Cynical BBQ CA
Rating
1751
peak 1754
Contests
51
in the data
First seen
2019-01-25
latest 2026-04-24
Best ToY finish
#84
Master 2019
Grand champs
4
7 reserve
Category wins
12
38 podiums
Overall top-10s
36
of 51 contests
Avg finish
top 22%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Current form
696.51 ▲
last 5 vs career avg 677.06 (+19.45)
Walk rate
94%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
7
best run (overall)
Consistency
±72.72
std dev of overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.33 · weakest Pork Ribs (170.68)
Road miles
24089
mi across 51 mapped stops · furthest 2486 mi
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ has finished one call ahead of Cynical BBQ 5 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ has landed one call behind them 5 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
BIG POPPA SMOKERS has come out ahead in 17 of their 21 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of BONE RUBBIN BBQ in 30 of their 37 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 10% across 3 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0116 points of the Grand Championship at Curley Que Classic (2025-07-25).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 44-team field at 5th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship.
📅 A September team
Something about September: average finish in the top 9% across 3 contests, versus top 22% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, CA first)
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 50 | 31 | 4 | 11 | 180.0000 🔥 | 164.5484 | 173.33 | top 31% |
| Pork Ribs | 50 | 24 | 5 | 10 | 179.4400 | 157.6684 | 170.68 | top 33% |
| Pork | 50 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 180.0000 🔥 | 160.5028 | 171.95 | top 32% |
| Brisket | 51 | 34 | 2 | 11 | 178.8572 | 157.6572 | 171.22 | top 28% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 38 | 2 | top 23% |
| NV | 4 | 0 | top 28% |
| HI | 2 | 0 | top 14% |
| OR | 2 | 1 | top 4% |
| AZ | 1 | 0 | top 39% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 16% |
| UT | 1 | 0 | top 12% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 32% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 18% |
| Medium (20–39) | 32 | 3 | top 24% |
| Large (40+) | 13 | 1 | top 19% |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (11 contests)
- Cooks mostly in CA (38 of 51 contests)
- Most-entered category: Brisket (51 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-Off (2019-08-16)
- Wins it all in 8% of contests
- All-time average overall score: 677.06
- 4 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Category wins | Best overall | Avg overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 705.1200 | 696.08 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 705.1084 | 690.44 |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 707.9656 | 693.46 |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 694.1940 | 688.71 |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 697.0972 | 684.42 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 689.6572 | 685.98 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 678.1712 | 422.50 |
| 2019 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 692.5144 | 680.61 |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-24 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship Lodi, CA | 3 / 29 (699.3484) | 1 (180.0000) | 11 (171.9772) | 7 (174.2628) | 6 (173.1084) |
| 2026-04-17 | The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown Las Vegas, NV | 17 / 29 (682.1712) | 15 (170.8228) | 6 (175.4172) | 14 (170.8456) | 21 (165.0856) |
| 2026-03-20 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest Dinuba, CA | 1 / 27 (705.1200) | 12 (174.2628) | 3 (175.4172) | 1 (180.0000) | 3 (175.4400) |
| 2026-01-30 | The Golden State Battle VIII Riverside, CA | 7 / 41 (697.6804) | 21 (171.9772) | 13 (172.5716) | 5 (176.5600) | 3 (176.5716) |
| 2025-11-21 | BBQ Jackpot Las Vegas, NV | 6 / 90 (698.2056) | 27 (174.2628) | 65 (167.3828) | 2 (180.0000) | 10 (176.5600) |
