The heartbreaker
1.1544
points from the title
Came within 1.1544 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin in the Valley (Nov 9, 2019).
Smokin Steve's BBQ
Smokin Steve's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 31 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 5 Grand Championships, most recently at the Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley (2023), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1123 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “SMOKIN' STEVE'S BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1593
peak 1599 · rated over 24 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
31
in the data
First seen
Oct 5, 2013
latest Aug 1, 2026 · 12.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
5
2 reserve · wins it all 16% of the time
Category wins
13
30 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
48% of 31 contests
Best top-10 run
10
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 42%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
656.62 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 646.12 (+10.51)
Walk rate
84%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±33.95
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.40 · weakest Pork Ribs (158.97)
Road miles
54,271
across 31 mapped stops · furthest 11,739 mi
Schedule strength
10%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1514)
Purse competed for
$8,000
listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
646.12 / 720
25 Master contests · 5 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #398 (495 pts) | #314 (729 pts) | #406 (609 pts) | #467 (445 pts) | #518 (370 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #294 (783 pts) | #200 (1,072 pts) | #219 (1,064 pts) | #203 (1,041 pts) | #323 (733 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #435 (420 pts) | #461 (420 pts) | #496 (405 pts) | #607 (275 pts) | #516 (370 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #106 (974 pts) | #104 (949 pts) | #173 (669 pts) | #148 (774 pts) | #134 (814 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #496 (664 pts) | #443 (764 pts) | #815 (394 pts) | #669 (499 pts) | #658 (514 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #2737 (58 pts) | #1581 (163 pts) | #2737 (58 pts) | #2754 (58 pts) | #2098 (78 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1738 (137 pts) | #1814 (137 pts) | #1797 (137 pts) | #1804 (137 pts) | #1793 (137 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1471 (150 pts) | #1281 (215 pts) | #1571 (150 pts) | #1560 (150 pts) | #1506 (150 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Smokin Steve's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
31 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,120 of the rated field
- Contests
- 50
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 34%
- Peak
- 1615
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Smokin Steve's BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Smokin Steve's BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,119 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1597
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Smokin Steve's BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,118 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1602
Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 31, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,125 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1596
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,121 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1601
22 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 23% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,126 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 39%
- Peak
- 1620
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribs n Pigs BBQ | 15 | 9 | 6 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Genius | 13 | 10 | 3 | 77% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKIN HOT JAGRD EDGE | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLA WARFARE BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| Outagas bbq | 9 | 8 | 1 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| Perth BBQ School Varsity | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Rib Racks BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE MIST BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Barbecue Bazaar - Delta T BBQ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Molly s Bbq Smoke House | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Aussie TongMasters | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| BSA | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Pit Bull Smokers | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Gryphon Smokehouse | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin it up BBQ Australia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 27 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 179.4400 | 143.9312 | 167.40 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 28 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 171.4172 | 134.2512 | 158.97 | top 52% |
