Perfect scores on the board
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Brisket ×2
- Chicken ×1
Smokin' Ain't EZ
Smokin' Ain't EZ is a competition barbecue team with 41 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Plant City Pig Jam (2023), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1034 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1602
peak 1604 · rated over 34 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
41
in the data
First seen
Nov 16, 2018
latest Apr 25, 2026 · 7.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
10
18 podiums
Overall top-10s
12
29% of 41 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 41%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
686.53 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 682.35 (+4.17)
Walk rate
68%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.52
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 172.39 · weakest Pork (168.71)
Road miles
7,105
across 41 mapped stops · furthest 1,031 mi
Schedule strength
51%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)
Purse competed for
$722K
listed at 30 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 33 state-championship entries
Master avg
682.35 / 720
37 Master contests · 1 GC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #426 (443 pts) | #647 (253 pts) | #374 (638 pts) | #446 (448 pts) | #295 (713 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #453 (421 pts) | #628 (291 pts) | #456 (516 pts) | #451 (456 pts) | #459 (461 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #152 (1,207 pts) | #102 (1,452 pts) | #144 (1,277 pts) | #199 (1,032 pts) | #178 (1,117 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #338 (617 pts) | #398 (567 pts) | #292 (842 pts) | #359 (597 pts) | #241 (897 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #370 (615 pts) | #401 (590 pts) | #538 (450 pts) | #434 (525 pts) | #377 (640 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #439 (416 pts) | #670 (246 pts) | #369 (561 pts) | #762 (186 pts) | #394 (511 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #343 (328 pts) | #458 (248 pts) | #342 (373 pts) | #273 (458 pts) | #378 (318 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #943 (290 pts) | #1182 (215 pts) | #905 (340 pts) | #1108 (240 pts) | #760 (430 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1748 (105 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1844 (95 pts) | #1846 (95 pts) | #1179 (235 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Smokin' Ain't EZ, each with one reason worth a look.
#1,035 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1619
Careers of much the same size, 42 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,031 of the rated field
- Contests
- 43
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1617
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Smokin' Ain't EZ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,032 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1615
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 44 contests, alongside a 27% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,033 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1605
They were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before Smokin' Ain't EZ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,036 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 73%
- Peak
- 1601
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,028 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1615
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Smokin' Ain't EZ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Smokin' Ain't EZ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Dog BBQ | 23 | 15 | 8 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| K & E's Little Smokers | 22 | 20 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
| Kings BBQ Team | 22 | 3 | 19 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Accutech BBQ | 19 | 11 | 8 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Going Yard BBQ | 19 | 11 | 8 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA | 16 | 7 | 9 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Poppa Pig | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Slapulator BBQ | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Cooters N Smoke | 15 | 9 | 6 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| Tillman's BBQ | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Cold Beer BBQ | 14 | 12 | 2 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Double Barrel Smokers | 14 | 10 | 4 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 38 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 160.5028 | 170.17 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 37 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 179.4400 | 161.1088 | 172.39 | top 33% |
| Pork | 37 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 178.2972 | 150.7772 | 168.71 | top 51% |
| Brisket | 37 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 180 🔥 | 157.0628 | 171.14 | top 34% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 55% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 1 | top 39% |
| Large (40+) | 22 | 0 | top 40% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Pig Festival | 6 | 6 | 0 | top 30% | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Plant City Pig Jam | 5 | 1 | 1 | top 31% | Nov 21, 2025 |
| Poosa Q | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 39% | Jun 20, 2025 |
| South Carolina Festival of Discovery | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 46% | Jul 11, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
11 contests
Contests a season
3.7
across 11 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
FL
26 of 41 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
24
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
38 entries · 2 wins · 8 calls
First title
Nov 17, 2023
Plant City Pig Jam
Opponents faced
1,297
finished ahead 1,735 times, behind 1,202
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- 10th category win Ribs on the Ridge
- Most recent contest Pitmasters in Paradise
20251 milestone
- Career-best overall score702.8460 Lakeland Pig Festival
20242 milestones
- 25th tracked contest 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show
- Peak power rating (1604) Grills Gone Wild
20234 milestones
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Lakeland Pig Festival
- First Grand Championship Plant City Pig Jam
- First state championship Plant City Pig Jam
- First multi-meat day Plant City Pig Jam
20213 milestones
- First overall podium SC Festival of Discovery
- First Reserve Championship SC Festival of Discovery
- 10th tracked contest The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival
20192 milestones
- First category win (Brisket) Fire it up Frostproof!
