The heartbreaker
1.1428
points from the title
Came within 1.1428 points of the Grand Championship at Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League (2020-04-06).
BJ'S BLUE SMOKE BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1510
peak 1535 · rated over 5 contests ⓘ
Contests
7
in the data
First seen
2018-02-02
latest 2025-11-05
Best ToY finish
#726
Master 2025
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 7 contests
Avg finish
top 47%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
625.85 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 629.99 (-4.15)
Walk rate
43%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±62.74
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 170.29 · weakest Chicken (160.06)
Road miles
1,952
mi across 7 mapped stops · furthest 643 mi
Schedule strength
29%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)
Purse competed for
$164K
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
629.99 / 720
6 Master contests · 0 GCs
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.
Happy hunting ground
Top 19%
average finish here
Humble Rodeo and BBQ is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 11th
- average top 19%
High-water mark
675.4056
career-best overall
93.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 675.4056 at Humble Rodeo and BBQ — 93.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2019-02-01
A tough matchup
5–1
behind in the head-to-head
LA PASADITA ahead in 83% of their meetings
LA PASADITA has come out ahead in 5 of their 6 shared contests.
The weak link
−10.2
points behind their best meat
Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.23 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 50%.
- Chicken avg 160.06
- Brisket avg 170.29
- 0 calls in 6 entries
A strong matchup
3–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of THE REPUBLIC OF 'QUE in 3 of their 3 shared contests.
The comeback
4.6 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 4.6 years, then back at Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff (2025-09-12).
- last seen 2021-01-29
- back 2025-09-12
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.
91 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2829 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1510
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 5 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2816 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1510
No shared contest yet.
Level with BJ'S BLUE SMOKE BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#2799 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1517
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 11 years before BJ'S BLUE SMOKE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#2806 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1518
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before BJ'S BLUE SMOKE BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#2821 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1520
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2814 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1527
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before BJ'S BLUE SMOKE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA PASADITA | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BULLHORN BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Rio Valley Meat BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.9656 | 149.1200 | 160.06 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 143.8516 | 161.66 | top 56% |
| Pork | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 158.8572 | 167.79 | top 42% |
| Brisket | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 178.8572 | 162.2400 | 170.29 | top 30% |
“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.
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humble Rodeo and BBQ | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 19% | 2019-02-01 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
7.8 yrs
2018-02-02 → 2025-11-05
Busiest season
2025
3 contests
Contests a season
1.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TX
4 of 7 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
6
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
6 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls
Strongest meat
Brisket
averages 170.29 · weakest Chicken (160.06)
Walk rate
43%
a top-10 call in 3 of 7 contests
Overall top-10 rate
29%
2 of 7 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests
Master average
629.99
out of 720 · 6 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
873
490–647 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,952
7 mapped stops · furthest 643 mi
Schedule strength
1540
average field rating faced — tougher than 29% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$163,875
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 3 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
4.6 yrs
2021-01-29 → 2025-09-12
Power rating
1510
peak 1535 · #2813 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2018
- First tracked contest *Humble Rodeo and BBQ
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7316 *Humble Rodeo and BBQ
- 2019
- First call Humble Rodeo and BBQ
- Career-best overall score675.4056 Humble Rodeo and BBQ
- 2020
- First overall top-10 Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League
- First overall podium Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League
- First Reserve Championship Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League
- Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8572 Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League
- 2021
- Peak power rating (1535) Humble BBQ Cook Off
- 2025
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14 | Humble Rodeo and BBQ | 2019-02-01 |
| +13.6 | Humble BBQ Cook Off | 2021-01-29 |
| +7.5 | *Humble Rodeo and BBQ | 2018-02-02 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -16.1 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff | 2025-09-12 |
| -8.7 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2025-11-05 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 90.1% | 82.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 9% | 92.9% | 92.9% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 2% | — | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 9% | 93.8% | 93.8% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 30% | 90.4% | 90.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 154 / 158 (648.4572) | 158 (155.3828) | 146 (162.8228) | 142 (164.5372) | 119 (165.7144) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 342 / 401 (644.9488) | 348 (159.9772) | 395 (143.8516) | 80 (175.4056) | 239 (165.7144) |
| 2025-09-12 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff 🏅 Waller, TX | 92 / 92 (491.8744) | 47 (166.8344) | 70 (162.2400) | 70 (162.8000) | — |
| 2021-01-29 | Humble BBQ Cook Off Humble, TX | 10 / 113 (668.5484) | 17 (167.9656) | 48 (158.8000) | 15 (169.7028) | 6 (172.0800) |
| 2020-04-06 | Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League unrated washington, MO | 2 / 109 (178.8572) | — | — | — | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2019-02-01 | Humble Rodeo and BBQ 🏅 Humble, TX | 11 / 126 (675.4056) | 97 (149.1200) | 8 (173.7028) | 6 (175.4400) | 5 (177.1428) |
| 2018-02-02 | *Humble Rodeo and BBQ Humble, TX | 43 / 145 (650.7316) | 55 (161.0972) | 26 (168.5372) | 72 (158.8572) | 49 (162.2400) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #726 (180 pts) | #807 (180 pts) | #848 (180 pts) | #774 (180 pts) | #920 (120 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #874 (135 pts) | #1130 (100 pts) | #1309 (60 pts) | #1068 (110 pts) | #813 (175 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1420 (130 pts) | #2049 (60 pts) | #1399 (155 pts) | #1336 (175 pts) | #1260 (185 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #2030 (60 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |