OL SMOKEY

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

Power ranking

#5788

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1441

peak 1441 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-31

latest 2021-05-28

Best ToY finish

#1517

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 78%

overall standings

Best overall

651.8512 / 720

Master · 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

631.74 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 626.95 (+4.79)

Walk rate

36%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · 6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

Consistency

±14.44

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 161.64 · weakest Brisket (148.32)

Road miles

1,466

mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 680 mi

Schedule strength

46%

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

Purse competed for

$23K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

626.95 / 720

11 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BACK ALLEY BUTT RUBBERS has finished one call ahead of OL SMOKEY 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

ELWOOD BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

ELWOOD BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−13.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 13.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 148.32
Chicken avg 161.64
0 calls in 11 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Sitt 'n Smoke in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at 9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition (2021-05-28).

last seen 2019-05-31
back 2021-05-28

Chicken nemesis

7 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

ELWOOD BBQ ahead 70% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ELWOOD BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 10 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.01% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.01% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 87.1% of a perfect score
11 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.

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

Smoking Our Butts Off

#5774 of the rated field

1442 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1442

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

BREWBQUE

#5790 of the rated field

1441 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1441

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2019-05-24

⚔ Head-to-head

Nice Rack

#5776 of the rated field

1442 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1500

No shared contest yet.

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

Q-CHIPS

#5778 of the rated field

1442 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1442

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

TEAM MEAT BBQ

#5794 of the rated field

1441 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1441

No shared contest yet.

Level with OL SMOKEY on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2021-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

On the Dotte Smokers

#5782 of the rated field

1442 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1501 at their best, 59 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ELWOOD BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
PORKY BUTTS BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
HELPING U BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
WHEN PIGS DIE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
TATTOO BOB'S BAR-B-Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
HAWGNZ HEROZ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
2FishQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	3	1	178.8572	145.6800	161.64	top 60%
Pork Ribs	11	0	0	169.1428	136.5600	158.06	top 64%
Pork	11	1	1	172.0344	146.2400	158.94	top 67%
Brisket	11	0	0	161.0972	131.4284	148.32	top 80%

“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
NE	10	0	top 80%
OH	1	0	top 64%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 73%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 82%

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8 yrs 2013-05-31 → 2021-05-28

Busiest season 2017 2 contests

Contests a season 1.4 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NE 10 of 11 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 0 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 11 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 161.64 · weakest Brisket (148.32)

Walk rate 36% a top-10 call in 4 of 11 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 11 contests

Master average 626.95 out of 720 · 11 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 205 87–328 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,466 11 mapped stops · furthest 680 mi

Schedule strength 1559 average field rating faced — tougher than 46% of rated contests

Purse competed for $22,510 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2019-05-31 → 2021-05-28

Power rating 1441 peak 1441 · #5788 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 31 First tracked contest 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 First call 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 Peak power rating (1493) 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
2017
May 19 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
2019
May 31 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.8512 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
May 31 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
May 31 Career-best overall score651.8512 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
2021
May 28 Most recent contest 9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13	22nd Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska	2014-08-15
-7.5	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska	2015-08-14
-7.4	21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska	2013-08-16
-7.1	2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition	2013-05-31
-7	9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	2021-05-28

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0%	top 96%	84.1%	84.1%
2019	1	100%	top 72%	90.5%	90.5%
2018	1	0%	top 83%	87.2%	87.2%
2017	2	50%	top 70%	89.3%	88.4%
2016	1	0%	top 74%	88.2%	88.2%
2015	2	50%	top 74%	87.4%	86.8%
2014	1	0%	top 97%	84.7%	84.7%
2013	2	50%	top 75%	88.5%	86.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-05-28	9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	44 / 46 (605.5884)	24 (167.9656)	46 (136.5600)	42 (156.5256)	45 (144.5372)
2019-05-31	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	28 / 39 (651.8512)	8 (173.7028)	15 (169.1428)	25 (162.2284)	36 (146.7772)
2018-05-18	7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	35 / 42 (627.8516)	27 (164.5256)	19 (164.5600)	37 (153.6572)	39 (145.1088)
2017-09-22	Smokin in The Hills (Limited to the first 25 teams) Hillsboro, OH	16 / 25 (642.6972)	13 (164.0000)	23 (150.8000)	13 (167.3828)	13 (160.5144)
2017-05-19	6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	36 / 47 (630.6972)	3 (178.8572)	26 (163.3944)	43 (149.6684)	47 (138.7772)
2016-05-20	5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition Valley, NE	31 / 42 (635.3032)	36 (155.3944)	15 (166.8228)	35 (156.5372)	24 (156.5488)
2015-08-14	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	37 / 42 (620.4916)	33 (156.5600)	31 (158.2744)	40 (146.2400)	28 (159.4172)
2015-05-29	4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	17 / 28 (629.0288)	27 (145.6800)	16 (159.3944)	2 (172.0344)	20 (151.9200)
2014-08-15	22nd Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska LaPlatte, NE	37 / 38 (610.1256)	30 (157.6800)	33 (153.0856)	13 (164.0000)	38 (135.3600)
2013-08-16	21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska LaPlatte, NE	33 / 43 (637.1200)	40 (149.7144)	25 (163.4400)	30 (162.8684)	22 (161.0972)
2013-05-31	2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition Valley, NE	25 / 34 (605.7144)	10 (164.0000)	20 (153.1430)	20 (157.1430)	32 (131.4284)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#1303 (235 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2081 (110 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2316 (65 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1517 (153 pts)	#1920 (113 pts)	#1600 (158 pts)	#1066 (313 pts)	#1665 (138 pts)