Big Mike's Smokehouse WI
Rating
1544
peak 1544 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
2025-04-25
latest 2026-08-15
Best ToY finish
#47
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
1
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
of 11 contests
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
340.54 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 333.41 (+7.13)
Walk rate
55%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.55
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.28 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.14)
Road miles
818
mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 146 mi
Schedule strength
81%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)
Purse competed for
$72K
listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 6 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
333.41 / 360
11 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Ash Kickin' BBQ has finished one call ahead of Big Mike's Smokehouse 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
⚔️ A tough matchup
DAWGS BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 11 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Black Crown Barbeque in 6 of their 6 shared contests.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, DAWGS BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 11 shared chicken entries.
📅 A May team
Something about May: average finish in the top 33% across 3 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026-08-15) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 23-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, DAWGS BBQ.
Teams like this (closest power rating, WI first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| SASSY SMOKE BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Porket About It | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Ten Bones | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD BOD BARBEQUE | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Black Crown Barbeque | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Not Bad BBQ | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Unknown Smokers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| SPITFIRE | 6 | 4 | 1 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 177.1428 | 158.2400 | 169.28 | top 38% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 176.0116 | 150.8000 | 164.14 | top 55% |
| Pork | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| Brisket | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WI | 6 | 0 | top 59% |
| MN | 5 | 1 | top 35% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 1 | top 38% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 54% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 43% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 38% | 2026-08-15 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | 2026-06-13 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 62% | 2026-06-12 |
| Minnesota in May | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 38% | 2026-05-08 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 67% | 2026-04-24 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2026 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in WI (6 of 11 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (11 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026-08-15)
- Wins it all in 9% of contests
- Average Backyard overall score: 333.41 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2025-04-25 — First tracked contest · Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 2025-08-16 — First call · Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 🏆 2026-08-15 — First Grand Championship · Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
- ⭐ 2026-08-15 — Career-best overall score (353.1544) · Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📈 2026-08-15 — Peak power rating (1544) · Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19.3 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-08-15 |
| +11.5 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-05-29 |
| +10 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-04-24 |
| +9.3 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2026-06-13 |
| +9.2 | Minnesota in May | 2026-05-08 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.3 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-04-25 |
| -2.2 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-08-16 |
| -1.6 | Minnesota in May | 2025-05-09 |
| -1.3 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-13 |
| -1.3 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-14 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 83% | top 29% | 98.1% | 94.5% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 71% | 92.4% | 90.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-15 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 1 / 18 (353.1544) | 3 (177.1428) | 4 (176.0116) | — | — |
| 2026-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 11 / 37 (337.6572) | 6 (171.9656) | 15 (165.6916) | — | — |
| 2026-06-12 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 21 / 40 (339.3944) | 5 (176.0116) | 30 (163.3828) | — | — |
| 2026-05-29 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 6 / 25 (342.8460) | 6 (175.4172) | 11 (167.4288) | — | — |
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 19 / 77 (329.6684) | 11 (168.5372) | 26 (161.1312) | — | — |
| 2026-04-24 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 9 / 24 (338.3088) | 8 (170.2972) | 11 (168.0116) | — | — |
| 2025-08-16 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 12 / 17 (329.6572) | 4 (174.8456) | 15 (154.8116) | — | — |
| 2025-06-14 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 23 / 36 (327.3484) | 24 (163.9540) | 24 (163.3944) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 26 / 36 (332.5144) | 26 (166.8228) | 27 (165.6916) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 30 / 58 (327.3716) | 34 (158.2400) | 13 (169.1316) | — | — |
| 2025-04-25 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 23 / 24 (309.6228) | 20 (158.8228) | 23 (150.8000) | — | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
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 ↗ | Backyard | #47 (780 pts) | #36 (880 pts) | #77 (595 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #154 (352 pts) | #129 (447 pts) | #151 (392 pts) | — | — |