1502

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Close Butt No Cigar)

Fewer contests behind them than Close Butt No Cigar has cooked, 8 to 12, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

D'S SMOKEHOUSE

#3,910 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1485

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 20, 2014

⚔ Compare careers

Hair of the Hog

#3,923 of the rated field

1485 power rating

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

Level with Close Butt No Cigar on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Oct 10, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

LittleBrothersBBQ

#3,931 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1485

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Oct 13, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

WHITE DOG BBQ

#3,899 of the rated field

1485 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1515

They've been 1515 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 24, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WeQ4U	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
HOGTOWN BARBECUE	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Beachdogs 502 BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BULLHEADED BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
MEAT MISTERS	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
THUNDER HOG BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
GREY STREET BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-PEPPERS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	1	0	0	173.1200	147.3600	163.31	top 69%
Pork Ribs	12	2	0	0	169.6800	151.9200	162.07	top 65%
Pork	12	1	0	0	169.7144	154.2744	163.11	top 65%
Brisket	12	3	1	1	178.8800	150.7772	162.87	top 62%

“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)	8	0	top 69%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 67%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IN	5	top 68%
KY	5	top 81%
AL	2	top 39%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	4	21	0	top 85%	Jun 14, 2019
Smokin For Garrett	2	19	0	top 74%	Oct 23, 2020

More numbers

Busiest season 2020 5 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IN 5 of 12 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 8 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 354 finished ahead 194 times, behind 367

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

20207 milestones

Feb 21 First category win (Brisket) Capital City Cook Off
Feb 21 First overall top-10 Capital City Cook Off
Feb 21 Career-best overall score679.3372 Capital City Cook Off
Feb 21 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8800 Capital City Cook Off
Jun 20 10th tracked contest Covid-Que Relief (Day 2)
Sep 18 Peak power rating (1493) Smoke on the Falls
Oct 23 Most recent contest Smokin For Garrett

20181 milestone

Jun 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.7428 Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

20171 milestone

Jun 16 First call Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

20161 milestone

Jun 17 First tracked contest Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.1	Capital City Cook Off	Feb 21, 2020
+8.1	Smoke on the Falls	Sep 18, 2020
+6.9	Rockin BBQ	May 29, 2020
+4.1	Covid-Que Relief (Day 2)	Jun 20, 2020
+2.4	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	Jun 15, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.5	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	Jun 17, 2016
-9.5	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval	Aug 19, 2016
-8.3	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	Jun 16, 2017
-8.1	Smokin For Garrett	Oct 23, 2020
-6.6	Smokin For Garrett	Apr 26, 2019

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)
2020	5	1	1	40%	top 52%	94.4%	92.1%
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 82%	90.4%	90%
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 64%	92.6%	92.3%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 90%	86.6%	86.6%
2016	2	0	0	0%	top 93%	87.5%	86.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 23, 2020	Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN	31 / 41 (650.1712)	32 (158.8228)	17 (165.7028)	14 (169.7144)	34 (155.9312)
Sep 18, 2020	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	14 / 28 (662.1600)	13 (168.0116)	13 (163.9772)	13 (167.3712)	23 (162.8000)
Jun 20, 2020	Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN	36 / 63 (669.1436)	32 (169.1888)	56 (158.8232)	35 (166.8572)	7 (174.2744)
May 29, 2020	Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN	31 / 66 (655.9884)	31 (165.1084)	27 (166.3316)	34 (162.2856)	46 (162.2628)
Feb 21, 2020	Capital City Cook Off 🏅 Montgomery, AL	7 / 25 (679.3372)	6 (173.1200)	9 (169.6800)	24 (157.6572)	1 (178.8800)
Jun 14, 2019	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival 🏅 Barbourville, KY	27 / 30 (645.5660)	29 (163.4172)	27 (159.9544)	26 (163.3828)	25 (158.8116)
Apr 26, 2019	Smokin For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN	19 / 26 (650.7088)	21 (162.8000)	18 (164.5488)	17 (164)	17 (159.3600)
Oct 19, 2018	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	19 / 29 (662.8000)	17 (167.4400)	9 (169.1200)	27 (154.2744)	7 (171.9656)
Jun 15, 2018	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	21 / 34 (666.7428)	23 (167.3828)	20 (166.2628)	17 (166.2400)	20 (166.8572)
Jun 16, 2017	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	28 / 31 (623.7716)	30 (147.3600)	28 (156.5144)	9 (169.1200)	30 (150.7772)
Aug 19, 2016	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	56 / 63 (619.7372)	56 (155.9428)	56 (151.9200)	48 (159.3600)	56 (152.5144)
Jun 17, 2016	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	31 / 32 (630.0916)	30 (161.1200)	31 (151.9544)	31 (157.0628)	24 (159.9544)

Close Butt No Cigar

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 (7 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

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)