Poker Porkers

Poker Porkers is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 6th of 20 at the Benton County Fair BBQ Contest (2013). They are ranked #2702 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,702

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1513

peak 1545 · rated over 28 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 5, 2013

latest Sep 24, 2021 · 8.5 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

21% of 28 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 55%

overall standings

Best overall

686.1712 / 720

Master · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.34 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 662.25 (-16.91)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Brisket · Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff

Consistency

±15.52

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.70 · weakest Brisket (163.07)

Road miles

3,685

across 28 mapped stops · furthest 477 mi

Schedule strength

46%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)

Purse competed for

$64K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

662.25 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

686.1712 career-best overall

95.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 686.1712 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 95.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 9, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Too Sauced to Pork has finished one call ahead of Poker Porkers 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 40%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 40%

A tough matchup

15–0 behind in the head-to-head

KILLER HOGS ahead in 100% of their meetings

KILLER HOGS has come out ahead in 15 of their 15 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SLAB TECHS in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

11 of 11 shared pork entries lost

FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE DANCER BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 11 shared pork entries.

Going the wrong way

-28 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 28 points across 4 contests since Sep 25, 2020 — from 1542 down to 1513.

4 contests since Sep 25, 2020
now 1513

Show 3 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

HOTTY TOTTY BBQ CREW has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

3,685 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,685 miles across 28 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 477 miles to Smoke on the mountain BBQ championship.

28 mapped stops
furthest 477 mi

The metronome

±2.16% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.16% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.0% of a perfect score
28 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Poker Porkers, each with one reason worth a look.

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

TR's Up In Smoke

#2,688 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1523

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Poker Porkers)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Poker Porkers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2016

⚔ Head-to-head

TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ

#2,712 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1513

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 29 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Jun 8, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

WATER DAWGZ BBQ

#2,691 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1528

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 30, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

KenzielouQ

#2,683 of the rated field

1514 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1579

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 19 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Oct 11, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

JW HAYES BBQ

#2,689 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1555

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jun 3, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

BLOWN AWAY BBQ

#2,706 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1518

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before Poker Porkers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 17 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
KILLER HOGS	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
Q-BONES BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
K & K KOOKERS	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
HEAVENLY MANNA BBQ	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
SLAB TECHS	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
Swine Life	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
HOTTY TOTTY BBQ CREW	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
DAD'S GRILLIN CREW	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
BLUE COLLAR BBQ MS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
AUTO"BE"GRILLIN	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
TENNESSEE MOJO	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
VICTORY LANE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	7	0	2	176.5828	153.6228	165.95	top 57%
Pork Ribs	28	9	0	1	176	150.2056	166.53	top 49%
Pork	28	5	0	1	174.2856	150.7768	166.70	top 51%
Brisket	28	4	1	1	178.8800	150.2856	163.07	top 61%

“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)	3	top 55%
Medium (20–39)	12	top 58%
Large (40+)	13	top 53%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	9	top 55%
AR	7	top 50%
MS	6	top 52%
IL	3	top 55%
MO	2	top 93%
VA	1	top 32%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	4	13	top 49%	Jun 7, 2019
Southaven Springfest	3	13	top 55%	Apr 26, 2019
Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	2	19	top 38%	Sep 22, 2017
International Goat Days Festival BBQ Bash	2	15	top 57%	Sep 12, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 5 contests

Contests a season 3.1 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 9 of 28 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 21 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 555 finished ahead 459 times, behind 535

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs Sep 6, 2019 → Sep 25, 2020

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

20211 milestone

Sep 24 Most recent contest Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off

20201 milestone

Sep 25 25th tracked contest TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest

20181 milestone

Sep 7 Peak power rating (1545) Smokin on the White

20171 milestone

Jun 9 Career-best overall score686.1712 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

20162 milestones

Sep 23 First category win (Brisket) Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff
Sep 23 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8800 Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff

20151 milestone

Oct 8 10th tracked contest BBQ and Blues on the Levee

20134 milestones

Apr 5 First tracked contest Third Annual Bull Moose BBQ Contest
May 31 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2854 Variety Children's Charity BBQ Bash
Aug 23 First call Benton County Fair BBQ Contest
Aug 23 First overall top-10 Benton County Fair BBQ Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.5	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	Sep 23, 2016
+9.3	Benton County Fair BBQ Contest	Aug 23, 2013
+9.1	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	Jun 9, 2017
+7.3	Smoke on the mountain BBQ championship	Jul 21, 2017
+6.5	Southaven Springfest	Apr 28, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.4	Third Annual Bull Moose BBQ Contest	Apr 5, 2013
-10.4	Mother Road BBQ Competition	Mar 27, 2021
-9.3	Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off	Sep 24, 2021
-8.8	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge	Mar 26, 2021
-5.2	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	Jun 13, 2014

