Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.
- Pork Ribs ×1
73-BBQ
73-BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1615 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “73 BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1557
peak 1559 · rated over 12 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
Jun 22, 2024
latest Jun 6, 2026 · 2 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 8% of the time
Category wins
6
10 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
54% of 13 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 40%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
678.31 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 683.22 (-4.91)
Walk rate
92%
contests with a top-10 call
Best single call
180 🔥
Consistency
±11.72
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 173.84 · weakest Brisket (168.11)
Road miles
3,258
across 13 mapped stops · furthest 575 mi
Schedule strength
37%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1549)
Purse competed for
$84K
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 5 state-championship entries
Master avg
683.22 / 720
12 Master contests · 1 GC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #372 (511 pts) | #358 (596 pts) | #287 (786 pts) | #449 (426 pts) | #347 (591 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #233 (942 pts) | #285 (782 pts) | #292 (872 pts) | #261 (877 pts) | #249 (932 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #523 (352 pts) | #717 (237 pts) | #438 (547 pts) | #713 (227 pts) | #743 (212 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to 73-BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
45 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,627 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 62%
- Peak
- 1557
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,621 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1557
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before 73-BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,617 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 55%
- Peak
- 1557
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,614 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1557
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 12 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,609 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 45%
- Peak
- 1558
They were already cooking in 2013, 11 years before 73-BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,608 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 64%
- Peak
- 1573
Level with 73-BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| smoKINGBATKO BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| House of Que | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Monarchy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ WorX | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Titans of BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 177.1428 | 167.4628 | 172.34 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 180 🔥 | 161.1544 | 173.84 | top 31% |
| Pork | 13 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 179.4400 | 162.7884 | 169.16 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 13 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 176.5600 | 158.8116 | 168.11 | top 50% |
“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) | 6 | 1 | top 36% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 44% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 40% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 53% | Jun 6, 2026 |
| Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 54% | Apr 11, 2026 |
| Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 47% | Jun 21, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
6 contests
Contests a season
4.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NY
4 of 13 contests · 5 states and provinces in all
Contests visited
10
3 of them more than once
First title
Aug 8, 2025
Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke
Opponents faced
161
finished ahead 195 times, behind 124
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- Peak power rating (1559) Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- 10th tracked contest Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Most recent contest Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown
20255 milestones
- First overall podium La Classique What the Pork?
- First Reserve Championship La Classique What the Pork?
- First Grand Championship Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke
- First multi-meat day Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke
- Career-best overall score712 Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke
20245 milestones
- First tracked contest Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff
- First call Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff
- First overall top-10 Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score673.0512 Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.8 | Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke | Aug 8, 2025 |
| +13.2 | La Classique What the Pork? | Aug 1, 2025 |
| +12.1 | La Classique BBQ Labonte | Aug 2, 2024 |
| +8.9 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff | Jun 22, 2024 |
| +7.5 | Spencerville Smoke Ring | Sep 27, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -5 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | Apr 11, 2026 |
| -3.7 | La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes | May 29, 2026 |
| -2.3 | Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown | Jun 8, 2025 |
| -1.1 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff | Jun 21, 2025 |
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 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 83% | top 49% | 95.5% | 94.4% |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 100% | top 35% | 98.9% | 96.1% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100% | top 24% | 93.7% | 93.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 2026 | Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown Upper Onslow, NS | 6 / 15 (687.9312) | 6 (170.8456) | 1 (178.8572) | 12 (165.6684) | 8 (172.5600) |
| May 29, 2026 | La Classique - L'Entrepot de Viandes Montreal, QC | 15 / 24 (664.5144) | 9 (169.1200) | 20 (161.1544) | 14 (164.5600) | 7 (169.6800) |
| May 2, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 New Paltz, NY | 23 / 59 (680.4688) | 20 (173.1200) | 3 (177.7144) | 28 (170.8228) | 56 (158.8116) |
| May 1, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated New Paltz, NY | 18 / 43 (686.2176) | 30 (170.2860) | 4 (180) | 19 (173.1200) | 40 (162.8116) |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 20 / 29 (675.8740) | 22 (170.2512) | 14 (173.1084) | 16 (167.3828) | 24 (165.1316) |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 13 / 33 (682.7656) | 8 (176) | 16 (170.2512) | 25 (164.5372) | 5 (171.9772) |
| Sep 27, 2025 | Spencerville Smoke Ring Spencerville | 4 / 14 (691.9656) | 5 (177.1428) | 7 (173.1200) | 12 (165.1428) | 2 (176.5600) |
| Aug 8, 2025 | Smoke in the Orchard, Powered by Sunpoke Keswick, NB | 1 / 15 (712) | 5 (176.5600) | 1 (179.4400) | 1 (179.4400) | 3 (176.5600) |
| Aug 1, 2025 | La Classique What the Pork? Sainte-Perpetue, QC | 2 / 18 (693.6912) | 4 (174.2856) | 7 (170.8800) | 6 (171.9656) | 3 (176.5600) |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff 🏅 Schenectady, NY | 11 / 18 (683.3484) | 9 (174.2628) | 4 (177.7028) | 16 (166.2400) | 12 (165.1428) |
| Jun 8, 2025 | Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown Upper Onslow, NS | 8 / 12 (678.1940) | 8 (171.9656) | 9 (161.6912) | 1 (177.7144) | 6 (166.8228) |
| Aug 2, 2024 | La Classique BBQ Labonte Sainte-Perpetue, QC | 4 / 26 (674.8228) | 9 (167.4628) | 1 (177.7144) | 10 (169.7028) | 16 (159.9428) |
| Jun 22, 2024 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff 🏅 Schenectady, NY | 7 / 21 (673.0512) | 14 (169.1084) | 1 (178.2972) | 14 (162.7884) | 11 (162.8572) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.