| Pork | 26 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 177.2000 | 134.2628 | 161.04 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 25 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 177.7372 | 137.1200 | 159.11 | top 54% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 13 | 5 | top 27% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 85% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokin' in the Valley | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 12% | Nov 26, 2022 |
| The Chidlow BBQ Festival 2019 | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 33% | Sep 14, 2019 |
| New York City BBQ Cookoff | 2 | 25 | 0 | top 80% | Apr 10, 2015 |
| DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship | 2 | 44 | 0 | top 82% | Oct 3, 2014 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
9 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
2.8
across 11 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NY
2 of 31 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
21
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
28 entries · 3 wins · 19 calls
First title
Feb 8, 2020
Western Australia's Smokin Charity BBQ Governors Cup
Opponents faced
453
finished ahead 294 times, behind 403
Longest layoff
2.8 yrs
Oct 13, 2023 → Aug 1, 2026
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smokin in the Valley 2
20232 milestones
- 5th Grand Championship Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley
- Peak power rating (1599) Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley
20223 milestones
- 10th category win Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley
- Career-best overall score684.0112 Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley
- 25th tracked contest Chidlow BBQ Festival
20202 milestones
- First Grand Championship Western Australia's Smokin Charity BBQ Governors Cup
- First multi-meat day Bare Bones BBQ Comp
20195 milestones
- First category win (Chicken) The Chidlow BBQ Festival 2019
- First overall podium The Chidlow BBQ Festival 2019
- 10th tracked contest Brew N Que-Perth 2019
- First Reserve Championship Smokin in the Valley
- Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 Smokin in the Valley
20182 milestones
- First overall top-10 Smokin on the Water
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score668.5256 Smokin on the Water
20151 milestone
- First call New York City BBQ Cookoff
20131 milestone
- First tracked contest DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.3 | Western Australia's Smokin Charity BBQ Governors Cup | Feb 8, 2020 |
| +14.2 | Smokin in the Valley | Nov 9, 2019 |
| +14.1 | Bare Bones BBQ Comp | Oct 30, 2020 |
| +13.9 | Brew N Que-Perth 2019 | Oct 4, 2019 |
| +13.6 | The Chidlow BBQ Festival 2019 | Sep 14, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.9 | DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship | Oct 5, 2013 |
| -9.2 | New York City BBQ Cookoff | Apr 11, 2014 |
| -9.1 | Spit In The Hills | Apr 30, 2022 |
| -7.9 | Hog Happnin' | Nov 1, 2013 |
| -6.7 | Smokin in the Valley 2 | Aug 1, 2026 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 63% | 93.7% | 93.7% |
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 75% | top 53% | 92.1% | 91.7% |
| 2022 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 100% | top 43% | 95% | 91.1% |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 19% | 92.8% | 91.4% |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 100% | top 15% | 93.3% | 92.1% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 100% | top 14% | 93.5% | 93.3% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 35% | 92.9% | 91% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 50% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 76% | 79.7% | 79.7% |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 76% | 84.7% | 82.6% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 89% | 87.8% | 82% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | Smokin in the Valley 2 Herne Hill, Western Australia | 5 / 8 (674.2856) | 5 (171.4400) | 6 (166.8456) | 3 (172.5828) | 6 (163.4172) |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 75 / 81 (657.5656) | 69 (163.9312) | 57 (168.5372) | 78 (161.7028) | 73 (163.3944) |
