THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ

THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 8th of 36 at the McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ (2017). They are ranked #5725 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,725

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1445

peak 1445 · rated over 10 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 21, 2016

latest Oct 22, 2021 · 5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#829

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

10% of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 79%

overall standings

Best overall

657.0860 / 720

Master · McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

607.32 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 611.73 (-4.41)

Walk rate

30%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.7372

Chicken · McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ

Consistency

±38.93

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 160.68 · weakest Brisket (132.36)

Road miles

717

across 10 mapped stops · furthest 83 mi

Schedule strength

48%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)

Purse competed for

$7,500

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

611.73 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (4 found in their record)

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

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

One2BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

One2BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−28.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 28.31 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 20%.

Brisket avg 132.36
Chicken avg 160.68
0 calls in 10 entries

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Best of the Midwest BBQ (Oct 22, 2021).

last seen Oct 19, 2018
back Oct 22, 2021

Chicken nemesis

5 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 63% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 8 shared chicken 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
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1247 (65 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1524 (120 pts)	#1598 (120 pts)	#1271 (205 pts)	#1302 (190 pts)	#1586 (120 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#829 (449 pts)	#554 (724 pts)	#497 (794 pts)	#957 (389 pts)	#951 (379 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2207 (85 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

TRIBAL SMOKERS

#5,716 of the rated field

1446 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

They've been 1503 at their best, 58 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2019

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BUEHRLE'S BACKYARD BARBECUE

#5,721 of the rated field

1445 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1445

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 5 years before THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

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DND BBQ

#5,733 of the rated field

1445 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1445

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Aug 22, 2026

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Team GottaQ

#5,713 of the rated field

1446 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Nov 11, 2021

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SLOW SMOKERS

#5,717 of the rated field

1446 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1508

Level with THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jun 21, 2019

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HAWKEYEBBQ

#5,711 of the rated field

1446 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2016.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Sep 22, 2018

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
One2BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
CARNIVORE'S PARADISE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
WICKED SMOKE BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
QUAU	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKY LINCS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	2	1	1	173.7372	148.5028	160.68	top 60%
Pork Ribs	10	3	0	1	172	142.2744	159.00	top 54%
Pork	10	0	0	0	169.7144	151.9772	159.70	top 65%
Brisket	10	0	0	0	161.7256	20	132.36	top 83%

“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)	3	0	top 64%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 85%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IL	6	0	top 70%
WI	4	0	top 91%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	3	36	0	top 91%	Oct 19, 2018
Route 66 Smoke Out	2	27	0	top 85%	May 4, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 6 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 6 of 10 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 7 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 247 finished ahead 87 times, behind 353

Longest layoff 3 yrs Oct 19, 2018 → Oct 22, 2021

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

20212 milestones

Oct 22 10th tracked contest Best of the Midwest BBQ
Oct 22 Most recent contest Best of the Midwest BBQ

20176 milestones

Jun 23 First call Heritage Days BBQ Showdown
Aug 19 First category win (Chicken) McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ
Aug 19 First overall top-10 McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ
Aug 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.0860 McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ
Aug 19 Career-best overall score657.0860 McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ
Aug 19 Career-best single call (Chicken)173.7372 McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ

20162 milestones

Oct 21 First tracked contest Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
Oct 21 Peak power rating (1489) Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.1	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	Aug 19, 2017
+2.5	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)	Jul 21, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.7	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	Oct 20, 2017
-11	Route 66 Smoke Out	May 5, 2017
-10.8	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	Oct 21, 2016
-9	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	May 27, 2017
-8.5	Best of the Midwest BBQ	Oct 22, 2021

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)
2021	1	0	0	0%	top 91%	84.3%	84.3%
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 81%	89.7%	87.7%
2017	6	1	1	33%	top 74%	91.3%	84.4%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 88%	83.4%	83.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 22, 2021	Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI	40 / 44 (607.2920)	40 (153.1316)	39 (149.6800)	24 (166.8456)	44 (137.6348)
Oct 19, 2018	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	36 / 42 (616.9832)	41 (148.5028)	37 (147.3716)	11 (169.7144)	33 (151.3944)
May 4, 2018	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	29 / 38 (646.1596)	33 (158.2400)	9 (168.5256)	32 (157.6684)	25 (161.7256)
Oct 20, 2017	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	52 / 52 (509.0972)	28 (160.5828)	12 (168.5716)	29 (159.9428)	52 (20)
Aug 19, 2017	McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	8 / 36 (657.0860)	1 (173.7372)	2 (171.4172)	20 (159.9772)	20 (151.9544)
Jul 21, 2017	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	26 / 48 (634.1604)	17 (165.0856)	26 (157.6800)	32 (154.8688)	25 (156.5260)
Jun 23, 2017	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	34 / 42 (630.8348)	7 (171.4516)	4 (172)	30 (158.2744)	41 (129.1088)
May 27, 2017	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	56 / 59 (595.3028)	55 (153.1428)	51 (151.3600)	41 (160.5600)	58 (130.2400)
May 5, 2017	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	27 / 29 (619.9200)	25 (158.2972)	20 (161.1200)	23 (157.1428)	28 (143.3600)
Oct 21, 2016	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	45 / 51 (600.5028)	20 (164.5828)	48 (142.2744)	46 (151.9772)	43 (141.6684)

THE 4 SMOKEMEN 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 (4 found in their record)

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Chicken 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)