KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ

KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 35 at the Pitmasters in Paradise (2026), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #821 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#821

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1625

peak 1625 · rated over 26 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 5, 2021

latest Jul 9, 2026 · 5.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#122

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

41% of 27 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

703.9772 / 720

Master · Pitmasters in Paradise

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

696.05 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 685.64 (+10.41)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Pitmasters in Paradise

Consistency

±11.91

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 173.42 · weakest Pork Ribs (170.07)

Road miles

6,433

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 1,052 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)

Purse competed for

$555K

listed at 26 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 26 state-championship entries

Master avg

685.64 / 720

27 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

The heartbreaker

0.5944 points from the title

Came within 0.5944 points of the Grand Championship at Jeepin 4 Justice (Mar 13, 2026).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

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

Chicken ×1

On the rise

+45 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 45 points across 7 contests since Nov 21, 2025 — from 1580 up to 1625.

7 contests since Nov 21, 2025
now 1625

Happy hunting ground

Top 16% average finish here

Poosa Q is their spot: an average finish in the top 16% across 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 4th
average top 16%

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 27 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 27 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

703.9772 career-best overall

97.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 703.9772 at Pitmasters in Paradise — 97.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 25, 2026

The one to beat

4× one call ahead of them

Kings BBQ Team has finished one call ahead of KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.

Show 8 more storylines

Their season

2026 their best year

2026 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 23%.

6 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 23%

A tough matchup

14–6 behind in the head-to-head

Tillman's BBQ ahead in 70% of their meetings

Tillman's BBQ has come out ahead in 14 of their 20 shared contests.

A strong matchup

12–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Cold Beer BBQ in 12 of their 16 shared contests.

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 0 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

0 Grand Championships
27 contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

When Pigs Fly Family BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

6,433 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,433 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,052 miles to American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest.

27 mapped stops
furthest 1,052 mi

The metronome

±1.65% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.65% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 95.2% of a perfect score
27 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Plant City Pig Jam every year from 2022 to 2025 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 2nd

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	#122 (1,235 pts)	#145 (1,180 pts)	#246 (880 pts)	#166 (1,010 pts)	#191 (945 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#357 (606 pts)	#337 (681 pts)	#541 (396 pts)	#446 (466 pts)	#347 (666 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#332 (652 pts)	#419 (532 pts)	#398 (602 pts)	#372 (587 pts)	#353 (642 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#303 (702 pts)	#206 (987 pts)	#498 (472 pts)	#278 (782 pts)	#359 (597 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#678 (259 pts)	#520 (419 pts)	#588 (389 pts)	#795 (209 pts)	#780 (214 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

26 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

BIG RED BBQ

#818 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 70
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1647

3–2 in 5 shared contests (60% to KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 69 contests
last seen Apr 11, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

HOLLOW Q

#826 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 87
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1628

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 85 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 85 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

B & C SMOKERS

#827 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 112
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1706

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ)

112 contests to 27: their number has had years to settle where KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ's is still finding its level.

rated over 111 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ

#819 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1630

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 29 contests

⚔ Compare careers

BOHEMIAN BBQ

#823 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1634

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 52 contests, alongside a 40% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 46 contests
last seen Oct 14, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Zoni-Q

#820 of the rated field

1625 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 58%
Peak: 1649

Level with KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 51 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Tillman's BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
K & E's Little Smokers	19	13	6	68%	⚔ compare
Kings BBQ Team	19	7	12	37%	⚔ compare
Going Yard BBQ	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
Mad Dog BBQ	18	9	9	50%	⚔ compare
Smokin' Ain't EZ	17	11	6	65%	⚔ compare
Accutech BBQ	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
Cold Beer BBQ	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA	16	8	8	50%	⚔ compare
Slapulator BBQ	15	10	5	67%	⚔ compare
Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
SMOKE N' ASH BBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
Bourbon & Blues BBQ	12	7	5	58%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	27	13	1	5	180 🔥	159.3600	173.42	top 31%
Pork Ribs	27	7	0	0	177.7028	153.0972	170.07	top 47%
Pork	27	9	2	3	179.4400	156.5028	171.34	top 43%
Brisket	27	11	0	1	177.1544	160.5028	170.81	top 38%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 23%
Medium (20–39)	12	top 38%
Large (40+)	13	top 35%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
FL	19	top 39%
AL	3	top 16%
SC	2	top 21%
KS	2	top 23%
GA	1	top 73%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Plant City Pig Jam	4	2	top 21%	Nov 21, 2025
Lakeland Pig Festival	3	9	top 47%	Jan 22, 2026
Poosa Q	3	4	top 16%	Jun 20, 2025
South Carolina Festival of Discovery	2	12	top 21%	Jul 9, 2026
The Downtown BBQ Showdown	2	12	top 43%	Apr 17, 2026
Grills Gone Wild	2	14	top 69%	Feb 7, 2025

More numbers

Busiest season 2026 6 contests

Contests a season 4.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in FL 19 of 27 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 17 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,105 finished ahead 1,434 times, behind 797

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

20265 milestones

Apr 17 25th tracked contest The Downtown BBQ Showdown
Apr 25 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Pitmasters in Paradise
Apr 25 Career-best overall score703.9772 Pitmasters in Paradise
Jul 9 Peak power rating (1625) South Carolina Festival of Discovery
Jul 9 Most recent contest South Carolina Festival of Discovery

20231 milestone

Sep 27 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest

20225 milestones

Jan 7 First call Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest
Nov 18 First category win (Pork) Plant City Pig Jam
Nov 18 First overall top-10 Plant City Pig Jam
Nov 18 First overall podium Plant City Pig Jam
Nov 18 First Reserve Championship Plant City Pig Jam