| Aug 5, 2023 | Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley Herne Hill, Western Australia | 1 / 8 (663.3824) | 2 (169.1656) | 1 (169.7028) | 2 (165.6912) | 4 (158.8228) |
| Jul 8, 2023 | Smokin with Weemala (One Meat Chicken) Carmel | — | 1 (166.8456) | — | — | — |
| Jul 8, 2023 | Smokin with Weemala (One Meat Ribs) Carmel | — | — | 7 (153.1316) | — | — |
| Nov 26, 2022 | Smokin' in the Valley Perth, Western Australia | 2 / 12 (660) | 2 (168.5828) | 3 (165.6916) | 3 (167.4400) | 4 (158.2856) |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Chidlow BBQ Festival Chidlow, Western | 10 / 17 (627.8860) | 1 (172.5600) | 9 (157.6916) | 13 (153.6800) | 17 (143.9544) |
| Aug 6, 2022 | Smokin' BBQ Masters in the Valley Perth, Western Australia | 1 / 12 (684.0112) | 1 (176.5600) | 4 (171.4172) | 1 (177.2000) | 9 (158.8340) |
| Jul 2, 2022 | Smokin with Weemala (One Meat Chicken) Carmel | — | 5 (162.8112) | — | — | — |
| Jul 2, 2022 | Smokin with Weemala (One Meat Ribs) Carmel | — | — | 4 (162.2856) | — | — |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Horse Town Brew N Que Festival 🏅 Norco, CA | 23 / 37 (670.2172) | 16 (170.8228) | 34 (158.2744) | 28 (163.3828) | 3 (177.7372) |
| Apr 30, 2022 | Spit In The Hills Chidlow, Western | 11 / 16 (636.4796) | 6 (165.6684) | 9 (159.9772) | 11 (155.4284) | 14 (155.4056) |
| Mar 13, 2022 | Pork in the Valley-Pork OMC (One Meat Pork) Perth, Western Australia | — | — | — | 1 (167.9884) | — |
| Mar 13, 2022 | Pork in the Valley-Pork Ribs OMC (One Meat Ribs) Perth, Western Australia | — | — | 1 (169.7372) | — | — |
| Dec 3, 2021 | Brew N Que Perth 2021 Claremont | 3 / 23 (665.0972) | 10 (163.4172) | 10 (158.2744) | 2 (173.1084) | 4 (170.2972) |
| Oct 30, 2021 | Smokin in the Valley (International) Perth | 1 / 14 (667.9772) | 1 (173.1428) | 2 (166.2744) | 5 (162.2856) | 3 (166.2744) |
| Sep 11, 2021 | CBBF-Chidlow BBQ Festival Chidlow, Western | 6 / 16 (641.6572) | 6 (169.1200) | 5 (162.2972) | 11 (153.7028) | 6 (156.5372) |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Bare Bones BBQ Comp Perth | 1 / 10 (658.8796) | 1 (172.5828) | 1 (167.4628) | 3 (162.8684) | 5 (155.9656) |
| Sep 18, 2020 | Zero 2 Hero BBQ Challenge Bunbury | 3 / 11 (658.1716) | 3 (169.1200) | 7 (158.2516) | 5 (159.3828) | 2 (171.4172) |
| Feb 8, 2020 | Western Australia's Smokin Charity BBQ Governors Cup Perth | 1 / 11 (672.0344) | 3 (168.5600) | 6 (157.7372) | 4 (168.5600) | 1 (177.1772) |
| Nov 9, 2019 | Smokin in the Valley Herne Hill WA | 2 / 17 (669.1772) | 1 (179.4400) | 10 (156.5944) | 3 (169.7372) | 6 (163.4056) |
| Oct 4, 2019 | Brew N Que-Perth 2019 Ascot WA | 4 / 30 (673.1772) | 3 (171.4400) | 14 (160.5600) | 6 (167.4400) | 3 (173.7372) |
| Sep 14, 2019 | The Chidlow BBQ Festival 2019 Chidlow | 3 / 17 (672.5600) | 1 (177.7028) | 5 (169.1772) | 11 (161.1200) | 9 (164.5600) |
| Nov 3, 2018 | Smokin on the Water Bayswater | 5 / 23 (668.5256) | 6 (170.8228) | 4 (168.0228) | 9 (166.8572) | 13 (162.8228) |
| Sep 15, 2018 | The Chidlow BBQ Festival Chidlow, Wa | 11 / 23 (641.6572) | 10 (165.1428) | 14 (155.9888) | 5 (165.1428) | 20 (155.3828) |
| Apr 8, 2017 | Yak Ales Perth Barbecue Festival Perth | 11 / 22 (646.3428) | 14 (162.3200) | 9 (165.2000) | 15 (156.5256) | 12 (162.2972) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY | 25 / 33 (573.4968) | 7 (159.4056) | 29 (134.2512) | 28 (139.9428) | 21 (139.8972) |
| Oct 3, 2014 | DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ | 44 / 65 (610.1256) | 25 (160.5828) | 38 (153.1200) | 49 (153.0856) | 50 (143.3372) |
| Apr 11, 2014 | New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY | 31 / 37 (578.7432) | 25 (150.8572) | 34 (139.9660) | 33 (143.3944) | 26 (144.5256) |
| Nov 1, 2013 | Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC | 61 / 75 (631.8400) | 12 (173.7028) | 74 (140.5144) | 39 (164.5372) | 62 (153.0856) |
| Oct 5, 2013 | DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ | 82 / 85 (549.5884) | 78 (143.9312) | 81 (134.2744) | 81 (134.2628) | 73 (137.1200) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.