Live Q or Die NJ
Rating
1572
peak 1572 · rated over 21 contests
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
2022-06-04
latest 2024-07-27
Best ToY finish
#123
Master 2023
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
of 29 contests
Avg finish
top 42%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
683.74 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 670.23 (+13.51)
Walk rate
90%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Best single call
177.7372
Consistency
±16.83
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.13 · weakest Brisket (165.37)
Road miles
1983
mi across 29 mapped stops · furthest 292 mi
Schedule strength
44%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)
Purse competed for
$122K
listed at 26 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 20 state-championship entries
Master avg
670.23 / 720
21 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
PADDY MCQ'S has finished one call ahead of Live Q or Die 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Mullen It Over BBQ in 13 of their 15 shared contests.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has out-cooked them in 15 of 18 shared chicken entries.
📅 A June team
Something about June: average finish in the top 32% across 3 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, NJ first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Mullen It Over BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Up-2 BBQ | 15 | 3 | 12 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Matt's Backyard BBQ | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| CycloneBBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| FOUR SMOKING GUYS | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Bandits | 10 | 10 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| CIDER BOYS BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| Angry Cock BBQ | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| HOG WASH BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 177.7144 | 155.4056 | 169.13 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 27 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 177.7372 | 151.4060 | 168.06 | top 44% |
| Pork | 21 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 176.5828 | 149.6800 | 168.04 | top 43% |
| Brisket | 21 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 174.8800 | 150.2288 | 165.37 | top 46% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | 4 | 0 | top 47% |
| MA | 4 | 0 | top 54% |
| NH | 3 | 0 | top 32% |
| CT | 3 | 0 | top 43% |
| NY | 2 | 0 | top 53% |
| ME | 2 | 0 | top 37% |
| PA | 1 | 0 | top 25% |
| VT | 1 | 0 | top 27% |
| RI | 1 | 0 | top 12% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 56% |
| Medium (20–39) | 16 | 0 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 24% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 4 | 6 | 0 | top 47% | 2024-04-20 |
| Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 32% | 2024-06-01 |
| Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 43% | 2024-04-13 |
| Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 3 | 9 | 0 | top 57% | 2023-09-23 |
| I Love Barbecue & Music Festival | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 53% | 2023-09-01 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2023 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in NJ (7 of 29 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (27 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 670.23 / 720
Milestones
- 🚩 2022-06-04 — First tracked contest · Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
- 📣 2022-06-04 — First call · Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
- ⭐ 2023-08-19 — Career-best overall score (692.6060) · Kora Shriners BBQ Competition
- 🎖️ 2024-04-19 — 25th tracked contest · New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- 📈 2024-07-27 — Peak power rating (1572) · Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.4 | HOGS 4 HEROES | 2023-05-06 |
| +14 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 2023-06-03 |
| +14 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition | 2023-08-19 |
| +11.2 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 2024-06-01 |
| +9.4 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2023-09-23 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.4 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 2022-10-01 |
| -7.1 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2023-04-22 |
| -6.3 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | 2023-09-22 |
| -5.3 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 2022-06-04 |
