GEM CITY BBQ

GEM CITY BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 11th of 25 at the Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams) (2017). They are ranked #4133 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,133

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1480

peak 1480 · rated over 11 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 8, 2016

latest Sep 20, 2019 · 3.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#832

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

678.1828 / 720

Master · Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.94 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 652.96 (+8.98)

Walk rate

36%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5716

Pork · Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition

Consistency

±16.51

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.36 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.58)

Road miles

580

across 11 mapped stops · furthest 113 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)

Purse competed for

$27K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 6 state-championship entries

Master avg

652.96 / 720

11 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

678.1828 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.1828 at Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 12, 2019

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.78 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 9% of the time against 27%.

Pork Ribs avg 160.58
Chicken avg 165.36
1 call in 11 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PORK-U-UP in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

9 of 11 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ ahead 82% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ has out-cooked them in 9 of 11 shared chicken entries.

A September team

Top 58% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 58% across 3 contests, versus top 68% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 68% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.29% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.29% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.7% of a perfect score
11 contests

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
2019 ↗	Master	#832 (348 pts)	#767 (428 pts)	#1023 (283 pts)	#578 (598 pts)	#823 (383 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1045 (258 pts)	#913 (358 pts)	#984 (328 pts)	#1037 (293 pts)	#1022 (293 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1392 (180 pts)	#1161 (285 pts)	#1480 (185 pts)	#1579 (165 pts)	#1583 (165 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2841 (59 pts)	#2859 (59 pts)	#2866 (59 pts)	#1466 (208 pts)	#2277 (74 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to GEM CITY BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Twiki G BBQ

#4,143 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1480

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 Jan 30, 2026

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TRI-Q DUTCH BBQ TEAM

#4,141 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1504

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 3, 2022

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ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ

#4,118 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1481

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 28, 2019

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Mid Valley BBQ

#4,125 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1480

They turned up 8 years after GEM CITY BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 19, 2025

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QUE SCHOOL

#4,137 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1510

Level with GEM CITY BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Mar 4, 2022

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Smokin Trees BBQ

#4,131 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1515

They've been 1515 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
HISTORIC BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
DUB TOWN SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
ALE YEAH BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
GREY STREET BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOOSIERS	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
GETCHA SOME BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
TIRE SMOKE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BROTHERS OF OHIO BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BURNING PIG BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
JMB BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BIG DOGG BBQ - CINCINNATI, OH	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
CONVICTED PIGS BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	3	0	1	175.4056	154.7656	165.36	top 57%
Pork Ribs	11	1	0	0	168.5256	152.5144	160.58	top 69%
Pork	11	2	1	1	176.5716	154.2056	164.97	top 56%
Brisket	11	1	0	0	169.6800	143.8972	162.04	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 63%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 80%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
OH	9	0	top 66%
IN	1	0	top 86%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin in The Hills	2	20	top 65%	Sep 20, 2019
Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	2	12	top 59%	Jul 12, 2019
Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	2	25	top 78%	Jul 13, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 4 contests

Contests a season 2.8 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in OH 9 of 11 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 8 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 167 finished ahead 118 times, behind 251

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

20195 milestones

Jul 12 Career-best overall score678.1828 Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off
Aug 2 First category win (Pork) Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition
Aug 2 10th tracked contest Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition
Aug 2 Career-best single call (Pork)176.5716 Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition
Sep 20 Most recent contest Smokin in The Hills

20172 milestones

Sep 22 First call Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams)
Sep 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score667.3140 Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams)

20162 milestones

Jul 8 First tracked contest Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off
Jul 8 Peak power rating (1492) Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.5	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	Jul 12, 2019
+4.7	Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition	Aug 2, 2019
+4.2	Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams)	Sep 22, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.9	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	Jul 7, 2017
-7.7	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off	Jul 8, 2016
-5.9	PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	Aug 31, 2018
-4.9	PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition	Mar 22, 2019
-4.2	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	Jun 29, 2018

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	4	1	75%	top 59%	94.2%	92.4%
2018	4	0	0%	top 72%	91.1%	90.2%
2017	2	0	50%	top 68%	92.7%	88.9%
2016	1	0	0%	top 82%	89%	89%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 20, 2019	Smokin in The Hills 🏅	24 / 38 (660.4568)	26 (165.6800)	28 (160.5140)	17 (168.5828)	18 (165.6800)
Aug 2, 2019	Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes BBQ Competition 🏅 Cincinnati, OH	15 / 31 (668.9944)	21 (165.0972)	25 (157.6456)	1 (176.5716)	10 (169.6800)
Jul 12, 2019	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off 🏅 Kettering, OH	12 / 33 (678.1828)	7 (172.5600)	16 (168.5256)	7 (170.8572)	16 (166.2400)
Mar 22, 2019	PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 🏅 Franklin, IN	25 / 29 (654.7432)	10 (171.4172)	23 (163.9544)	26 (159.3944)	25 (159.9772)
Sep 21, 2018	Smokin in The Hills Hillsboro, OH	20 / 30 (647.3144)	13 (165.1316)	16 (165.6800)	24 (158.2628)	23 (158.2400)
Aug 31, 2018	PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lebanon, OH	39 / 46 (648.4344)	39 (163.9428)	42 (155.9200)	37 (163.4172)	31 (165.1544)
Jul 13, 2018	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH	25 / 40 (655.8860)	33 (158.7884)	15 (166.8460)	14 (169.1544)	26 (161.0972)
Jun 29, 2018	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Hilliard, OH	25 / 33 (647.2460)	12 (170.8460)	28 (152.5144)	30 (154.2056)	15 (169.6800)
Sep 22, 2017	Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams) Hillsboro, OH	11 / 25 (667.3140)	3 (175.4056)	10 (166.2284)	14 (165.7028)	14 (159.9772)
Jul 7, 2017	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH	38 / 41 (612.9256)	38 (154.7656)	32 (155.9772)	30 (158.2856)	38 (143.8972)
Jul 8, 2016	Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH	28 / 34 (641.0400)	30 (155.3600)	33 (152.5944)	16 (170.2628)	22 (162.8228)

GEM CITY 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 (7 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

A September team

The metronome

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)