High-water mark
674.3088
career-best overall
93.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 674.3088 at 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition — 93.7% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- May 13, 2016
Three Little Pigs
Three Little Pigs is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 5th of 18 at the Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) (2021). They are ranked #4030 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1483
peak 1483 · rated over 8 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
Jun 7, 2013
latest Nov 5, 2021 · 8.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
9% of 11 contests
Avg finish
top 60%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
659.24 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 621.57 (+37.68)
Walk rate
27%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±64.45
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 166.49 · weakest Brisket (156.98)
Road miles
4,067
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 1,115 mi
Schedule strength
36%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)
Purse competed for
$68K
listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
621.57 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Three Little Pigs, each with one reason worth a look.
140 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,020 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1483
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Three Little Pigs)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Three Little Pigs has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,050 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1482
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Three Little Pigs)
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before Three Little Pigs's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,022 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1483
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Three Little Pigs)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,023 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1483
1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to Three Little Pigs)
Fewer contests behind them than Three Little Pigs has cooked, 5 to 11, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,028 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1508
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Three Little Pigs)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,053 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 5%
- Peak
- 1514
2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Three Little Pigs)
21 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sons of a Brisket | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Theslabs.com | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Four Men and A Pig | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOOTH SMOKE | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Rub You Long Time | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BURNT FINGER BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD STYLE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| 50 SHADES OF QUE | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| BUILDING SMOKE | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Brothers Different Mothers | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 169.7028 | 150.8228 | 159.72 | top 65% |
| Pork Ribs | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 174.8456 | 134.7884 | 166.49 | top 29% |
| Pork | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 178.2972 | 142.7884 | 161.48 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.3088 | 135.4056 | 156.98 | top 58% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 28% |
| Medium (20–39) | 2 | 0 | top 74% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 60% |
More numbers
Busiest season
2013
4 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
5 of 11 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
9
a different one every time
Most-entered meat
Chicken
9 entries · 0 wins · 1 call
Opponents faced
1,414
finished ahead 824 times, behind 1,537
Longest layoff
3.3 yrs
May 13, 2016 → Sep 12, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20212 milestones
- First overall top-10 Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
- Most recent contest Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
20191 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST
20164 milestones
- First call 8th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge
- First category win (Pork) 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition
- Career-best overall score674.3088 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition
- Career-best single call (Pork)178.2972 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition
20141 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.0744 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest SMOKIN on the Summit
- Peak power rating (1497) SMOKIN on the Summit
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open | Oct 2, 2014 |
| +5 | 8th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge | Apr 22, 2016 |
| +2.9 | 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition | May 13, 2016 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open | Oct 3, 2013 |
| -12.2 | Pork In The Park BBQ | Jul 13, 2013 |
| -4.7 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST | Sep 12, 2019 |
| -3.4 | SMOKIN on the Summit | Jun 7, 2013 |
| -2 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open | Oct 3, 2015 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 28% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 63% | 90.2% | 90.2% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 52% | 93.7% | 92.9% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 66% | 88.9% | 88.9% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 26% | 92.9% | 92.9% |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 87.5% | 77.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2021 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) unrated Yorkville, IL | 5 / 18 (671.3940) | 2 (169.7028) | 1 (174.8456) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 296 / 468 (649.5540) | 390 (156.5028) | 192 (166.8456) | 211 (166.8228) | 308 (159.3828) |
| May 13, 2016 | 2016 Smokin in the Wood BBQ Competition Greenwood, MO | 17 / 30 (674.3088) | 25 (165.7144) | 7 (172.5944) | 1 (178.2972) | 24 (157.7028) |
| Apr 22, 2016 | 8th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge Overland Park, KS | 28 / 60 (663.3716) | 43 (161.1200) | 9 (173.1772) | 8 (175.4172) | 45 (153.6572) |
| Oct 3, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 399 / 606 (639.8972) | 152 (169.1544) | 132 (169.7028) | 498 (154.2400) | 529 (146.8000) |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show Franklin, NC | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 2, 2014 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 142 / 552 (669.0744) | 499 (150.8228) | 43 (174.2744) | 44 (174.2744) | 114 (169.7028) |
| Oct 3, 2013 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 530 / 535 (469.0284) | 371 (155.9312) | — | 506 (142.7884) | 49 (170.3088) |
| Aug 9, 2013 | Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 13, 2013 | Pork In The Park BBQ Stamford, CT | 19 / 21 (577.0056) | 13 (157.7028) | 19 (134.7884) | 19 (149.1088) | 20 (135.4056) |
| Jun 7, 2013 | SMOKIN on the Summit Lees Summit, MO | 50 / 81 (630.2854) | 70 (150.8572) | 20 (165.7144) | 68 (150.8568) | 23 (162.8570) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.