| -4.4 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 2024-04-20 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 31% | 96.1% | 94.6% |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 80% | top 39% | 96.2% | 93.7% |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 66% | 89.7% | 89.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-27 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 8 / 32 (691.9316) | 4 (177.7144) | 5 (174.8572) | 22 (168.5372) | 12 (170.8228) |
| 2024-06-01 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH | 5 / 37 (682.2172) | 3 (176.0000) | 17 (167.4056) | 22 (165.6916) | 3 (173.1200) |
| 2024-04-20 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 13 / 27 (678.8112) | 5 (174.8456) | 22 (163.9772) | 7 (169.7372) | 9 (170.2512) |
| 2024-04-20 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Blairstown, NJ | — | — | 7 (168.5716) | — | — |
| 2024-04-19 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 6 / 29 (684.5828) | 17 (169.7028) | 16 (169.1428) | 2 (176.5828) | 12 (169.1544) |
| 2024-04-19 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Blairstown, NJ | — | 9 (166.2400) | — | — | — |
| 2024-04-13 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 13 / 37 (681.1432) | 28 (163.9772) | 9 (173.1660) | 5 (173.1428) | 10 (170.8572) |
| 2024-04-13 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Bristol, CT | — | — | 1 (177.7372) | — | — |
| 2024-04-12 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 12 / 29 (666.1944) | 21 (162.8228) | 6 (170.8572) | 14 (166.8228) | 14 (165.6916) |
| 2023-09-23 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 9 / 42 (692.5260) | 20 (169.6800) | 12 (172.5716) | 8 (176.5716) | 11 (173.7028) |
| 2023-09-23 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Southwick, MA | — | — | 4 (172.5828) | — | — |
| 2023-09-22 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 22 / 31 (667.9428) | 24 (166.8228) | 21 (168.5600) | 10 (172.0000) | 28 (160.5600) |
| 2023-09-08 | Green Mountain BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Braintree, VT | 7 / 26 (679.9888) | 4 (176.0000) | 21 (161.1316) | 13 (167.9772) | 3 (174.8800) |
| 2023-09-01 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 10 / 18 (669.6684) | 9 (169.1312) | 12 (161.7144) | 5 (172.0000) | 8 (166.8228) |
| 2023-08-19 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition 🏅 Hiram, ME | 4 / 46 (692.6060) | 13 (173.1544) | 12 (172.5944) | 6 (174.2972) | 8 (172.5600) |
| 2023-08-19 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 13 (165.7028) | — | — |
| 2023-06-03 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH | 5 / 39 (686.3200) | 15 (171.4400) | 1 (177.7372) | 26 (163.4056) | 3 (173.7372) |
| 2023-05-20 | Somerset Sizzle 🏅 Somerset, MA | 11 / 24 (665.0860) | 10 (171.4056) | 14 (164.5716) | 13 (166.2744) | 12 (162.8344) |
| 2023-05-06 | HOGS 4 HEROES 🏅 Jamestown, RI | 6 / 50 (676.5028) | 2 (174.8572) | 7 (172.5716) | 18 (166.8228) | 22 (162.2512) |
| 2023-04-22 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 22 / 30 (662.7204) | 13 (171.9772) | 8 (171.9772) | 16 (168.5372) | 28 (150.2288) |
| 2023-04-21 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 17 / 36 (663.8744) | 10 (170.8228) | 23 (161.1088) | 14 (169.1428) | 22 (162.8000) |
| 2023-04-21 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Blairstown, NJ | — | 2 (173.1544) | — | — | — |
| 2023-04-15 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Bristol, CT | 23 / 43 (667.3716) | 34 (164.5600) | 22 (167.9772) | 13 (173.1544) | 30 (161.6800) |
| 2023-04-15 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Bristol, CT | — | — | 18 (159.9772) | — | — |
| 2022-10-01 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Southwick, MA | 26 / 33 (635.8744) | 23 (162.2284) | 9 (170.2744) | 33 (149.6800) | 26 (153.6916) |
| 2022-09-02 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival (Masters) (JUDGING FULL) Lake Placid, NY | 11 / 22 (641.1092) | 15 (162.8344) | 10 (159.4516) | 11 (159.3944) | 12 (159.4288) |
| 2022-08-27 | Kora Shriner's BBQ Competition 🏅 Hiram, ME | 20 / 31 (646.1372) | 22 (165.1200) | 4 (169.7144) | 27 (155.9200) | 21 (155.3828) |
| 2022-08-27 | Kora Shriner's BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 7 (170.2628) | — | — |
| 2022-06-04 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH | 26 / 37 (642.2172) | 31 (155.4056) | 34 (151.4060) | 5 (173.1428) | 19 (162.2628) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #353 (618 pts) | #280 (834 pts) | #416 (586 pts) | #389 (558 pts) | #369 (613 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #123 (1349 pts) | #88 (1515 pts) | #113 (1453 pts) | #132 (1279 pts) | #136 (1264 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #598 (316 pts) | #655 (296 pts) | #375 (680 pts) | #518 (416 pts) | #600 (336 pts) |