DEAD BIRD BBQ

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

Power ranking

#661

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1646

peak 1666 · rated over 38 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2016-09-30

latest 2022-05-20

Best ToY finish

#116

Master 2019

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 39 contests

Avg finish

top 43%

overall standings

Best overall

701.0972 / 720

Master · Pork-A-Palooza

Perfect 180s

3 🔥

Current form

674.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 671.29 (+2.87)

Walk rate

69%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon

Consistency

±16.16

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 170.19 · weakest Brisket (165.68)

Road miles

4,772

mi across 39 mapped stops · furthest 365 mi

Schedule strength

85%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1615)

Purse competed for

$154K

listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 14 state-championship entries

Master avg

671.29 / 720

38 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (16 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.

The heartbreaker

2.9028 points from the title

Came within 2.9028 points of the Grand Championship at Pork-A-Palooza (2019-04-19).

Perfect scores on the board

3 perfect 180s

3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×3

A multi-meat day

1 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at City Of Springs BBQ Championship (2019-05-10).

Chicken 1st
Pork Ribs 1st

They almost always walk

69% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 27 of 39 contests

A top-10 category call in 69% of their 39 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

701.0972 career-best overall

97.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 701.0972 at Pork-A-Palooza — 97.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2019-04-19

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

THE GRISWOLDS has finished one call ahead of DEAD BIRD BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 4 category wins, at an average finish in the top 25%.

10 contests
7 overall top-10s
4 category wins
average top 25%

A tough matchup

25–7 behind in the head-to-head

BUFFALO'S BBQ ahead in 78% of their meetings

BUFFALO'S BBQ has come out ahead in 25 of their 32 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.50 points below their pork, and turns into a call 28% of the time against 39%.

Brisket avg 165.68
Pork avg 170.19
11 calls in 39 entries

A strong matchup

17–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 81% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ in 17 of their 21 shared contests.

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 0 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

0 Grand Championships
39 contests

They cook the hard rooms

1615 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 85% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1615 power rating — a tougher draw than 85% of every rated contest in the data.

38 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Three Hog Night Smokers has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A May team

Top 23% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 23% across 5 contests, versus top 43% the rest of the year.

5 May contests
top 43% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,772 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,772 miles across 39 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 365 miles to Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League.

39 mapped stops
furthest 365 mi

The metronome

±2.24% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.24% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.2% of a perfect score
39 contests

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.

HAROLD'S HOT MEAT SMOKERS

#662 of the rated field

1646 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1646

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to DEAD BIRD BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team DEAD BIRD BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

BOOTIES BBQ

#663 of the rated field

1646 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1648

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to DEAD BIRD BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 29 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2024-10-17

⚔ Head-to-head

DIVINE SWINE

#660 of the rated field

1647 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 90
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1716

14–15 in 29 shared contests (48% to DEAD BIRD BBQ)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 90 contests to 39.

rated over 85 contests
last seen 2021-09-29

⚔ Head-to-head

PORKERSTARS

#668 of the rated field

1646 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1656

No shared contest yet.

39 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 28% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 39 contests
last seen 2022-10-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Say My Name BBQ

#666 of the rated field

1646 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1666

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 7 years after DEAD BIRD BBQ did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 37 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

iQue

#664 of the rated field

1646 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 33 contests
last seen 2025-08-02

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Three Hog Night Smokers	34	14	20	41%	⚔ compare
BUFFALO'S BBQ	32	7	25	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DAN	31	16	15	52%	⚔ compare
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	30	10	20	33%	⚔ compare
DIVINE SWINE	29	14	15	48%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	29	7	22	24%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	27	12	15	44%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	25	3	22	12%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	24	4	20	17%	⚔ compare
POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ	21	17	4	81%	⚔ compare
THE GRISWOLDS	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
SPICY SPITFIRE	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
HOLLOW Q	15	14	1	93%	⚔ compare
MOVIN' THE CHAINS	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	38	13	2	3	177.7028	150.7772	168.20	top 44%
Pork Ribs	38	13	1	5	177.7028	156.5716	167.25	top 43%
Pork	38	15	4	7	180.0000 🔥	159.3600	170.19	top 40%
Brisket	39	11	0	0	177.7028	141.1660	165.68	top 48%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
OK	31	top 45%
MO	2	top 29%
KS	2	top 46%
AR	2	top 31%
TX	1	top 41%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	26	0	top 44%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon	3	4	top 37%	2019-04-05
City of Springs BBQ Championship	2	2	top 24%	2022-05-20
Pork-A-Palooza	2	2	top 43%	2022-04-15
Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	2	2	top 40%	2020-10-23
Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2	7	top 52%	2020-06-12
Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off	2	9	top 35%	2019-09-20
*Boots and BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)	2	12	top 43%	2018-06-01

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.6 yrs 2016-09-30 → 2022-05-20

Busiest season 2018 11 contests

Contests a season 6.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in OK 31 of 39 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 31 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Brisket 39 entries · 0 wins · 11 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 170.19 · weakest Brisket (165.68)