| 2025-08-09 | 3rd Annual Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) Felton, CA | 2 / 21 (687.3716) | 4 (174.2628) | 4 (174.2972) | 14 (167.3828) | 5 (171.4288) |
| 2025-08-08 | 3rd Annual Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Felton, CA | 12 / 25 (679.3144) | 16 (169.1316) | 19 (165.0972) | 9 (170.8228) | 4 (174.2628) |
| 2025-07-25 | Curley Que Classic Honolulu, HI | 2 / 12 (705.1084) | 2 (177.1428) | 1 (179.4400) | 6 (174.2628) | 5 (174.2628) |
| 2025-05-16 | Gold Country Casino Resort BrewFest & State BBQ Championship Oroville, CA | 2 / 19 (695.9312) | 10 (171.4056) | 1 (173.7028) | 2 (177.7028) | 3 (173.1200) |
| 2025-04-25 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship Lodi, CA | 4 / 31 (693.0856) | 14 (173.7028) | 2 (176.5600) | 9 (170.8228) | 7 (172.0000) |
| 2025-04-11 | BBQ, Boots & Brew Perris, CA | 4 / 26 (693.0628) | 2 (177.1428) | 6 (173.1200) | 4 (174.2744) | 9 (168.5256) |
| 2025-03-14 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest Dinuba, CA | 20 / 26 (674.7428) | 20 (166.2628) | 7 (176.0000) | 18 (166.2400) | 17 (166.2400) |
| 2025-01-25 | The Golden State Battle VII (Day 2) Hollister, CA | 12 / 27 (691.9084) | 21 (170.2628) | 4 (176.5600) | 5 (176.5600) | 20 (168.5256) |
| 2025-01-24 | The Golden State Battle VII (Day 1) Hollister, CA | 4 / 31 (685.6572) | 1 (178.8572) | 16 (169.7372) | 13 (171.9656) | 18 (165.0972) |
| 2024-12-06 | BBQ Jackpot Las Vegas, NV | 13 / 74 (688.5144) | 9 (177.7028) | 58 (164.5372) | 36 (169.7144) | 7 (176.5600) |
| 2024-07-20 | The Sutherlin Throwdown Sutherlin, OR | 1 / 30 (707.9656) | 9 (174.8456) | 3 (178.8572) | 9 (175.4056) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2024-07-06 | 2024 Icebox Cookoff Sweet Home, OR | 2 / 37 (697.0512) | 4 (177.7028) | 15 (173.1200) | 6 (174.2628) | 13 (171.9656) |
| 2024-06-14 | CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS) Clayton, CA | 13 / 25 (675.9088) | 10 (170.8228) | 15 (166.2744) | 6 (174.8572) | 12 (163.9544) |
| 2024-04-26 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship Lodi, CA | 2 / 34 (699.9660) | 22 (168.5372) | 1 (178.8572) | 4 (177.7028) | 4 (174.8688) |
| 2024-03-01 | The Golden State Battle VI Hollister, CA | 5 / 33 (691.3368) | 24 (169.1084) | 5 (175.4056) | 9 (173.7028) | 7 (173.1200) |
| 2023-11-10 | Warrior BBQ's "The Great Hawaiian Smokeout" Honolulu, HI | 2 / 18 (690.1828) | 9 (169.6800) | 2 (174.2628) | 4 (170.8228) | 1 (175.4172) |
| 2023-09-29 | Field, Fire Fork! Los Banos, CA | 4 / 19 (694.1940) | 4 (173.1084) | 4 (174.2628) | 10 (173.1200) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2023-08-04 | Dinuba's Annual BBQ & Brew Fest Dinuba, CA | 8 / 29 (683.3372) | 8 (175.4056) | 12 (168.5716) | 10 (170.8228) | 10 (168.5372) |
| 2023-04-28 | Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship Lodi, CA | 4 / 27 (689.6344) | 18 (166.2284) | 1 (176.5716) | 11 (169.6800) | 1 (177.1544) |
| 2023-03-03 | The Golden State Battle V Hollister, CA | 7 / 28 (686.2172) | 8 (174.2628) | 4 (173.1428) | 2 (178.2972) | 20 (160.5144) |
| 2022-11-04 | 2022 Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival Indio, CA | 11 / 35 (687.3256) | 13 (173.1084) | 17 (167.3944) | 9 (172.5600) | 4 (174.2628) |
| 2022-09-23 | The Great Kearney BBQ Smoke-Out Fresno, CA | 2 / 43 (694.7540) | 2 (175.4056) | 9 (170.8228) | 9 (171.9656) | 3 (176.5600) |
| 2022-07-08 | Clayton BBQ Cook-off Clayton, CA | 4 / 27 (679.3832) | 15 (164.5484) | 11 (163.9660) | 3 (177.1544) | 2 (173.7144) |
| 2022-07-01 | 2nd Annual VFW Post 3396 Armed Forces BBQ Challenge (MASTERS) Sparks, NV | 5 / 17 (678.2056) | 6 (171.9656) | 9 (166.8228) | 5 (172.5944) | 8 (166.8228) |
| 2022-04-01 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 9 / 37 (684.4800) | 23 (167.9656) | 17 (169.1316) | 7 (175.4172) | 9 (171.9656) |
| 2022-01-22 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 Santa Barbara, CA | 13 / 25 (681.6460) | 3 (178.8572) | 24 (159.3944) | 7 (174.8572) | 13 (168.5372) |
| 2022-01-21 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1 Santa Barbara, CA | 3 / 30 (697.0972) | 4 (177.1428) | 14 (167.9888) | 3 (177.7028) | 6 (174.2628) |
| 2022-01-14 | Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Bullhead City, AZ | 23 / 59 (672.4456) | 21 (170.2628) | 14 (170.2628) | 11 (174.2628) | 40 (157.6572) |
