BBQ Bud's

BBQ Bud's is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 21st of 45 at the Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 (2021). They are ranked #4092 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BBQ BUDS”, “BBQ-buds” and “BBQBUDS”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,092

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1481

peak 1481 · rated over 9 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest Jun 11, 2022 · 9.1 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 62%

overall standings

Best overall

666.8000 / 720

Master · 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open

Perfect 180s

Current form

641.89 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 639.00 (+2.89)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1428

Chicken · 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open

Consistency

±19.40

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 161.24 · weakest Pork (158.18)

Road miles

1,035

across 10 mapped stops · furthest 607 mi

Schedule strength

37%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1549)

Purse competed for

$19K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

639.00 / 720

6 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

316.36 / 360

4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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.

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

666.8000 career-best overall

92.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 666.8000 at 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open — 92.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 2, 2014

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SIX BUTT BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

6.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 6.7 years, then back at Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 (Jun 11, 2021).

last seen Oct 2, 2014
back Jun 11, 2021

Chicken nemesis

4 of 6 shared chicken entries lost

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has out-cooked them in 4 of 6 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.39% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.39% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.4% of a perfect score
10 contests

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 ↗	Backyard	—	#226 (148 pts)	#210 (168 pts)	—	—

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BBQ Bud's, each with one reason worth a look.

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

We Like Big Butts BBQ

#4,089 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BBQ Bud's)

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

rated over 5 contests
last seen Sep 1, 2017

⚔ Head-to-head

Smoke Me Tender BBQ

#4,108 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1525

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BBQ Bud's)

They've been 1525 at their best, 44 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 37 contests
last seen Jul 24, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

MOTLEY QUE

#4,083 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1481

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BBQ Bud's)

59 contests to 10: their number has had years to settle where BBQ Bud's's is still finding its level.

rated over 57 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

L" If I Know

#4,085 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1481

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before BBQ Bud's's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Compare careers

2NQUE

#4,100 of the rated field

1481 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1506

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen May 4, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

J.HOLTS SMOKE HOUSE

#4,075 of the rated field

1482 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1482

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Aug 2, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Hogline	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BONES	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
NECTAR OF THE HOGS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
T-MAC SMOKIN	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	173.1428	150.2858	161.24	top 52%
Pork Ribs	10	164.5716	148.5714	158.61	top 59%
Pork	6	170.8456	147.4288	158.18	top 68%
Brisket	6	166.2856	139.3488	158.65	top 60%

“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)	2	0	top 60%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 63%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
WI	4	top 55%
MO	2	top 57%
KS	2	top 79%
OK	2	top 65%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	2	21	0	top 53%	Jun 11, 2022
Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	2	24	0	top 58%	Jun 10, 2022

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in WI 4 of 10 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 8 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 824 finished ahead 586 times, behind 656

Longest layoff 6.7 yrs Oct 2, 2014 → Jun 11, 2021

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

20222 milestones

Jun 11 10th tracked contest Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Jun 11 Most recent contest Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)

20143 milestones

Jun 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.1200 Ol' Glory BBQ Bash
Oct 2 Career-best overall score666.8000 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
Oct 2 Career-best single call (Chicken)173.1428 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open

20132 milestones

May 3 First tracked contest Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival
May 3 Peak power rating (1493) Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.7	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	Oct 2, 2014
+1.9	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2	Jun 12, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	Sertoma 48 BBQ	May 10, 2013
-6.7	Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival	May 3, 2013
-4.2	Ol' Glory BBQ Bash	Jun 20, 2014
-3.2	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	Jun 10, 2022
-2.6	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	Jun 11, 2022

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	2	0%	top 60%	89.7%	88.3%
2021	2	0%	top 50%	89.4%	87.4%
2014	4	0%	top 62%	92.6%	90.1%
2013	2	0%	top 77%	86.7%	86.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 11, 2022	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	22 / 37 (322.7656)	16 (165.1200)	21 (157.6456)	—	—
Jun 10, 2022	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	24 / 39 (313.0516)	25 (152.5144)	16 (160.5372)	—	—
Jun 12, 2021	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI	21 / 45 (321.6684)	18 (163.4172)	22 (158.2512)	—	—
Jun 11, 2021	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI	28 / 52 (307.9656)	27 (156.5484)	29 (151.4172)	—	—
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	141 / 165 (648.5032)	146 (161.0972)	108 (164.5716)	131 (162.2628)	136 (160.5716)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	159 / 552 (666.8000)	72 (173.1428)	373 (158.8344)	112 (170.8456)	228 (163.9772)
Jun 20, 2014	Ol' Glory BBQ Bash Fredonia, KS	31 / 42 (657.1200)	11 (170.8456)	35 (159.9888)	34 (160)	17 (166.2856)
May 2, 2014	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK	48 / 80 (621.6004)	27 (163.3944)	26 (164.5716)	52 (154.2856)	69 (139.3488)
May 10, 2013	Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS	41 / 49 (615.4284)	37 (156)	44 (148.5714)	36 (154.2856)	35 (156.5714)
May 3, 2013	Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival Bixby, OK	62 / 88 (624.5724)	70 (150.2858)	41 (161.7148)	80 (147.4288)	31 (165.1430)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

BBQ Bud's

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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

Backyard avg

Storylines (6 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

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)