- First overall top-10 Fire it up Frostproof!
20182 milestones
- First call Suncoast Credit Union Plant City Pig Jam
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score674.1828 Suncoast Credit Union Plant City Pig Jam
20161 milestone
- First tracked contest Plant City Pig Jam
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.8 | SC Festival of Discovery | Jul 9, 2021 |
| +16.8 | Poosa Q | May 5, 2022 |
| +13.1 | Plant City Pig Jam | Nov 17, 2023 |
| +11 | Lakeland Pig Festival | Jan 26, 2024 |
| +10.5 | Poosa Q | Oct 5, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.8 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival | Oct 8, 2021 |
| -10 | Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ | Feb 16, 2024 |
| -10 | Poosa Q | Oct 4, 2024 |
| -8.3 | Bonifay All American Smoker Competition | Oct 2, 2020 |
| -7 | Plant City Pig Jam | Nov 21, 2025 |
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 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 100% | top 34% | 96.2% | 95.8% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 40% | 97.6% | 95.6% |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 64% | top 44% | 96.7% | 94.7% |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 100% | top 35% | 96.6% | 95.2% |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38% | top 46% | 96.5% | 94.5% |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 75% | top 38% | 96.7% | 94.6% |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 56% | 94.2% | 93.4% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 27% | 94.5% | 94.2% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 36% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2026 | Pitmasters in Paradise 🏅 Auburndale, FL | 12 / 35 (692.5028) | 29 (165.6800) | 14 (174.2628) | 3 (178.2972) | 9 (174.2628) |
| Feb 20, 2026 | Ribs on the Ridge 🏅 Haines City, FL | 7 / 32 (690.1828) | 21 (169.6800) | 1 (177.7144) | 20 (168.5256) | 6 (174.2628) |
| Jan 22, 2026 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 29 / 63 (687.3256) | 48 (167.3828) | 33 (170.8344) | 39 (169.1084) | 1 (180) |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 17 / 31 (676.4344) | 27 (165.0972) | 5 (175.4172) | 22 (167.3828) | 14 (168.5372) |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 21 / 42 (686.1828) | 38 (166.2400) | 11 (174.2628) | 13 (174.8572) | 22 (170.8228) |
| Jan 24, 2025 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 6 / 40 (702.8460) | 6 (177.7144) | 4 (177.7144) | 27 (169.7144) | 4 (177.7028) |
| Nov 22, 2024 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 6 / 26 (684.4456) | 24 (160.5028) | 5 (173.1200) | 1 (176.5600) | 5 (174.2628) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 212 / 444 (677.5768) | 137 (173.1200) | 222 (169.6800) | 205 (169.6684) | 269 (165.1084) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 75 / 169 (685.6688) | 105 (170.2972) | 87 (170.8344) | 122 (168.5372) | 27 (176) |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 48 / 59 (664.9828) | 52 (163.3828) | 1 (179.4400) | 42 (165.0972) | 56 (157.0628) |
| Jul 11, 2024 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 53 / 76 (672.4344) | 54 (168.5256) | 59 (165.6916) | 57 (167.3828) | 39 (170.8344) |
| Mar 16, 2024 | Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds 🏅 Dover, FL | 4 / 15 (679.8628) | 1 (177.7144) | 8 (168.5372) | 3 (171.9772) | 9 (161.6340) |
| Feb 16, 2024 | Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ 🏅 Haines City, FL | 21 / 29 (676.4456) | 6 (176.5600) | 5 (174.8572) | 27 (159.3484) | 21 (165.6800) |
| Feb 9, 2024 | Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Davenport, FL | 10 / 28 (691.9316) | 15 (171.4172) | 13 (173.1316) | 10 (173.1200) | 4 (174.2628) |
