Piccolos BBQ

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

Power ranking

#2825

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1510

peak 1535 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2018-04-20

latest 2021-06-19

Best ToY finish

#533

Master 2019

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

681.1428 / 720

Master · *BBQ in the Bluffs

Perfect 180s

Current form

624.56 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 650.01 (-25.44)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.3200

Chicken · Central Plains Ribfest

Consistency

±37.15

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 165.35 · weakest Chicken (159.01)

Road miles

2,095

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 469 mi

Schedule strength

80%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1603)

Purse competed for

$63K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

650.01 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

High-water mark

681.1428 career-best overall

94.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.1428 at *BBQ in the Bluffs — 94.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-05-11

Their season

2018 their best year

2018 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 33%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 33%

A tough matchup

10–1 behind in the head-to-head

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead in 91% of their meetings

WHEN PIGS DIE has come out ahead in 10 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.3 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.34 points below their pork, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 8%.

Chicken avg 159.01
Pork avg 165.35
1 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

3–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE in 3 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Central Plains Ribfest Day 1 (2021-06-18).

last seen 2019-08-31
back 2021-06-18

Pork nemesis

11 of 11 shared pork entries lost

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WHEN PIGS DIE has out-cooked them in 11 of 11 shared pork entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1603 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1603 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.

12 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

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.

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

42 BBQ

#2809 of the rated field

1510 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2026-05-29

⚔ Head-to-head

HAZY BLUE BBQ

#2823 of the rated field

1510 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1532

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 11 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

WHOLE HOG CAFE - SPRINGFIELD

#2832 of the rated field

1510 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1513

No shared contest yet.

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 2015-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

EAST LENEXA BBQ

#2815 of the rated field

1510 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1519

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2018.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2021-06-25

⚔ Head-to-head

SOGGY BOTTOM BBQ

#2817 of the rated field

1510 ▲ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2016-08-26

⚔ Head-to-head

TEAM ALLEGRO

#2835 of the rated field

1510 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1533

No shared contest yet.

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 27% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2017-09-08

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WHEN PIGS DIE	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
TEAM BREW & QUE	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
HELPING U BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
TIMBONE BARBECUE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
TEAM CRAWFORD	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	1	1	1	178.3200	68.7888	159.01	top 56%
Pork Ribs	12	4	0	1	174.8456	125.5088	162.92	top 54%
Pork	12	1	0	0	171.9888	156.5256	165.35	top 60%
Brisket	12	2	0	0	170.8228	145.6460	162.73	top 56%

“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
NE	8	top 66%
IA	3	top 43%
CO	1	top 35%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 61%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Q for a Cause	2	18	0	top 53%	2019-04-26

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3.2 yrs 2018-04-20 → 2021-06-19

Busiest season 2019 7 contests

Contests a season 4 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NE 8 of 12 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 1 win · 1 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 165.35 · weakest Chicken (159.01)

Walk rate 58% a top-10 call in 7 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 1 of 12 contests

Master average 650.01 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 248 191–236 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,095 12 mapped stops · furthest 469 mi

Schedule strength 1603 average field rating faced — tougher than 80% of rated contests

Purse competed for $62,910 listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 9 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs 2019-08-31 → 2021-06-18

Power rating 1510 peak 1535 · #2825 of 6,413 rated

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

2018
Apr 20 First tracked contest Q for a Cause
Apr 20 First call Q for a Cause
Apr 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.7776 Q for a Cause
May 11 First overall top-10 *BBQ in the Bluffs
May 11 First overall podium *BBQ in the Bluffs
May 11 Career-best overall score681.1428 *BBQ in the Bluffs
Jun 15 First category win (Chicken) Central Plains Ribfest
Jun 15 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.3200 Central Plains Ribfest
2019
Jul 19 Peak power rating (1535) BBQ'Loo & Blues Too!
Aug 31 10th tracked contest Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge
2021
Jun 19 Most recent contest Central Plains Ribfest Day 2

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.7	*BBQ in the Bluffs	2018-05-11
+7.7	26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge	2019-06-14
+5.8	Central Plains Ribfest	2018-06-15
+5.2	Q for a Cause	2018-04-20
+4.3	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too!	2019-07-19

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	Central Plains Ribfest Day 1	2021-06-18
-10.8	Central Plains Ribfest Day 2	2021-06-19
-3.5	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	2019-05-31
-3.2	Back To Mayberry	2019-06-28
-0.9	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge	2019-08-31

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)
2021	2	0	0	0%	top 99%	81.3%	79.2%
2019	7	0	0	57%	top 56%	92.9%	92%
2018	3	1	1	100%	top 33%	94.6%	93.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-06-19	Central Plains Ribfest Day 2 🏅 Holdrege, NE	35 / 36 (585.3264)	35 (151.3716)	36 (125.5088)	27 (162.8000)	35 (145.6460)
2021-06-18	Central Plains Ribfest Day 1 🏅 Holdrege, NE	40 / 40 (554.9948)	40 (68.7888)	26 (166.8228)	27 (164.0116)	34 (155.3716)
2019-08-31	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	17 / 28 (658.7084)	11 (170.2628)	5 (173.7028)	24 (156.5256)	21 (158.2172)
2019-08-09	GOBS Que 🏅 Arlington, NE	15 / 29 (654.7316)	18 (162.2744)	9 (167.4172)	16 (166.2400)	17 (158.8000)
2019-07-19	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! 🏅 Waterloo, IA	15 / 33 (669.0632)	29 (161.6916)	2 (173.1316)	13 (169.1200)	17 (165.1200)
2019-06-28	Back To Mayberry 🏅 Rodney, IA	21 / 28 (663.3260)	23 (166.8344)	24 (161.1316)	24 (166.2400)	11 (169.1200)
2019-06-14	26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO	19 / 55 (669.0520)	13 (172.5716)	23 (165.6800)	5 (171.9888)	35 (158.8116)
2019-05-31	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	26 / 39 (653.0292)	14 (169.1432)	34 (155.9428)	26 (161.6800)	18 (166.2632)
2019-04-26	Q for a Cause 🏅 Papillion, NE	18 / 32 (668.4800)	13 (171.4172)	20 (164.5372)	23 (165.7028)	21 (166.8228)
2018-06-15	Central Plains Ribfest Holdrege, NE	15 / 35 (679.4288)	1 (178.3200)	21 (166.8916)	23 (166.2400)	17 (167.9772)
2018-05-11	*BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	3 / 39 (681.1428)	24 (166.2628)	4 (174.8456)	11 (170.2744)	8 (169.7600)
2018-04-20	Q for a Cause Papillion, NE	20 / 41 (662.7776)	15 (169.1772)	31 (159.3832)	27 (163.3944)	9 (170.8228)

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
2021 ↗	Master	#917 (120 pts)	#978 (120 pts)	#1023 (120 pts)	#960 (120 pts)	#957 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#533 (620 pts)	#499 (685 pts)	#391 (845 pts)	#532 (645 pts)	#543 (620 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#761 (430 pts)	#752 (460 pts)	#941 (350 pts)	#1103 (260 pts)	#842 (400 pts)