Lake Rat BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1489

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1565

peak 1592 · rated over 29 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2016-03-25

latest 2021-06-11

Best ToY finish

#392

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 30 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

695.4056 / 720

Master · Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

672.94 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 668.40 (+4.54)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1

Consistency

±11.99

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.26 · weakest Chicken (165.82)

Road miles

2,936

mi across 30 mapped stops · furthest 382 mi

Schedule strength

86%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1617)

Purse competed for

$67K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 6 state-championship entries

Master avg

668.40 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (12 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

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

Chicken ×1

Happy hunting ground

Top 10% average finish here

*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL) is their spot: an average finish in the top 10% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 7th
average top 10%

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 21 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

695.4056 career-best overall

96.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 695.4056 at Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 — 96.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2020-10-23

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 9 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 38%.

9 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 38%

A tough matchup

23–2 behind in the head-to-head

BUFFALO'S BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

BUFFALO'S BBQ has come out ahead in 23 of their 25 shared contests.

A strong matchup

10–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of POPS' SMOKIN' BBQ in 10 of their 12 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

17 of 25 shared pork entries lost

BUFFALO'S BBQ ahead 68% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BUFFALO'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 17 of 25 shared pork entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1617 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 86% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1617 power rating — a tougher draw than 86% of every rated contest in the data.

29 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

MOVIN' THE CHAINS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 28% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 28% across 3 contests, versus top 51% the rest of the year.

3 May contests
top 51% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.66% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.66% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.8% of a perfect score
30 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

HELPING U BBQ

#1491 of the rated field

1564 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 92
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1717

0–3 in 3 shared contests (0% to Lake Rat BBQ)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — HELPING U BBQ ahead 3–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 90 contests
last seen 2026-07-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Suckers

#1493 of the rated field

1564 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1564

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 35 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 35 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

New Pigs on the Block

#1486 of the rated field

1565 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1565

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin N The Bandits

#1492 of the rated field

1564 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1577

No shared contest yet.

24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 25% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2025-05-02

⚔ Head-to-head

CLARK KENT SUPER SMOKERS

#1487 of the rated field

1565 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1568

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 6 years before Lake Rat BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 17 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

BREW-B-Q

#1488 of the rated field

1565 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1565

No shared contest yet.

Level with Lake Rat BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2016-09-02

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BUFFALO'S BBQ	25	2	23	8%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	21	7	14	33%	⚔ compare
MOVIN' THE CHAINS	20	12	8	60%	⚔ compare
Three Hog Night Smokers	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
DIVINE SWINE	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
THE GRISWOLDS	17	10	7	59%	⚔ compare
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DAN	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
Rise N Swine	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	5	1	1	180.0000 🔥	152.4684	165.82	top 59%
Pork Ribs	30	6	0	2	175.4056	153.0856	166.79	top 49%
Pork	29	9	2	3	179.4400	153.6456	169.26	top 43%
Brisket	29	8	0	1	176.0000	153.0628	166.60	top 47%

“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	Avg finish
OK	23	top 54%
KS	3	top 40%
MO	1	top 38%
NE	1	top 50%
AR	1	top 35%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 46%
Large (40+)	20	0	top 54%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Beats, Brews, & BBQ	3	14	top 68%	2021-06-11
Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2	3	32	top 68%	2021-03-20
Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	3	8	top 60%	2021-03-19
*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL)	2	7	top 10%	2017-05-05
Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2)	2	35	top 52%	2017-03-25

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.2 yrs 2016-03-25 → 2021-06-11

Busiest season 2017 9 contests

Contests a season 5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in OK 24 of 30 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 21 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 30 entries · 0 wins · 6 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 169.26 · weakest Chicken (165.82)

Walk rate 70% a top-10 call in 21 of 30 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 5 of 30 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 668.40 out of 720 · 29 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 564 719–765 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,936 30 mapped stops · furthest 382 mi

Schedule strength 1617 average field rating faced — tougher than 86% of rated contests

Purse competed for $67,000 listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 6 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1 yrs 2019-06-07 → 2020-06-12

Power rating 1565 peak 1592 · #1489 of 6,413 rated

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

2016
Mar 25 First tracked contest Firelake BBQ Cook Off
Mar 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.7312 Firelake BBQ Cook Off
Apr 1 First call Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon
May 6 First overall top-10 *Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival
May 20 First category win (Pork) Grand Lake BBQ & Festival
2017
Mar 24 10th tracked contest Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1)
2018
Mar 16 Peak power rating (1592) *Pork-A-Palooza
2020
Oct 23 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1
Oct 23 25th tracked contest Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1
Oct 23 Career-best overall score695.4056 Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1
2021
Jun 11 Most recent contest Beats, Brews, & BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	2020-10-23
+14	*Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival	2016-05-06
+11.1	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL)	2017-05-05
+9.2	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off	2016-09-16
+8.4	Chillin n Grillin BBQ Festival	2017-04-07

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.3	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	2021-03-19
-7.9	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1	2018-03-23
-7	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2	2018-03-24
-6.6	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1	2019-03-22
-6.4	Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2019-06-07