Walk rate 69% a top-10 call in 27 of 39 contests

Overall top-10 rate 31% 12 of 39 contests

Best top-10 run 4 straight contests

Master average 671.29 out of 720 · 38 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 3 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 692 952–676 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,772 39 mapped stops · furthest 365 mi

Schedule strength 1615 average field rating faced — tougher than 85% of rated contests

Purse competed for $153,700 listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 14 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.5 yrs 2020-10-23 → 2022-04-15

Power rating 1646 peak 1666 · #661 of 6,413 rated

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

2016
Sep 30 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Smokin in Sapulpa
Sep 30 First call 3rd Annual Smokin in Sapulpa
2017
Apr 21 First overall past 90% of a perfect score673.0056 Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ
May 19 First overall top-10 Grand Lake BBQ & Festival
Sep 29 10th tracked contest *Smokin-in-Sapulpa 4th Annual BBQ
2018
Apr 6 First category win (Pork) Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon
Apr 6 First perfect 180 (Pork) Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon
2019
Mar 22 First overall podium Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1
Mar 22 First Reserve Championship Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1
Apr 19 25th tracked contest Pork-A-Palooza
Apr 19 Career-best overall score701.0972 Pork-A-Palooza
May 10 First multi-meat day City Of Springs BBQ Championship
Jun 22 Peak power rating (1666) Festival of the Pig - Oklahoma BBQ Championship
2022
May 20 Most recent contest City of Springs BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.9	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1	2019-03-22
+15.3	Grand Lake BBQ & Festival	2017-05-19
+15.2	Pork-A-Palooza	2019-04-19
+15.2	*17th Annual Bordertown Bash	2018-07-13
+13.5	City Of Springs BBQ Championship	2019-05-10

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.2	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	2020-10-23
-8.7	Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2020-06-12
-8.6	*Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship-Day 1	2017-06-09
-8.4	Pork-A-Palooza	2022-04-15
-7.3	*Carlton Landing's 2nd Annual Smoke on the Water BBQ Comptition	2017-06-16

