The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Why Not Smoke has finished one call ahead of Bucket Heads 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Bucket Heads
Bucket Heads is a competition barbecue team with 7 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 50th of 86 at the Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (TEAM & JUDGES ARE FULL-WAITLIST ONLY) (2021). They are ranked #5417 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1453
peak 1453 · rated over 7 contests
Contests
7
in the data
First seen
Sep 25, 2015
latest Sep 23, 2022 · 7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 7 contests
Avg finish
top 75%
overall standings
Best overall
647.4288 / 720
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
625.88 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 627.78 (-1.90)
Walk rate
0%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±15.10
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 160.82 · weakest Chicken (151.41)
Road miles
2
across 7 mapped stops
Schedule strength
7%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1510)
Purse competed for
$18K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
627.78 / 720
7 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bucket Heads, each with one reason worth a look.
120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5,425 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1453
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#5,399 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1454
Level with Bucket Heads on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#5,406 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1453
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#5,424 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
They've been 1503 at their best, 50 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#5,401 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1454
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 5 years before Bucket Heads's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#5,434 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1453
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2015.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Years Leftovers | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| SMF | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| YARDHOGS BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| POKER SMOKERS | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Bubba's Pig-a-licious | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Overland Pig Committee | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| HAWG HEAVEN | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Just Smoked Your Butt | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| KC Rib doctor | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Why Not Smoke | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| PASSIONS OF THE PIT | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Pharr Moore BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Fat&Dumb BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| T'S SMOKIN PIT | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162.8228 | 141.1084 | 151.41 | top 83% |
| Pork Ribs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166.8572 | 154.8916 | 160.82 | top 61% |
| Pork | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166.2972 | 151.9772 | 157.45 | top 74% |
| Brisket | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165.2000 | 143.9200 | 158.10 | top 56% |
“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.
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship | 5 | 50 | 0 | top 76% | Sep 23, 2022 |
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque | 2 | 78 | 0 | top 72% | Sep 21, 2018 |
More numbers
Contests a season
1
across 7 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
7 of 7 contests
Contests visited
2
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
257
finished ahead 185 times, behind 525
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Sep 27, 2019 → Sep 24, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20221 milestone
- Most recent contest Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
20211 milestone
- Career-best overall score647.4288 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (TEAM & JUDGES ARE FULL-WAITLIST ONLY)
20171 milestone
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)166.8572 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque
20152 milestones
- First tracked contest Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
- Peak power rating (1497) Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.6 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship | Sep 23, 2022 |
| -11.7 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship | Sep 27, 2019 |
| -7 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship | Sep 23, 2016 |
| -6.4 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque | Sep 21, 2018 |
| -5.9 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque | Sep 22, 2017 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 83.6% | 83.6% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 58% | 89.9% | 89.9% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 84.6% | 84.6% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 88.3% | 88.3% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 71% | 88.2% | 88.2% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 87.2% | 87.2% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 60% | 88.5% | 88.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2022 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 84 / 87 (602.1828) | 83 (149.1428) | 72 (154.8916) | 77 (154.2284) | 82 (143.9200) |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (TEAM & JUDGES ARE FULL-WAITLIST ONLY) 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 50 / 86 (647.4288) | 44 (162.8228) | 59 (160.6060) | 39 (166.2972) | 50 (157.7028) |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 93 / 102 (609.0172) | 101 (141.1084) | 75 (157.6800) | 87 (153.1200) | 67 (157.1088) |
| Sep 21, 2018 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 78 / 107 (636) | 101 (151.4172) | 67 (161.7028) | 83 (157.6800) | 39 (165.2000) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 79 / 112 (634.7772) | 110 (142.8000) | 36 (166.8572) | 71 (161.1200) | 40 (164) |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 81 / 111 (627.9200) | 98 (151.4056) | 54 (162.3088) | 87 (157.7028) | 69 (156.5028) |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 67 / 112 (637.1088) | 58 (161.1772) | 63 (161.7144) | 89 (151.9772) | 44 (162.2400) |