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	4	0	0	25%	top 75%	93.2%	92.3%
2020	3	1	1	67%	top 50%	96.6%	94.3%
2019	3	0	0	67%	top 71%	93.7%	91.5%
2018	3	0	0	33%	top 70%	92.3%	91.5%
2017	9	3	1	89%	top 38%	95.6%	93.4%
2016	8	1	1	88%	top 43%	94.7%	92.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-06-11	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	14 / 25 (670.7544)	22 (162.2400)	18 (162.8460)	6 (173.7028)	3 (171.9656)
2021-03-20	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 Shawnee, OK	41 / 50 (665.6000)	25 (171.4172)	36 (166.8456)	44 (166.2516)	44 (161.0856)
2021-03-19	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 Shawnee, OK	49 / 56 (657.0628)	45 (163.9544)	16 (171.9884)	52 (157.7144)	46 (163.4056)
2021-03-19	Firelake BBQ Cook Off - One Meat Contest Ribs Shawnee, OK	—	—	16 (168.5600)	—	—
2020-10-24	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK	40 / 58 (675.8628)	24 (174.2744)	37 (167.3828)	43 (166.8228)	41 (167.3828)
2020-10-23	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	8 / 64 (695.4056)	1 (180.0000)	45 (165.7028)	11 (176.5828)	17 (173.1200)
2020-06-12	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	37 / 55 (665.6456)	28 (168.5600)	52 (154.8000)	31 (168.5256)	5 (173.7600)
2019-06-07	Beats, Brews, & BBQ Wagoner, OK	17 / 21 (653.5544)	15 (166.2400)	8 (168.5488)	18 (153.6456)	14 (165.1200)
2019-03-23	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK	32 / 62 (674.8000)	9 (175.4400)	38 (166.8228)	25 (170.2744)	48 (162.2628)
2019-03-22	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	59 / 74 (647.3144)	70 (153.6916)	41 (165.1084)	47 (163.9772)	44 (164.5372)
2018-03-24	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK	65 / 79 (663.3484)	57 (167.9656)	30 (170.8228)	59 (166.8572)	73 (157.7028)
2018-03-23	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK	69 / 84 (648.3656)	78 (152.4684)	74 (159.4060)	43 (169.1084)	41 (167.3828)
2018-03-16	*Pork-A-Palooza Weatherford, OK	12 / 26 (664.4224)	17 (163.9312)	8 (170.2628)	16 (163.9656)	12 (166.2628)
2017-09-16	Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling, MO	18 / 47 (677.0400)	43 (162.2400)	21 (169.1316)	26 (169.6684)	7 (176.0000)
2017-07-21	Riverfest Community Festival Bellevue, NE	23 / 46 (651.8740)	23 (164.5372)	14 (166.8228)	34 (161.1084)	24 (159.4056)
2017-05-05	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL) Bixby, OK	7 / 68 (688.4684)	7 (175.4056)	13 (169.6800)	13 (171.9656)	10 (171.4172)
2017-04-28	The G Town Smokin Showdown Garnett, KS	10 / 27 (675.3256)	10 (167.3828)	9 (169.1200)	5 (172.5600)	14 (166.2628)
2017-04-07	Chillin n Grillin BBQ Festival Sands Springs, OK	10 / 33 (681.6456)	7 (173.7144)	2 (173.7028)	13 (170.2628)	20 (163.9656)
2017-04-01	*Smoke on the Border Gravette Chambers of Commerce Gravette, AR	13 / 37 (673.0172)	16 (169.6916)	3 (174.2628)	1 (176.0000)	28 (153.0628)
2017-03-25	Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2) Shawnee, OK	35 / 77 (674.1716)	69 (160.5028)	25 (171.9772)	2 (178.8572)	50 (162.8344)
2017-03-24	Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Shawnee, OK	51 / 87 (665.5652)	82 (156.5028)	53 (164.5256)	9 (175.4056)	36 (169.1312)
2017-03-10	*Kansas Winter Q and Chest to Chest National Cook Off Great Bend, KS	13 / 34 (668.4340)	21 (164.5372)	13 (166.2628)	23 (163.9312)	8 (173.7028)
2016-10-14	Balloons Blues and Barbeque Parsons, KS	18 / 39 (667.9088)	21 (167.4172)	27 (163.3944)	23 (164.5372)	9 (172.5600)
2016-09-16	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	13 / 43 (675.3600)	17 (169.1200)	32 (162.2744)	4 (175.4056)	10 (168.5600)
2016-06-10	Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship Okmulgee, OK	14 / 41 (667.3256)	23 (164.5256)	5 (175.4056)	12 (169.1200)	23 (158.2744)
2016-05-20	Grand Lake BBQ & Festival Langley, OK	30 / 46 (670.6968)	42 (161.6456)	39 (161.0856)	1 (179.4400)	25 (168.5256)
2016-05-06	*Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK	8 / 83 (681.6112)	22 (169.6684)	23 (168.5372)	7 (174.8456)	13 (168.5600)
2016-04-22	Morris Twister Days BBQ Competition Morris, OK	13 / 31 (678.1944)	23 (165.6916)	15 (168.5600)	7 (173.1316)	11 (170.8112)
2016-04-01	Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon Stillwater, OK	23 / 44 (642.1484)	31 (154.8000)	32 (153.0856)	22 (163.4056)	9 (170.8572)
2016-03-25	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Shawnee, OK	42 / 66 (662.7312)	55 (161.0856)	35 (166.8456)	24 (171.4056)	46 (163.3944)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1119 (236 pts)	#1241 (211 pts)	#1100 (266 pts)	#1228 (216 pts)	#1177 (236 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#392 (949 pts)	#429 (889 pts)	#286 (1184 pts)	#240 (1294 pts)	#445 (889 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#501 (791 pts)	#706 (571 pts)	#618 (661 pts)	#310 (1156 pts)	#477 (861 pts)