| 2021-10-08 | 32nd Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series)(JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 11 / 70 (689.0628) | 3 (178.2972) | 18 (173.7028) | 66 (160.5028) | 5 (176.5600) |
| 2021-08-20 | Western Legends BBQ Contest Kanab, UT | 3 / 26 (683.3252) | 7 (174.2628) | 7 (167.4056) | 6 (169.6684) | 5 (171.9884) |
| 2021-06-04 | 2nd Annual Throwdown in the Vineyards Murphy, CA | 7 / 29 (683.3484) | 5 (176.0000) | 12 (167.9772) | 18 (164.5256) | 4 (174.8456) |
| 2021-04-17 | The Golden State Battle III - Day 2 Hollister, CA | 9 / 26 (689.6572) | 2 (180.0000) | 18 (169.6800) | 23 (162.8228) | 3 (177.1544) |
| 2021-04-16 | The Golden State Battle III - Day 1 Hollister, CA | 5 / 41 (684.4916) | 12 (167.9772) | 16 (167.4060) | 10 (174.2628) | 6 (174.8456) |
| 2020-04-06 | Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League washington, MO | 35 / 109 (166.8228) | — | — | — | 35 (166.8228) |
| 2020-01-24 | The Golden State Battle II Hollister, CA | 15 / 46 (678.1712) | 4 (176.5600) | 37 (158.2400) | 16 (170.8112) | 11 (172.5600) |
| 2019-11-01 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival Indio, CA | 7 / 37 (687.3712) | 4 (176.0000) | 14 (169.7028) | 12 (169.6912) | 6 (171.9772) |
| 2019-09-20 | 5th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship | 1 / 44 (687.9544) | 10 (173.1200) | 11 (170.2972) | 20 (168.5372) | 2 (176.0000) |
| 2019-08-16 | Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-Off Susanville, CA | 1 / 25 (675.9768) | 1 (175.4628) | 1 (170.8572) | 7 (169.1084) | 14 (160.5484) |
| 2019-07-26 | Gilroy Garli-Que BBQ Challenge Gilroy, CA | 3 / 36 (685.1200) | 5 (174.2972) | 3 (174.2628) | 7 (169.7372) | 12 (166.8228) |
| 2019-07-12 | Clayton BBQ Cook-off Clayton, CA | 12 / 31 (673.0512) | 10 (172.5600) | 23 (157.6684) | 11 (172.5600) | 9 (170.2628) |
| 2019-06-21 | Silicon Valley BBQ Championship Santa Clara, CA | 14 (673.0056) | 5 (175.4172) | 18 (166.2400) | 26 (162.8228) | 18 (168.5256) |
| 2019-05-31 | Throwdown in the Vineyards Murphy, CA | 5 / 20 (672.5028) | 1 (173.1428) | 7 (165.6916) | 9 (162.2628) | 4 (171.4056) |
| 2019-05-03 | Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA | 5 / 27 (677.1200) | 3 (175.4400) | 11 (168.5600) | 9 (169.1428) | 12 (163.9772) |
| 2019-03-30 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 Arcadia, CA | 7 / 47 (690.2056) | 32 (168.5484) | 4 (176.5600) | 15 (171.9772) | 10 (173.1200) |
| 2019-03-29 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 Arcadia, CA | 3 / 70 (692.5144) | 14 (171.9656) | 7 (173.1544) | 11 (174.2744) | 13 (173.1200) |
| 2019-01-25 | The Golden State Battle Santa Ynez, CA | 20 / 48 (671.8972) | 15 (171.4172) | 15 (169.7144) | 24 (167.9656) | 28 (162.8000) |
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 ↗ | Master | #90 (940 pts) | #186 (640 pts) | #171 (700 pts) | #71 (990 pts) | #105 (840 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #93 (1648 pts) | #128 (1438 pts) | #98 (1688 pts) | #137 (1353 pts) | #141 (1308 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #124 (1335 pts) | #319 (740 pts) | #181 (1150 pts) | #203 (1025 pts) | #174 (1130 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #260 (833 pts) | #328 (698 pts) | #269 (893 pts) | #283 (768 pts) | #237 (913 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #167 (1184 pts) | #195 (1099 pts) | #334 (774 pts) | #157 (1219 pts) | #190 (1109 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #274 (706 pts) | #290 (711 pts) | #449 (466 pts) | #420 (451 pts) | #250 (781 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #397 (275 pts) | #295 (420 pts) | #592 (175 pts) | #490 (230 pts) | #387 (305 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #84 (1943 pts) | #76 (1843 pts) | #124 (1607 pts) | #219 (1228 pts) | #148 (1468 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #187 (1460 pts) | #301 (1080 pts) | #182 (1425 pts) | #187 (1400 pts) | #161 (1535 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #226 (1407 pts) | #398 (947 pts) | #260 (1242 pts) | #300 (1167 pts) | #208 (1417 pts) |