Better Half Barbecue

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#585

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1659

peak 1659 · rated over 38 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2021-10-15

latest 2026-08-21

Best ToY finish

#27

Backyard 2024

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

18 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 41 contests

Avg finish

top 40%

overall standings

Best overall

675.9084 / 720

Master · Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

344.07 ▼

last 5 Backyard vs avg 348.29 (-4.21)

Walk rate

88%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork Ribs · Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY)

Consistency

±42.91

std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.65 · weakest Brisket (162.24)

Road miles

3,471

mi across 41 mapped stops · furthest 227 mi

Schedule strength

80%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1604)

Purse competed for

$180K

listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

4 🏅

GCs in 30 state-championship entries

Master avg

675.91 / 720

1 Master contest · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

348.29 / 360

37 Backyard contests · 6 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (20 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The heartbreaker

4.6176 points from the title

Came within 4.6176 points of the Grand Championship at Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (2024-06-14).

Among the elite

#585 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1659 puts them #585 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1659
peak 1659
38 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.

Pork Ribs ×1

Against the odds

28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 72 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) (2023-09-23) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 28-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Gold-N-Blue Barbecue.

On the rise

+32 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 32 points across 9 contests since 2025-08-22 — from 1627 up to 1659.

9 contests since 2025-08-22
now 1659

Giant slayer

43 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 43-team field at Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1).

2026-07-24

Signature meat

29% pork entries won

2 wins from 7 entries

When pork is on the table, watch out — they've won it in 29% of their entries (2 of 7).

best 178.8572
average 171.57
6 calls

Happy hunting ground

2× Grand Championships here

Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 4 visits.

4 visits
best finish 1st
average top 21%

They almost always walk

88% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 36 of 41 contests

A top-10 category call in 88% of their 41 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

675.9084 career-best overall

93.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 675.9084 at Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship — 93.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
2025-10-03

State champions

4 state championships won

They've taken 4 state championships from 30 entries at contests carrying the title.

30 state-championship entries

The one to beat

4× one call ahead of them

The Swine Doctor's BBQ has finished one call ahead of Better Half Barbecue 4 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2023 3 Grand Championships

2023 was the year it came together: 9 contests, 3 Grand Championships and 3 category wins, at an average finish in the top 16%.

9 contests
8 overall top-10s
3 category wins
average top 16%

A tough matchup

4–1 behind in the head-to-head

FRED VEGAS SMOKERS ahead in 80% of their meetings

FRED VEGAS SMOKERS has come out ahead in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

14 of 22 shared chicken entries lost

FIRE & SHINE BBQ ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE & SHINE BBQ has out-cooked them in 14 of 22 shared chicken entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1604 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1604 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.

38 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

4× one call behind them

HotMess BBQ has landed one call behind them 4 times.

Boom or bust

±11.77% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±11.77% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 96.7% of a perfect score
best 147.1%

A September team

Top 20% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 20% across 4 contests, versus top 40% the rest of the year.

4 September contests
top 40% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,471 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,471 miles across 41 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 227 miles to Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1).

41 mapped stops
furthest 227 mi

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

PB&J'S BBQ TEAM

#584 of the rated field

1660 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1671

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Better Half Barbecue's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 37 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Bears Backyard Q

#586 of the rated field

1659 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1659

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 48 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 48 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

DANTE'S INFERNO

#589 of the rated field

1659 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 63
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1684

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 63 contests to 41.

rated over 61 contests
last seen 2022-10-21

⚔ Head-to-head

OLD STYLE BBQ

#587 of the rated field

1659 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 74
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1712

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 74 contests, alongside a 26% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 73 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin it Up BBQ

#588 of the rated field

1659 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 73
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1670

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2013, 8 years before Better Half Barbecue's first contest.

rated over 73 contests
last seen 2020-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

ALE YEAH BBQ

#580 of the rated field

1661 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1661

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Better Half Barbecue)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Better Half Barbecue has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 48 contests
last seen 2024-10-30

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	24	9	14	38%	⚔ compare
Dogpatch Q	22	15	7	68%	⚔ compare
Pinky Out BBQ	22	11	11	50%	⚔ compare
Leaning Jowler BBQ	22	10	12	45%	⚔ compare
FIRE & SHINE BBQ	22	9	13	41%	⚔ compare
Gold-N-Blue Barbecue	22	7	14	32%	⚔ compare
Capt. Blue BBQ	20	10	10	50%	⚔ compare
The Swine Doctor's BBQ	20	9	11	45%	⚔ compare
Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ	19	9	10	47%	⚔ compare
Off The Rack BBQ	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
HotMess BBQ	17	12	5	71%	⚔ compare
All About the Wood	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
Dog Bite Barbecue	16	10	5	63%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	16	9	5	56%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	16	7	8	44%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	39	33	1	10	179.4400	149.6112	171.65	top 34%
Pork Ribs	38	26	4	6	180.0000 🔥	153.6344	167.40	top 47%
Pork	7	6	2	2	178.8572	166.2512	171.57	top 29%
Brisket	1	0	0	0	162.2400	162.2400	162.24	top 83%

