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 brisket.
- Brisket ×1
BLACKOUT BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1429
peak 1504 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
2014-10-02
latest 2026-03-27
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
of 16 contests
Avg finish
top 73%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
625.33 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 636.33 (-11.01)
Walk rate
13%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.57
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 159.97 · weakest Chicken (158.11)
Road miles
4,720
mi across 16 mapped stops · furthest 902 mi
Schedule strength
67%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)
Purse competed for
$315K
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
636.33 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
266.02 / 360
3 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (8 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.
High-water mark
673.0972
career-best overall
93.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 673.0972 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST — 93.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2021-09-16
A tough matchup
10–0
behind in the head-to-head
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 100% of their meetings
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.
A strong matchup
9–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Smoke & Beer BBQ in 9 of their 9 shared contests.
The comeback
2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2 years, then back at American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST (2021-09-16).
- last seen 2019-09-12
- back 2021-09-16
Brisket nemesis
8 of 9
shared brisket entries lost
Hawg Wild ahead 89% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Hawg Wild has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared brisket entries.
Boom or bust
±10.03%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±10.03% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 85.5% of a perfect score
- best 93.5%
The long haul
4,720
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,720 miles across 16 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 902 miles to Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition.
- 16 mapped stops
- furthest 902 mi
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.
46 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#6037 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1430
3–3 in 6 shared contests (50% to BLACKOUT BBQ)
These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#6040 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1430
4–2 in 6 shared contests (67% to BLACKOUT BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#6048 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1429
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#6045 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 5%
- Peak
- 1429
No shared contest yet.
19 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#6050 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1508
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before BLACKOUT BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#6038 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1430
No shared contest yet.
Level with BLACKOUT BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| T-MAC SMOKIN | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| S&S BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke & Beer BBQ | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Black & Veatch | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| Brewski and Barbeque | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| DUSTY ROADS BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| PORK RADIO 810 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| HI-TECH SMOKERS | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Moolicious Intentions | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Splitlog Smokers | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| On the Dotte Smokers | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 143.9544 | 158.11 | top 73% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166.8800 | 131.2916 | 158.91 | top 70% |
| Pork | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173.1772 | 142.7656 | 159.84 | top 67% |
| Brisket | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 153.0744 | 159.97 | top 64% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 7 | 0 | top 69% |
| MO | 3 | 0 | top 74% |
| NC | 2 | 0 | top 79% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
| WI | 1 | 0 | top 54% |
| OK | 1 | 0 | top 85% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 79% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 70% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 133 | 0 | top 66% | 2023-09-27 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
11.5 yrs
2014-10-02 → 2026-03-27
Busiest season
2022
6 contests
Contests a season
1.6
across 10 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
8 of 16 contests · 6 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
13
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
15 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls
Strongest meat
Brisket
averages 159.97 · weakest Chicken (158.11)
Walk rate
13%
a top-10 call in 2 of 16 contests
Overall top-10 rate
0%
0 of 16 contests
Master average
636.33
out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
266.02
out of 360 · 3 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
2,118
1,323–3,472 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
4,720
16 mapped stops · furthest 902 mi
Schedule strength
1585
average field rating faced — tougher than 67% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$314,930
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 10 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2 yrs
2019-09-12 → 2021-09-16
Power rating
1429
peak 1504 · #6042 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.7488 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
- Peak power rating (1504) 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
- 2021
- First call American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST
- First category win (Brisket) American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST
- Career-best overall score673.0972 American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST
- 2022
- 10th tracked contest 2022 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 1)
- 2026
- Most recent contest Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +4.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | 2021-09-16 |
| +3.8 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open | 2014-10-02 |
| +2.4 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) | 2016-10-29 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge | 2022-09-23 |
| -10.5 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-03-27 |
| -10 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2018-09-15 |
| -9.7 | 2022 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) | 2022-07-15 |
| -9.1 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open | 2015-10-03 |
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)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 100% | 49.4% | 49.4% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 86.3% | 86.3% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 83% | 88.8% | 88.8% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 87.9% | 86.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 28% | 93.5% | 93.5% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 66% | 91.9% | 89.7% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 84.3% | 84.3% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 90.8% | 90.8% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 86.9% | 86.9% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 44% | 91.4% | 91.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-27 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 43 / 43 (177.7028) | 7 (177.7028) | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 408 / 444 (621.0288) | 379 (159.4516) | 365 (161.1200) | 430 (147.3828) | 388 (153.0744) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 404 / 487 (639.3028) | 431 (157.1200) | 419 (157.6572) | 288 (166.2972) | 391 (158.2284) |
| 2022-10-01 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 440 / 505 (631.2800) | 394 (161.1200) | 420 (158.8116) | 422 (157.6800) | 434 (153.6684) |
| 2022-09-23 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge 🏅 Connelly Springs, NC | 32 / 32 (604.3316) | 32 (153.6688) | 32 (131.2916) | 22 (164.5484) | 30 (154.8228) |
| 2022-07-15 | 2022 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) 🏅 Cameron, MO | 27 / 27 (630.6856) | 26 (158.2172) | 26 (162.8344) | 27 (155.9312) | 26 (153.7028) |
| 2022-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 21 / 39 (316.4456) | 22 (154.7884) | 15 (161.6572) | — | — |
| 2022-04-08 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC | 21 / 36 (303.9204) | 22 (143.9544) | 19 (159.9660) | — | — |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 133 / 467 (673.0972) | 365 (158.8000) | 216 (166.8800) | 167 (167.4172) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 222 / 468 (661.7716) | 358 (158.8800) | 308 (161.7372) | 51 (173.1772) | 163 (167.9772) |
| 2019-06-22 | Festival of the Pig - Oklahoma BBQ Championship 🏅 Oklahoma City, OK | 23 / 27 (630.2400) | 26 (151.9772) | 18 (162.8572) | 19 (161.1428) | 21 (154.2628) |
| 2018-09-15 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 429 / 467 (607.2684) | 398 (156.5144) | 400 (154.8456) | 450 (142.7656) | 386 (153.1428) |
| 2016-10-29 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 291 / 557 (653.6456) | 140 (169.7256) | 380 (159.3944) | 386 (160.0000) | 241 (164.5256) |
| 2015-10-03 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 475 / 606 (625.5772) | 565 (147.3600) | 334 (162.8228) | 465 (156.0116) | 352 (159.3828) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 244 / 552 (657.7488) | 336 (162.3316) | 305 (162.8456) | 225 (165.7144) | 163 (166.8572) |