High-water mark
662.7544
career-best overall
92.0% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 662.7544 at *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival — 92.0% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2017-10-13
Blue Smoke
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1476
peak 1476 · rated over 7 contests ⓘ
Contests
7
in the data
First seen
2017-02-03
latest 2026-05-08
Best ToY finish
#300
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 7 contests
Avg finish
top 67%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
633.35
last 5 Master vs avg 633.35 (+0.00)
Walk rate
29%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±24.91
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 166.15 · weakest Pork Ribs (153.67)
Road miles
13,160
mi across 7 mapped stops · furthest 5596 mi
Schedule strength
42%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)
Purse competed for
$34K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
633.35 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
316.47 / 360
2 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 (5 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.
A tough matchup
4–0
behind in the head-to-head
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
The weak link
−12.5
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 12.48 points below their pork, and turns into a call 14% of the time against 40%.
- Pork Ribs avg 153.67
- Pork avg 166.15
- 1 calls in 7 entries
The comeback
4.2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 4.2 years, then back at Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off (2022-05-13).
- last seen 2018-02-16
- back 2022-05-13
The long haul
13,160
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 13,160 miles across 7 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 5,596 miles to *Italian Barbecue Championship 2017.
- 7 mapped stops
- furthest 5,596 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.
141 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4324 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Smoke)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Blue Smoke has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4327 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1503
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Smoke)
19 contests to 7: their number has had years to settle where Blue Smoke's is still finding its level.
⚔ Head-to-head#4321 of the rated field
- Contests
- 29
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1528
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Smoke)
They've been 1528 at their best, 52 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#4316 of the rated field
- Contests
- 45
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1544
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Blue Smoke)
45 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 22% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#4311 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1476
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 6 years after Blue Smoke did, first appearing in 2023.
⚔ Head-to-head#4353 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1475
No shared contest yet.
Level with Blue Smoke on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headBy meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.8572 | 149.0968 | 159.23 | top 63% |
| Pork Ribs | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 167.4516 | 125.0284 | 153.67 | top 70% |
| Pork | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 155.4516 | 166.15 | top 47% |
| Brisket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 164.0116 | 147.9312 | 155.73 | top 70% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 3 | 0 | top 68% |
| MN | 2 | 0 | top 52% |
| GA | 1 | 0 | top 81% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 62% |
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 79% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 67% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 52% | 2026-05-08 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
9.3 yrs
2017-02-03 → 2026-05-08
Busiest season
2017
3 contests
Contests a season
1.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TX
3 of 7 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
6
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
7 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls
Strongest meat
Pork
averages 166.15 · weakest Pork Ribs (153.67)
Walk rate
29%
a top-10 call in 2 of 7 contests
Overall top-10 rate
14%
1 of 7 contests
Master average
633.35
out of 720 · 5 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
316.47
out of 360 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
374
132–332 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
13,160
7 mapped stops · furthest 5,596 mi
Schedule strength
1555
average field rating faced — tougher than 42% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$34,050
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 3 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
4.2 yrs
2018-02-16 → 2022-05-13
Power rating
1476
peak 1476 · #4335 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2017
- First tracked contest *Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier)
- Peak power rating (1491) *Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier)
- First call *Italian Barbecue Championship 2017
- First overall top-10 *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.7544 *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival
- Career-best overall score662.7544 *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival
- Career-best single call (Pork)173.1200 *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival
- 2026
- Most recent contest Minnesota in May
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +5.6 | Minnesota in May | 2026-05-08 |
| +4.7 | *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival | 2017-10-13 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.3 | *Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) | 2017-02-03 |
| -7 | *Italian Barbecue Championship 2017 | 2017-09-09 |
| -6.9 | Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off | 2022-05-13 |
| -5.9 | *Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown | 2018-02-16 |
| -5.7 | Minnesota in May | 2025-05-09 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 36% | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 67% | 86.5% | 86.5% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 81% | 90.7% | 90.7% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 79% | 85.8% | 85.8% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 69% | 92% | 87.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 28 / 77 (321.6572) | 31 (158.2400) | 21 (163.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 39 / 58 (311.2800) | 39 (151.9200) | 34 (159.3600) | — | — |
| 2022-05-13 | Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off 🏅 Waynesboro, GA | 34 / 42 (653.0056) | 19 (170.8572) | 30 (164.5372) | 35 (163.9428) | 36 (153.6684) |
| 2018-02-16 | *Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX | 30 / 38 (618.0456) | 29 (157.0972) | 38 (145.6460) | 15 (167.3712) | 32 (147.9312) |
| 2017-10-13 | *Smokin' Blues & BBQ Festival Duncanville, TX | 8 / 18 (662.7544) | 9 (166.2628) | 6 (167.4516) | 5 (173.1200) | 12 (155.9200) |
| 2017-09-09 | *Italian Barbecue Championship 2017 Perugia, 06129 | 12 / 15 (639.3716) | 13 (161.1200) | 15 (150.2400) | 4 (170.8800) | 12 (157.1316) |
| 2017-02-03 | *Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) Humble, TX | 111 / 136 (593.5884) | 101 (149.0968) | 135 (125.0284) | 79 (155.4516) | 43 (164.0116) |
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 | #300 (60 pts) | #304 (60 pts) | #297 (80 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #368 (60 pts) | #371 (60 pts) | #380 (60 pts) | — | — |