| Jan 26, 2024 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 7 / 61 (696.5144) | 3 (178.8572) | 13 (176) | 46 (167.3944) | 14 (174.2628) |
| Jan 4, 2024 | 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show 🏅 Elkton, FL | 10 / 43 (691.9084) | 7 (177.7028) | 17 (171.9772) | 35 (164.5140) | 3 (177.7144) |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 1 / 25 (695.3944) | 1 (180) | 6 (173.7144) | 1 (174.8572) | 10 (166.8228) |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 14 / 73 (689.6804) | 43 (167.9772) | 20 (172.5716) | 7 (176.5716) | 19 (172.5600) |
| Apr 14, 2023 | The Downtown BBQ Showdown 🏅 Lake City, FL | 20 / 32 (682.1484) | 8 (175.4056) | 17 (168.5372) | 12 (174.2628) | 23 (163.9428) |
| Feb 3, 2023 | Budweiser Smoke on the Water 🏅 Winter Haven, FL | 29 / 47 (669.5772) | 34 (165.6800) | 5 (178.8572) | 45 (150.7772) | 8 (174.2628) |
| Jan 27, 2023 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 13 / 51 (690.1712) | 35 (168.5256) | 14 (173.1200) | 32 (168.5256) | 1 (180) |
| Nov 18, 2022 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 11 / 25 (679.8628) | 12 (170.8228) | 8 (170.8344) | 21 (163.9312) | 5 (174.2744) |
| Nov 12, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 57 / 61 (668.9944) | 57 (163.9428) | 8 (177.7144) | 45 (168.5372) | 59 (158.8000) |
| Nov 11, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | 52 / 91 (675.8628) | 45 (170.8344) | 54 (168.5256) | 73 (164.5256) | 24 (171.9772) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival 🏅 Grovetown, GA | 26 / 51 (680.4340) | 37 (167.3828) | 34 (167.3828) | 16 (171.9656) | 11 (173.7028) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival - One Meat Chicken Grovetown, GA | — | 14 (171.9772) | — | — | — |
| Jul 7, 2022 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 20 / 92 (686.7428) | 11 (175.4172) | 34 (170.8344) | 43 (168.5256) | 27 (171.9656) |
| May 5, 2022 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 3 / 72 (694.8344) | 11 (174.8456) | 13 (173.1660) | 10 (172.5600) | 8 (174.2628) |
| Jan 28, 2022 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 31 / 60 (675.3028) | 20 (172.5600) | 22 (169.6800) | 27 (169.6684) | 39 (163.3944) |
| Nov 19, 2021 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 6 / 37 (686.7544) | 23 (168.5372) | 10 (169.6800) | 7 (171.9772) | 3 (176.5600) |
| Oct 8, 2021 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA | 23 / 26 (663.8172) | 21 (165.0972) | 15 (168.5372) | 22 (162.8000) | 18 (167.3828) |
| Jul 9, 2021 | SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 2 / 81 (695.9772) | 19 (172.5828) | 1 (178.8572) | 46 (165.6800) | 2 (178.8572) |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival 🏅 Jacksonville, FL | 18 / 40 (678.7428) | 20 (169.6800) | 6 (176) | 30 (160.5028) | 7 (172.5600) |
| Oct 2, 2020 | Bonifay All American Smoker Competition 🏅 Bonifay, FL | 15 / 18 (667.3032) | 17 (165.6800) | 17 (161.1088) | 4 (173.1316) | 13 (167.3828) |
| Jan 24, 2020 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 15 / 53 (678.1484) | 22 (170.8228) | 6 (174.2628) | 15 (170.8228) | 30 (162.2400) |
| Nov 22, 2019 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 12 / 39 (675.3256) | 19 (166.8228) | 14 (168) | 8 (170.8228) | 8 (169.6800) |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Fire it up Frostproof! 🏅 Frostproof, FL | 6 / 25 (680.5028) | 10 (167.9772) | 3 (175.4400) | 18 (163.3712) | 1 (173.7144) |
| Nov 16, 2018 | Suncoast Credit Union Plant City Pig Jam Plant City, FL | 16 / 44 (674.1828) | 30 (163.9428) | 18 (167.9772) | 18 (166.8228) | 3 (175.4400) |
| Nov 17, 2017 | Suncoast Credit Union Plant City Pig Jam Plant City, FL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 18, 2016 | Plant City Pig Jam Plant City, FL | — | — | — | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.