Piccolos BBQ

Piccolos BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 39 at the BBQ in the Bluffs (2018). They are ranked #2838 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,838

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1510

peak 1535 · rated over 12 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 20, 2018

latest Jun 19, 2021 · 3.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#533

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

8% 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

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 165.35 · weakest Chicken (159.01)

Road miles

2,095

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 🏅

won from 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

650.01 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

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
May 11, 2018

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-10
1 category win
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 call 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 (Jun 18, 2021).

last seen Aug 31, 2019
back Jun 18, 2021

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.

Show 2 more storylines

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.

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	#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)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

98 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

#2,827 of the rated field

1510 power rating

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

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 May 29, 2026

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Outhouse smokers

#2,846 of the rated field

1510 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1523

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 25% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Apr 7, 2023

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HAZY BLUE BBQ

#2,839 of the rated field

1510 power rating

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

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

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WHOLE HOG CAFE - SPRINGFIELD

#2,855 of the rated field

1510 power rating

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

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 Jun 26, 2015

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EAST LENEXA BBQ

#2,837 of the rated field

1510 power rating

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

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jun 25, 2021

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SOGGY BOTTOM BBQ

#2,825 of the rated field

1510 power rating

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

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Aug 26, 2016

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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 field size and state

By contest size

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

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NE	8	top 66%
IA	3	top 43%
CO	1	top 35%

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

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

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 7 contests

Contests a season 4 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NE 8 of 12 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 11 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 247 finished ahead 191 times, behind 236

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs Aug 31, 2019 → Jun 18, 2021

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

20211 milestone

Jun 19 Most recent contest Central Plains Ribfest Day 2

20192 milestones

Jul 19 Peak power rating (1535) BBQ'Loo & Blues Too!
Aug 31 10th tracked contest Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge

20188 milestones

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.8	BBQ in the Bluffs	May 11, 2018
+7.7	26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge	Jun 14, 2019
+5.8	Central Plains Ribfest	Jun 15, 2018
+5.2	Q for a Cause	Apr 20, 2018
+4.2	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too!	Jul 19, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	Central Plains Ribfest Day 1	Jun 18, 2021
-10.8	Central Plains Ribfest Day 2	Jun 19, 2021
-3.5	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	May 31, 2019
-3.1	Back To Mayberry	Jun 28, 2019
-0.9	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge	Aug 31, 2019

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

Piccolos 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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

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

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)