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)
2021	3	0	0	0%	top 92%	89.8%	87.8%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 55%	93.7%	93.7%
2019	3	1	0	67%	top 58%	93.5%	92%
2018	3	1	0	33%	top 54%	94.7%	92.8%
2017	5	1	0	80%	top 40%	95.3%	93.6%
2016	3	1	1	67%	top 44%	94.1%	93.6%
2015	2	1	0	100%	top 38%	92.8%	91.6%
2014	4	0	0	25%	top 60%	92.5%	91.5%
2013	4	1	0	50%	top 57%	94.7%	91.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 24, 2021	Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	35 / 39 (623.2340)	38 (153.6228)	23 (164.5716)	36 (150.7768)	32 (154.2628)
Mar 27, 2021	Mother Road BBQ Competition 🏅 Waynesville, MO	31 / 32 (625.5200)	28 (161.6916)	31 (150.2056)	31 (155.9428)	30 (157.6800)
Mar 26, 2021	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO	46 / 52 (646.7316)	43 (162.8344)	44 (161.1200)	43 (161.0856)	42 (161.6916)
Sep 25, 2020	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	26 / 47 (674.7200)	13 (171.9772)	38 (162.2400)	16 (173.1200)	28 (167.3828)
Sep 6, 2019	Smokin' on the White 🏅 Batesville, AR	10 / 15 (656.4916)	8 (165.1316)	6 (169.1888)	12 (158.2056)	12 (163.9656)
Jun 7, 2019	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	22 / 51 (672.9940)	42 (162.2400)	21 (168.5256)	29 (166.8228)	6 (175.4056)
Apr 26, 2019	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	20 / 31 (656.9712)	15 (167.9772)	11 (169.6684)	18 (163.9656)	28 (155.3600)
Sep 7, 2018	Smokin on the White Batesville, AR	8 / 17 (659.3024)	8 (166.8228)	7 (168.5484)	13 (160.5484)	11 (163.3828)
Jun 8, 2018	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR	23 / 44 (681.6112)	11 (174.8572)	16 (171.9656)	15 (171.9656)	31 (162.8228)
Apr 27, 2018	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	21 / 34 (662.7312)	23 (167.3828)	27 (156.5256)	11 (170.2628)	14 (168.5600)
Sep 22, 2017	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	25 / 55 (670.7768)	3 (176.5828)	39 (163.4056)	30 (167.9656)	31 (162.8228)
Sep 8, 2017	International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest-SMOKIN IN THE GOAT PEN Millington, TN	23 / 42 (661.0056)	21 (167.9772)	20 (165.0972)	21 (168.5256)	28 (159.4056)
Jul 21, 2017	Smoke on the mountain BBQ championship Galax, VA	8 / 25 (669.0628)	15 (165.1200)	15 (164.5600)	2 (174.2628)	12 (165.1200)
Jun 9, 2017	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR	13 / 45 (686.1712)	23 (168.5372)	7 (174.2628)	13 (171.4056)	12 (171.9656)
Apr 28, 2017	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	13 / 33 (681.6344)	6 (173.1316)	3 (176)	23 (165.6800)	20 (166.8228)
Sep 23, 2016	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	19 / 64 (677.6688)	23 (170.8344)	57 (158.2172)	24 (169.7372)	1 (178.8800)
Apr 22, 2016	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	22 / 41 (669.5768)	19 (169.6800)	15 (171.4056)	11 (171.9772)	35 (156.5140)
Apr 15, 2016	Shelby Forest Spring Fest Smokin' In the Forest Millington, TN	8 / 16 (674.1716)	10 (167.3828)	6 (169.6916)	9 (169.6916)	7 (167.4056)
Oct 8, 2015	BBQ and Blues on the Levee Helena, AR	10 / 25 (650.1256)	17 (160.5372)	4 (170.2628)	12 (159.3600)	14 (159.9656)
Sep 11, 2015	International Goat Days Championship BBQ Millington, TN	11 / 31 (668.4684)	27 (153.6572)	7 (170.2628)	5 (174.2856)	7 (170.2628)
Sep 12, 2014	International Goat Days Festival BBQ Bash Millington, TN	15 / 25 (656.3540)	19 (159.9312)	8 (168.5372)	7 (170.8228)	20 (157.0628)
Aug 22, 2014	Music City BBQ Festival Nashville, TN	17 / 41 (666.2168)	18 (169.1428)	11 (172.0228)	19 (166.8456)	31 (158.2056)
Jun 20, 2014	The Desoto Shrine Club 6th Annual 2014 BBQ Cook Off Hernando, MS	32 / 49 (659.3024)	31 (164.5828)	32 (163.3712)	31 (166.2284)	30 (165.1200)
Jun 13, 2014	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR	35 / 49 (654.7656)	38 (162.2628)	37 (162.8000)	18 (170.2628)	35 (159.4400)
Sep 13, 2013	International Goat Days Festival BBQ Bash Millington, TN	15 / 28 (658.1140)	3 (175.4172)	12 (164.5600)	20 (162.7768)	18 (155.3600)
Aug 23, 2013	Benton County Fair BBQ Contest Ashland, MS	6 / 20 (681.6456)	8 (169.6800)	5 (172)	7 (173.1428)	14 (166.8228)
May 31, 2013	Variety Children's Charity BBQ Bash Memphis, TN	24 / 43 (662.2854)	34 (159.4286)	20 (167.4284)	12 (171.4286)	22 (163.9998)
Apr 5, 2013	Third Annual Bull Moose BBQ Contest Somerville, TN	26 / 29 (635.4280)	26 (158.2856)	13 (166.2856)	22 (160.5712)	28 (150.2856)

Poker Porkers

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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 (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Going the wrong way

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

The metronome

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)