BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ

BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 16th of 29 at the Big Bear Memorial Weekend BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) (2018). They are ranked #4709 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,709

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1469

peak 1503 · rated over 13 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 15, 2016

latest May 28, 2021 · 4.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

668.5260 / 720

Master · 9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)

Perfect 180s

Current form

644.35 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 646.55 (-2.20)

Walk rate

31%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7144

Brisket · America's Finest BBQ State Championship

Consistency

±18.01

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 164.68 · weakest Chicken (160.07)

Road miles

586

across 13 mapped stops · furthest 66 mi

Schedule strength

55%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)

Purse competed for

$51K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

646.55 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

668.5260 career-best overall

92.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 668.5260 at 9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) — 92.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 13, 2018

A tough matchup

12–0 behind in the head-to-head

Meat Candy Q ahead in 100% of their meetings

Meat Candy Q has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.61 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 31%.

Chicken avg 160.07
Brisket avg 164.68
0 calls in 13 entries

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

10 of 12 shared brisket entries lost

LADY OF Q ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LADY OF Q has out-cooked them in 10 of 12 shared brisket entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

MOSSY ROCK BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

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	#1100 (92 pts)	#1071 (112 pts)	#1212 (87 pts)	#1138 (92 pts)	#1139 (87 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#681 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#971 (274 pts)	#958 (299 pts)	#966 (304 pts)	#953 (309 pts)	#1048 (269 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#914 (329 pts)	#1069 (274 pts)	#1010 (314 pts)	#793 (439 pts)	#584 (624 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1632 (140 pts)	#1745 (130 pts)	#1641 (155 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1178 (270 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2212 (85 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2086 (105 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

COME AND TAKE IT BBQ

#4,690 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1500

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 17 contests
last seen May 25, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

BUTLER'S BBQ

#4,716 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1469

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ has cooked, 5 to 13, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 5 contests
last seen May 31, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

BULLY BBQ

#4,687 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1514

They've been 1514 at their best, 45 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Feb 21, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

MARKO'S SMOKIN' BBQ

#4,691 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1469

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Jul 13, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

BAM BAM'S BBQ WINCHESTER VA

#4,706 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1469

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Compare careers

PHAT BASTERDZ BBQ

#4,718 of the rated field

1469 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1469

Level with BILL'S BLUE LINE BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAD FONDO BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Meat Candy Q	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
7 SINS BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
BIG RED BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
2LiveQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
TEAM WOODSHED	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
MOSSY ROCK BBQ	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
DAD'S CHILLIN' AND GRILLIN' BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
B' Mackin BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE HOUND BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
7-8-9 BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	0	0	168.5828	151.3828	160.07	top 73%
Pork Ribs	13	0	0	170.2628	146.8000	161.55	top 63%
Pork	12	1	0	176.5600	150.8228	160.64	top 68%
Brisket	13	4	1	177.7144	149.6572	164.68	top 47%

“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 67%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 70%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL)	2	18	0	top 59%	Sep 13, 2019
Del Mar BBQ Championship	2	21	0	top 55%	Aug 18, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 4 contests

Contests a season 2.2 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 13 of 13 contests

Contests visited 11 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 210 finished ahead 163 times, behind 356

Longest layoff 1.3 yrs Feb 21, 2020 → May 28, 2021

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

20211 milestone

May 28 Most recent contest Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships

20191 milestone

Aug 2 10th tracked contest 10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic

20183 milestones

Jul 13 Career-best overall score668.5260 9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)
Jul 13 Peak power rating (1503) 9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)
Sep 14 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7144 America's Finest BBQ State Championship

20171 milestone

Aug 18 First call Del Mar BBQ Championship

20162 milestones

Jul 15 First tracked contest Del Mar BBQ Championship
Jul 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0512 Del Mar BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.4	Del Mar BBQ Championship	Aug 18, 2017
+4.3	9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)	Jul 13, 2018
+0.8	America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL)	Sep 13, 2019
+0.3	Big Bear Memorial Weekend BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)	May 25, 2018
+0.3	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships	May 28, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.4	Big Bear Grill & Chill	May 24, 2019
-9.2	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1	Mar 29, 2019
-8.2	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship	Aug 17, 2018
-7.8	10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic	Aug 2, 2019
-4.7	8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)	Jul 28, 2017

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)
2021	1	0%	top 63%	89.8%	89.8%
2020	1	0%	top 74%	91.2%	91.2%
2019	4	0%	top 82%	91.5%	88.3%
2018	4	75%	top 61%	92.9%	89.8%
2017	2	50%	top 56%	92.8%	91%
2016	1	0%	top 70%	91.8%	91.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 28, 2021	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA	17 / 27 (646.8116)	13 (168.5828)	18 (160.0116)	17 (161.0972)	18 (157.1200)
Feb 21, 2020	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial 🏅 Coachella, CA	37 / 50 (656.4916)	35 (164)	29 (165.7144)	45 (158.2400)	13 (168.5372)
Sep 13, 2019	America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 San Diego, CA	18 / 30 (658.8572)	13 (168.5828)	18 (165.1200)	15 (168)	21 (157.1544)
Aug 2, 2019	10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic 🏅 Vista, CA	30 / 34 (635.1768)	32 (152.4800)	21 (164.5256)	—	22 (162.7884)
May 24, 2019	Big Bear Grill & Chill 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA	22 / 25 (624.4116)	22 (157.1428)	20 (158.2172)	18 (159.3944)	23 (149.6572)
Mar 29, 2019	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA	63 / 70 (624.9712)	65 (151.3828)	56 (157.6572)	64 (150.8228)	38 (165.1084)
Sep 14, 2018	America's Finest BBQ State Championship 🏅 San Diego, CA	23 / 40 (655.9088)	36 (152.5600)	35 (149.0744)	5 (176.5600)	2 (177.7144)
Aug 17, 2018	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	43 / 51 (607.2684)	45 (152.5368)	44 (146.8000)	42 (154.2400)	37 (153.6916)
Jul 13, 2018	9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA	17 / 37 (668.5260)	31 (156.5488)	16 (169.1428)	19 (166.2744)	7 (176.5600)
May 25, 2018	Big Bear Memorial Weekend BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Big Bear Lake, CA	16 / 29 (655.4744)	17 (164)	18 (160.0116)	15 (163.4628)	9 (168)
Aug 18, 2017	Del Mar BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	21 / 52 (667.9660)	23 (166.2744)	23 (166.8344)	39 (159.9656)	4 (174.8916)
Jul 28, 2017	8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA	29 / 40 (642.1828)	30 (163.4400)	20 (166.8228)	36 (151.9428)	27 (159.9772)
Jul 15, 2016	Del Mar BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	33 / 47 (661.0512)	36 (163.4056)	20 (170.2628)	41 (157.6800)	16 (169.7028)

BILL'S BLUE LINE 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)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Brisket nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

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

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)