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)
2022	2	1	0	50%	top 60%	95.1%	93.1%
2020	5	1	0	20%	top 48%	95.7%	93.6%
2019	10	7	4	90%	top 25%	97.4%	94.9%
2018	11	2	3	73%	top 40%	96.2%	93.5%
2017	10	1	0	70%	top 55%	95.8%	91.6%
2016	1	0	0	100%	top 62%	89.4%	89.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-05-20	City of Springs BBQ Championship 🏅 Sulphur, OK	10 / 25 (685.0400)	15 (167.3828)	7 (170.8344)	12 (173.1200)	6 (173.7028)
2022-04-15	Pork-A-Palooza 🏅 Weatherford, OK	23 / 29 (655.2228)	22 (165.0972)	21 (165.0856)	26 (159.3600)	16 (165.6800)
2020-10-23	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	50 / 64 (667.8972)	42 (169.6800)	46 (165.6800)	24 (174.2628)	53 (158.2744)
2020-08-07	15th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK	19 / 54 (673.5656)	14 (171.9772)	18 (169.6800)	35 (163.3828)	19 (168.5256)
2020-06-19	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	7 / 26 (689.0628)	13 (170.2628)	2 (173.7028)	6 (173.1200)	8 (171.9772)
2020-06-12	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	39 / 55 (664.4912)	44 (163.4056)	11 (173.1772)	46 (163.3828)	38 (164.5256)
2020-04-06	Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League unrated washington, MO	34 / 109 (166.8344)	—	—	—	34 (166.8344)
2019-09-20	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	11 / 28 (669.0056)	10 (170.2628)	18 (159.9428)	7 (169.6800)	6 (169.1200)
2019-07-26	Dodge City Days Smokin Saddles BBQ Competition 🏅 Dodge City, KS	16 / 39 (671.8972)	16 (170.2972)	32 (158.8000)	13 (171.9772)	16 (170.8228)
2019-06-22	Festival of the Pig - Oklahoma BBQ Championship 🏅 Oklahoma City, OK	9 / 27 (677.0512)	1 (176.5600)	20 (162.2400)	11 (168.5484)	10 (169.7028)
2019-06-07	Beats, Brews, & BBQ Wagoner, OK	7 / 21 (682.1596)	5 (172.5600)	2 (171.9656)	7 (173.1200)	18 (164.5140)
2019-05-10	City Of Springs BBQ Championship 🏅 Sulphur, OK	2 / 25 (689.6916)	1 (177.1428)	1 (174.2744)	13 (164.0000)	5 (174.2744)
2019-05-03	Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival 🏅	10 / 56 (683.9200)	16 (170.2512)	6 (174.2744)	8 (175.4172)	26 (163.9772)
2019-04-26	14th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK	21 / 39 (666.1372)	6 (174.8456)	28 (158.8116)	25 (163.9428)	16 (168.5372)
2019-04-19	Pork-A-Palooza Weatherford, OK	2 / 33 (701.0972)	5 (176.5600)	2 (177.7028)	3 (176.5716)	14 (170.2628)
2019-04-05	Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon 🏅 Stillwater, OK	4 / 34 (693.6800)	5 (173.7028)	19 (166.2744)	1 (180.0000)	8 (173.7028)
2019-03-22	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	2 / 74 (695.3600)	3 (176.5600)	13 (171.4172)	16 (173.1200)	11 (174.2628)
2018-09-28	*Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR	21 / 49 (667.2796)	26 (165.1084)	20 (165.6684)	22 (167.3828)	14 (169.1200)
2018-09-21	*Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	9 / 29 (670.7656)	15 (162.8228)	12 (166.2856)	2 (176.5600)	13 (165.0972)
2018-08-31	*Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	30 / 74 (661.6912)	16 (172.5828)	23 (167.4516)	40 (164.5256)	54 (157.1312)
2018-07-27	*Canadian County CASA's All Fired Up for Kids BBQ El Reno, OK	12 / 23 (671.8976)	6 (171.4172)	9 (169.6916)	19 (163.9544)	10 (166.8344)
2018-07-13	*17th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	6 / 32 (692.5032)	5 (177.7028)	20 (169.7032)	1 (176.5600)	13 (168.5372)
2018-06-01	*Boots and BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Claremore, OK	12 / 30 (676.4684)	10 (171.9772)	9 (168.5372)	10 (171.4056)	17 (164.5484)
2018-05-04	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival Bixby, OK	18 / 68 (678.6968)	7 (175.4056)	12 (173.1200)	1 (180.0000)	52 (150.1712)
2018-04-20	13th Annual Hanor Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	15 / 49 (685.7032)	7 (174.8572)	19 (169.7488)	22 (169.1200)	16 (171.9772)
2018-04-06	Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon Stillwater, OK	11 / 26 (657.5772)	17 (153.6572)	10 (167.3828)	1 (180.0000)	16 (156.5372)
2018-03-24	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK	35 / 79 (681.7260)	19 (173.7144)	69 (162.2860)	52 (168.0228)	7 (177.7028)
2018-03-23	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK	60 / 84 (659.2568)	71 (159.3484)	31 (169.7028)	55 (165.1200)	52 (165.0856)
2017-10-27	Smokin the Fort BBQ & Blue Grass Festival Fort Gibson, OK	13 / 32 (667.3944)	15 (165.1200)	12 (166.8572)	20 (163.9884)	7 (171.4288)
2017-09-29	*Smokin-in-Sapulpa 4th Annual BBQ Sapulpa, OK	13 / 30 (672.4916)	18 (165.6916)	7 (172.0116)	5 (176.5600)	22 (158.2284)
2017-07-28	Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ Iola, KS	14 / 27 (666.7544)	12 (169.6800)	19 (158.2744)	13 (167.9772)	8 (170.8228)
2017-06-16	*Carlton Landing's 2nd Annual Smoke on the Water BBQ Comptition Carlton Landing, OK	22 / 26 (633.4740)	22 (150.7772)	10 (163.3828)	17 (163.9656)	22 (155.3484)
2017-06-09	*Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship-Day 1 Okmulgee, OK	26 / 29 (642.0912)	24 (155.3712)	24 (157.0744)	15 (165.1084)	18 (164.5372)
2017-06-02	Boots and BBQ Festival Claremore, OK	13 / 28 (667.3144)	18 (164.5372)	12 (166.8344)	12 (169.1200)	14 (166.8228)
2017-05-19	Grand Lake BBQ & Festival Langley, OK	8 / 36 (689.6684)	30 (163.9656)	8 (173.7372)	2 (176.5600)	6 (175.4056)
2017-04-21	Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	17 / 47 (673.0056)	25 (163.3712)	2 (176.5716)	23 (169.6800)	25 (163.3828)
2017-04-07	Chillin n Grillin BBQ Festival Sands Springs, OK	26 / 33 (643.8628)	20 (169.1200)	25 (157.6800)	25 (162.8000)	28 (154.2628)
2017-03-31	Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon Stillwater, OK	21 / 37 (640.0000)	21 (162.8228)	18 (162.9028)	6 (173.1084)	37 (141.1660)
2016-09-30	3rd Annual Smokin in Sapulpa Sapulpa, OK	23 / 37 (643.9544)	27 (156.0000)	28 (156.5716)	10 (172.5600)	22 (158.8228)

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
2022 ↗	Master	#791 (189 pts)	#906 (169 pts)	#819 (229 pts)	#908 (169 pts)	#698 (264 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#309 (366 pts)	#355 (346 pts)	#223 (536 pts)	#346 (351 pts)	#345 (356 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#116 (1708 pts)	#77 (1838 pts)	#157 (1448 pts)	#145 (1498 pts)	#226 (1218 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#302 (1070 pts)	#229 (1255 pts)	#314 (1030 pts)	#128 (1575 pts)	#312 (1050 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#380 (965 pts)	#478 (810 pts)	#264 (1235 pts)	#261 (1250 pts)	#383 (995 pts)