“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
VA	17	1	top 50%
PA	11	3	top 39%
DE	4	1	top 21%
WV	4	0	top 23%
MD	2	1	top 30%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	17	2	top 60%
Medium (20–39)	20	3	top 25%
Large (40+)	1	1	top 2%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)	4	1	2	top 21%	2026-07-25
York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)	4	1	1	top 53%	2025-06-28
Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)	2	1	1	top 30%	2023-08-18
Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)	2	1	1	top 15%	2023-05-06
Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff	2	5	0	top 41%	2026-08-21
First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY)	2	3	0	top 27%	2025-09-28
Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2)	2	10	0	top 50%	2025-08-09
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2)	2	8	0	top 42%	2025-05-17
Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2)	2	3	0	top 23%	2024-08-10
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	2	0	top 9%	2024-06-14

The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.8 yrs 2021-10-15 → 2026-08-21

Busiest season 2025 13 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 6.8 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in VA 18 of 41 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 24 10 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 39 entries · 1 win · 33 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 171.65 · weakest Brisket (162.24)

Walk rate 88% a top-10 call in 36 of 41 contests

Overall top-10 rate 68% 28 of 41 contests

Wins it all 15% 6 Grand Championships · 1 reserve

First title 2023-05-06 Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)

Best top-10 run 13 straight contests

Master average 675.91 out of 720 · 1 contest · 0 GCs

Backyard average 348.29 out of 360 · 37 contests · 6 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 313 884–420 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,471 41 mapped stops · furthest 227 mi

Schedule strength 1604 average field rating faced — tougher than 80% of rated contests

Purse competed for $179,850 listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 4 from 30 state-championship entries

Power rating 1659 peak 1659 · #585 of 6,413 rated

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

2021
Jul 30 First tracked contest Smoke in the Grove
Oct 15 First call Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague
Oct 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score334.8344 Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague
Oct 29 First overall top-10 Almost Heaven's Spooktacular Backyard BBQ
2023
May 6 First category win (Pork Ribs) Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
May 6 First overall podium Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
May 6 First Grand Championship Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
May 6 First state championship Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
Aug 18 10th tracked contest Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)
Sep 23 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY)
2024
Jun 14 First Reserve Championship Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
2025
May 16 25th tracked contest Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
Jun 27 5th Grand Championship York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Oct 3 Career-best overall score675.9084 Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship
2026
Jul 24 Biggest field won (43 teams) Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Aug 21 Peak power rating (1659) Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
Aug 21 Most recent contest Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.6	Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)	2023-05-06
+15.8	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY)	2023-09-23
+15.5	Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY)	2023-08-18
+15.1	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2023-06-16
+13.8	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2024-06-14

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-16	Zom-B-Q (Day 2)	2024-10-26
-12.3	York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)	2024-06-29
-10.1	Page County Heritage Festival - Backyard BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)	2025-10-11
-10	Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague	2021-10-16
-7.7	Nightmare before Zom-B-Q (Day 1)	2024-10-25