20212 milestones

Mar 5 First tracked contest Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
Mar 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.5312 Sip & Swine BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.8	Poosa Q	Oct 4, 2024
+16.3	Poosa Q	Jun 20, 2025
+15.9	Plant City Pig Jam	Nov 18, 2022
+13.3	Pitmasters in Paradise	Apr 25, 2026
+12.9	Lakeland Pig Festival	Jan 27, 2023

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.2	Grills Gone Wild	Feb 9, 2024
-9	Lakeland Pig Festival	Jan 26, 2024
-8.1	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	Mar 5, 2021
-5.9	Plant City Pig Jam	Nov 19, 2021
-5.9	Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ	Feb 16, 2024

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	6	3	1	100%	top 23%	97.8%	96.5%
2025	4	3	0	100%	top 27%	97.4%	96.3%
2024	6	2	0	50%	top 50%	96.6%	94.6%
2023	6	2	1	67%	top 30%	96.5%	95.3%
2022	3	1	1	67%	top 29%	96.4%	95.1%
2021	2	0	0	0%	top 66%	92.6%	91.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 9, 2026	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	12 / 75 (693.6112)	15 (175.4056)	5 (177.7028)	44 (168.5372)	33 (171.9656)
Apr 25, 2026	Pitmasters in Paradise 🏅 Auburndale, FL	2 / 35 (703.9772)	2 (180)	5 (176.5716)	17 (170.8456)	7 (176.5600)
Apr 17, 2026	The Downtown BBQ Showdown 🏅 Lake City, FL	20 / 41 (688.4916)	4 (177.7144)	20 (170.8344)	20 (172.5600)	26 (167.3828)
Mar 20, 2026	Torry Island BBQ Showdown 🏅 Belle Glade, FL	3 / 34 (695.3600)	9 (174.2628)	14 (173.7028)	3 (178.8572)	15 (168.5372)
Mar 13, 2026	Jeepin 4 Justice 🏅 Shady Hills, FL	2 / 15 (698.8344)	4 (175.4172)	5 (173.1316)	1 (179.4400)	4 (170.8456)
Jan 22, 2026	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	28 / 63 (687.3484)	49 (166.8228)	26 (173.1200)	31 (170.8456)	8 (176.5600)
Nov 21, 2025	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	3 / 31 (697.6572)	4 (177.7028)	19 (168.5488)	4 (176.5600)	4 (174.8456)
Jun 20, 2025	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	4 / 42 (701.0740)	5 (177.7028)	23 (170.8112)	10 (175.4056)	4 (177.1544)
Mar 14, 2025	Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds 🏅 Dover, FL	5 / 15 (688.4916)	3 (175.4172)	8 (170.8344)	7 (170.8344)	7 (171.4056)
Feb 7, 2025	Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Davenport, FL	14 / 25 (685.0516)	6 (176.0116)	16 (170.8228)	20 (165.0972)	6 (173.1200)
Nov 22, 2024	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	10 / 26 (679.8628)	12 (168.5372)	16 (166.2516)	13 (171.9656)	8 (173.1084)
Oct 4, 2024	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	4 / 59 (695.3712)	6 (176.5600)	10 (174.2628)	12 (174.8572)	28 (169.6912)
Jul 11, 2024	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	20 / 76 (691.9200)	31 (173.1200)	25 (173.1200)	31 (171.4172)	22 (174.2628)
Feb 16, 2024	Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ 🏅 Haines City, FL	20 / 29 (677.6116)	21 (167.3828)	11 (173.1200)	12 (174.2744)	23 (162.8344)
Feb 9, 2024	Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Davenport, FL	23 / 28 (674.1256)	27 (159.3600)	16 (171.9772)	16 (170.8228)	7 (171.9656)
Jan 26, 2024	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	48 / 61 (667.8168)	42 (170.2628)	38 (168.5256)	50 (166.2400)	51 (162.7884)
Nov 17, 2023	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	7 / 25 (678.1716)	13 (165.0972)	10 (169.6800)	10 (170.2744)	3 (173.1200)
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS	25 / 211 (694.8000)	16 (177.7144)	121 (170.2628)	85 (172.5600)	43 (174.2628)
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	168 / 487 (680.5144)	38 (176.5944)	404 (158.8344)	107 (173.1200)	112 (171.9656)
Apr 14, 2023	The Downtown BBQ Showdown 🏅 Lake City, FL	12 / 32 (689.6112)	14 (173.1200)	19 (166.8228)	5 (177.7028)	14 (171.9656)
Feb 3, 2023	Budweiser Smoke on the Water 🏅 Winter Haven, FL	24 / 47 (679.3028)	1 (178.8572)	34 (166.2400)	40 (162.2284)	16 (171.9772)
Jan 27, 2023	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	9 / 51 (693.0744)	2 (177.7144)	12 (173.1316)	9 (175.4172)	29 (166.8112)
Nov 18, 2022	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	2 / 25 (694.2172)	6 (173.1200)	19 (165.0972)	1 (179.4400)	4 (176.5600)
May 5, 2022	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	22 / 72 (679.3028)	26 (170.8344)	15 (173.1200)	24 (170.2628)	50 (165.0856)
Jan 7, 2022	Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 🏅 Lake Wales, FL	14 / 29 (680.4688)	2 (177.7144)	5 (175.4172)	27 (161.6572)	17 (165.6800)
Nov 19, 2021	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	22 / 37 (666.6972)	16 (170.8228)	17 (166.8344)	19 (168.5372)	26 (160.5028)
Mar 5, 2021	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	59 / 81 (649.5312)	27 (169.1084)	73 (153.0972)	72 (156.5028)	27 (170.8228)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

On the rise

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Always the bridesmaid

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)