High-water mark
695.3828
career-best overall
96.6% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 695.3828 at East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship — 96.6% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Aug 23, 2024
Smoke Sergeant BBQ
Smoke Sergeant BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 15 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 7th of 10 at the 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off - Backyard A (2024). They are ranked #2911 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1508
peak 1515 · rated over 12 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
Sep 27, 2023
latest Aug 21, 2026 · 2.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
13% of 15 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 57%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
676.12 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 677.70 (-1.58)
Walk rate
40%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.44
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 170.84 · weakest Chicken (167.10)
Road miles
1,154
across 15 mapped stops · furthest 216 mi
Schedule strength
65%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)
Purse competed for
$306K
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
677.70 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
334.22 / 360
4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master 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.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #538 (325 pts) | #586 (325 pts) | #551 (385 pts) | #534 (350 pts) | #422 (520 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #147 (395 pts) | #125 (505 pts) | #108 (560 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #735 (190 pts) | #977 (120 pts) | #602 (350 pts) | #584 (320 pts) | #701 (235 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Smoke Sergeant BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
112 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,904 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1520
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Smoke Sergeant BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Smoke Sergeant BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,896 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1517
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,918 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1515
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Smoke Sergeant BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,909 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1514
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 14% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,890 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1508
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,902 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 6%
- Peak
- 1518
They were already cooking in 2018, 5 years before Smoke Sergeant BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking Dog BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Squealin N Dealin BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke This Drink That BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Bushwood BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Go Pig or Go Home | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Dr. Squealgood BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| MAD MUTT'S BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bey's Barbecue | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 174.2744 | 154.2628 | 167.10 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 163.9656 | 169.93 | top 49% |
| Pork | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 179.4400 | 161.7028 | 169.31 | top 56% |
| Brisket | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 164.5256 | 170.84 | top 35% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 67% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 68% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 50% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 247 | 0 | top 68% | Nov 5, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
8 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
9 of 15 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
12
1 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
14 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls
Opponents faced
895
finished ahead 886 times, behind 915
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20252 milestones
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
- Peak power rating (1515) Smoke in the Spring
20244 milestones
- First call RTrowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (BACKYARD)
- First overall top-10 RTrowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (BACKYARD)
- Career-best overall score695.3828 East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship
- Career-best single call (Pork)179.4400 East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship
20232 milestones
- First tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score689.1544 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 27, 2023 |
| +12 | East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship | Aug 23, 2024 |
| +3.1 | Smoke in the Spring | Apr 11, 2025 |
| +2 | 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship | Mar 21, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -5.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 22, 2024 |
| -4.6 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Oct 30, 2024 |
| -3.6 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off | Jul 11, 2025 |
| -3.1 | 11th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life | Jun 13, 2025 |
| -2.5 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off - Backyard A | Jul 12, 2024 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
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 56% | 94.6% | 94.6% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 59% | 95% | 93.9% |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50% | top 62% | 96.6% | 93.2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 15% | 95.7% | 95.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Weston, MO | 24 / 43 (681.0056) | 28 (169.6684) | 27 (169.6800) | 29 (168.5372) | 8 (173.1200) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 247 / 401 (670.7656) | 269 (166.8344) | 168 (170.8228) | 333 (161.7028) | 120 (171.4056) |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 23 / 36 (677.5772) | 24 (168.5372) | 16 (173.1200) | 22 (169.6800) | 22 (166.2400) |
| Jun 13, 2025 | 11th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 21 / 30 (669.6000) | 20 (166.2628) | 23 (165.0972) | 17 (169.7028) | 13 (168.5372) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 41 / 92 (683.8856) | 66 (166.8228) | 62 (167.3944) | 39 (171.9656) | 4 (177.7028) |
| Mar 21, 2025 | 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 40 / 70 (678.7656) | 40 (169.6916) | 18 (173.1084) | 50 (169.1200) | 44 (166.8456) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 326 / 444 (656.4684) | 408 (154.2628) | 145 (172) | 288 (165.6800) | 283 (164.5256) |
| Aug 23, 2024 | East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship 🏅 Paola, KS | 11 / 42 (695.3828) | 29 (163.3828) | 11 (175.4172) | 2 (179.4400) | 6 (177.1428) |
| Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off - Backyard A Cameron, MO | 7 / 10 (340.5028) | 2 (174.2744) | 8 (166.2284) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Cameron, MO | — | — | 6 (173.1200) | — | — |
| May 17, 2024 | RTrowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (BACKYARD) Derby, KS | 9 / 14 (335.4056) | 7 (171.4400) | 10 (163.9656) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 29 / 42 (331.3716) | 31 (165.1316) | 24 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 22 / 31 (329.6112) | 23 (162.2284) | 18 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 73 / 487 (689.1544) | 112 (173.7028) | 48 (175.4400) | 244 (168) | 95 (172.0116) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.