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)
2026	4	1	3	2	100%	top 23%	98.6%	96.1%
2025	13	1	8	2	85%	top 48%	97.1%	93.9%
2024	9	1	6	0	89%	top 42%	96.8%	93.9%
2023	9	3	8	3	100%	top 16%	147.1%	106.9%
2022	2	0	2	0	100%	top 38%	93.6%	92.8%
2021	4	0	1	0	50%	top 88%	95.4%	91.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-08-21	Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA	5 / 26 (346.8228)	4 (175.4056)	11 (171.4172)	—	—
2026-07-25	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	15 / 39 (338.2172)	21 (165.0972)	6 (173.1200)	—	—
2026-07-24	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	1 / 43 (354.8800)	6 (176.0000)	1 (178.8800)	—	—
2026-06-05	Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY) Leesburg, VA	4 / 12 (343.9428)	6 (169.6800)	3 (174.2628)	1 (178.8572)	—
2025-10-11	Page County Heritage Festival - Backyard BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Luray, VA	7 / 9 (336.4912)	7 (169.6800)	8 (166.8112)	—	—
2025-10-03	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	13 / 30 (675.9084)	2 (177.1544)	9 (170.2628)	19 (166.2512)	25 (162.2400)
2025-09-28	First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) Milford, DE	6 / 14 (339.9656)	5 (172.5600)	7 (167.4056)	—	—
2025-09-26	First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE	3 / 25 (346.2400)	3 (176.5600)	7 (169.6800)	—	—
2025-09-26	First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Milford, DE	—	—	—	—	—
2025-08-22	Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA	10 / 16 (333.6460)	2 (174.2744)	14 (159.3716)	—	—
2025-08-09	Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Doswell, VA	15 / 25 (332.4800)	13 (167.3828)	14 (165.0972)	—	—
2025-08-08	Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Doswell, VA	10 / 25 (342.8000)	12 (169.6800)	6 (173.1200)	—	—
2025-06-28	York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA	11 / 10 (334.7772)	10 (169.6800)	13 (165.0972)	—	—
2025-06-27	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA	1 / 26 (349.6916)	4 (175.4172)	1 (174.2744)	—	—
2025-05-30	The Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY) Leesburg, VA	5 / 12 (334.2288)	4 (169.1316)	7 (165.0972)	1 (171.4056)	—
2025-05-17	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA	8 / 21 (338.8116)	3 (174.8572)	10 (163.9544)	—	—
2025-05-16	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA	13 / 28 (330.2288)	4 (171.9772)	17 (158.2516)	—	—
2024-10-26	Zom-B-Q (Day 2) 🏅 Roseland, VA	12 / 11 (327.8972)	7 (174.2628)	12 (153.6344)	—	—
2024-10-25	Nightmare before Zom-B-Q (Day 1) 🏅 Roseland, VA	9 / 13 (343.9428)	5 (174.2744)	10 (169.6684)	—	—
2024-08-10	Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA	10 / 28 (329.0628)	13 (166.8112)	12 (162.2516)	6 (170.2744)	—
2024-08-09	Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA	3 / 27 (347.3828)	4 (174.2628)	4 (173.1200)	9 (168.5372)	—
2024-07-27	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	13 / 32 (329.6340)	6 (170.8228)	17 (158.8112)	—	—
2024-07-26	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	1 / 35 (348.5372)	2 (178.8572)	9 (169.6800)	—	—
2024-06-29	York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA	17 / 19 (332.5028)	18 (166.2516)	14 (166.2512)	—	—
2024-06-28	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA	3 / 29 (342.8228)	4 (173.1428)	8 (169.6800)	—	—
2024-06-14	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	2 / 30 (341.6800)	4 (172.5484)	4 (169.1316)	—	—
2023-10-28	Zom-B-Q (Day 2) 🏅 Galax, VA	5 / 17 (333.0628)	4 (165.0856)	6 (167.9772)	—	—
2023-10-27	Zom-B-Q (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Galax, VA	—	8 (167.3944)	—	—	—
2023-10-27	Nightmare before Zom-B-Q (Day 1) 🏅 Galax, VA	5 / 19 (327.9084)	4 (168.5256)	11 (159.3828)	—	—
2023-09-23	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	1 / 20 (529.6916)	5 (177.7028)	1 (180.0000)	7 (171.9888)	—
2023-09-22	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	5 / 24 (518.8000)	7 (173.1200)	9 (171.9772)	8 (173.7028)	—
2023-08-18	Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Frostburg, MD	1 / 11 (349.1544)	1 (179.4400)	4 (169.7144)	—	—
2023-06-16	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	3 / 28 (342.8572)	2 (177.1544)	6 (165.7028)	—	—
2023-05-06	Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Lincoln, DE	1 / 19 (351.9772)	2 (174.2628)	1 (177.7144)	—	—
2023-05-05	Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Lincoln, DE	5 / 20 (325.6456)	2 (170.2512)	9 (155.3944)	—	—
2022-08-19	Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Frostburg, MD	6 / 12 (331.3716)	4 (170.8228)	6 (160.5488)	—	—
2022-06-17	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV	5 / 20 (337.0628)	7 (168.5256)	3 (168.5372)	—	—
2021-10-29	Almost Heaven's Spooktacular Backyard BBQ Buckhannon, WV	6 / 12 (343.3712)	6 (172.5600)	8 (170.8112)	—	—
2021-10-16	Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague 🏅 Galax, VA	20 / 15 (314.1484)	20 (149.6112)	17 (164.5372)	—	—
2021-10-15	Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague 🏅 Galax, VA	12 / 15 (334.8344)	2 (174.2628)	15 (160.5716)	—	—
2021-07-30	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	—	—	—	—	—

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
2026 ↗	Backyard	#55 (754 pts)	#79 (604 pts)	#57 (789 pts)	—	—
2025 ↗	Backyard	#49 (945 pts)	#38 (1067 pts)	#61 (867 pts)	—	—
2025 ↗	Master	#942 (115 pts)	#683 (255 pts)	#954 (140 pts)	#1111 (85 pts)	#1453 (55 pts)
2024 ↗	Backyard	#27 (1093 pts)	#32 (1011 pts)	#74 (788 pts)	—	—
2023 ↗	Backyard	—	#20 (1165 pts)	#44 (1026 pts)	—	—
2023 ↗	Master	—	#966 (137 pts)	—	—	—
2022 ↗	Backyard	—	#231 (140 pts)	#181 (210 pts)	—	—
2021 ↗	Backyard	—	#80 (465 pts)	#96 (310 pts)	—	—