High-water mark
675.3028
career-best overall
93.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 675.3028 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST — 93.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 29, 2022
PAPA JIM'S BBQ
PAPA JIM'S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 4th of 22 at the Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY) (). They are ranked #3108 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1503
peak 1507 · rated over 7 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
10
in the data
First seen
Jun 7, 2019
latest Sep 29, 2022 · 3.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
10% of 10 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
631.83 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 643.50 (-11.67)
Walk rate
40%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±54.46
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.36 · weakest Pork (150.77)
Road miles
1,339
across 9 mapped stops · furthest 362 mi
Schedule strength
76%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1599)
Purse competed for
$93K
listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
643.50 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
506.21 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #544 (368 pts) | #628 (313 pts) | #564 (413 pts) | #476 (473 pts) | #626 (313 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #790 (170 pts) | #961 (125 pts) | #855 (175 pts) | #898 (140 pts) | #759 (195 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1617 (115 pts) | #1070 (250 pts) | #1765 (105 pts) | #1578 (120 pts) | #1945 (70 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to PAPA JIM'S BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,120 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1518
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to PAPA JIM'S BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team PAPA JIM'S BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,101 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1513
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,125 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1517
Level with PAPA JIM'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,111 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1509
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,097 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1513
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before PAPA JIM'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,122 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1513
They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before PAPA JIM'S BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Up From The Pits BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| T-MAC SMOKIN | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Mulkey's BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 178.8572 | 159.3484 | 169.36 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 168.5484 | 153.6228 | 163.71 | top 57% |
| Pork | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 20 | 150.77 | top 52% |
| Brisket | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 145.0632 | 162.46 | top 59% |
“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) | 5 | 0 | top 57% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 48% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | 2 | 206 | 0 | top 46% | Sep 29, 2022 |
| Route 66 Smoke Out | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 34% | May 6, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
6 contests
Contests a season
2.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
4 of 10 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
7
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
763
finished ahead 587 times, behind 836
Longest layoff
1.9 yrs
Jun 7, 2019 → May 1, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20223 milestones
- Career-best overall score675.3028 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES
20211 milestone
- Peak power rating (1507) Route 66 Smoke Out
20191 milestone
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Blues,Brews & Barbecue
—4 milestones
- First tracked contest Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score506.2056 Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.4 | Route 66 Smoke Out | May 6, 2022 |
| +8.7 | Route 66 Smoke Out | May 1, 2021 |
| +4.6 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | Sep 29, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.2 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 | Mar 26, 2022 |
| -6.5 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 | Mar 25, 2022 |
| -2.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | Sep 16, 2021 |
| -1.9 | Blues,Brews & Barbecue | Jun 7, 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 18% | 93.7% | 93.7% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17% | top 67% | 93.8% | 87.8% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 39% | 93.5% | 93% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 48% | 90.3% | 90.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 237 / 505 (670.1712) | 158 (170.8456) | 431 (157.6572) | 237 (167.9656) | 64 (173.7028) |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS | 171 / 249 (675.3028) | 74 (174.2628) | 178 (167.3944) | 214 (164.5372) | 132 (169.1084) |
| May 6, 2022 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 11 / 33 (675.2796) | 22 (167.3828) | 8 (168.5484) | 3 (176.5600) | 22 (162.7884) |
| Mar 26, 2022 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 39 / 39 (503.8396) | 37 (159.3484) | 21 (167.4056) | 39 (20) | 35 (157.0856) |
| Mar 25, 2022 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 33 / 38 (634.5712) | 25 (165.6684) | 34 (153.6228) | 35 (155.9200) | 31 (159.3600) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 206 / 467 (665.6340) | 96 (171.9772) | 333 (161.1200) | 92 (171.4056) | 284 (161.1312) |
| May 1, 2021 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 15 / 44 (673.0400) | 24 (167.9656) | 14 (167.9888) | 21 (165.6684) | 10 (171.4172) |
| Jun 7, 2019 | Blues,Brews & Barbecue 🏅 Beardstown, IL | 12 / 25 (650.1720) | 2 (178.8572) | 14 (161.1316) | 11 (165.1200) | 21 (145.0632) |
| — | Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY) Decatur, IL | 4 / 22 (506.2056) | 8 (167.9656) | 7 (168.5256) | 4 (169.7144) | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.