SMOKIN' WITH POPS BBQ TEAM VA
Rating
1527
peak 1552 · rated over 34 contests
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
41
in the data
First seen
2022-10-21
latest 2026-07-11
Best ToY finish
#82
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
of 41 contests
Avg finish
top 52%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
335.50
last 5 Backyard vs avg 335.05 (+0.45)
Walk rate
56%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±34.63
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 168.27 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.07)
Road miles
4699
mi across 41 mapped stops · furthest 467 mi
Schedule strength
76%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1573)
Purse competed for
$205K
listed at 33 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 34 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.20 / 720
9 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
335.05 / 360
25 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.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Menke Boys BBQ has finished one call ahead of SMOKIN' WITH POPS BBQ TEAM 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
SMOKECRAFT - MD has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Optimus Swine has come out ahead in 19 of their 21 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of smokey anderson bbq in 11 of their 14 shared contests.
😤 Brisket nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has out-cooked them in 5 of 5 shared brisket entries.
📅 A May team
Something about May: average finish in the top 35% across 4 contests, versus top 52% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, VA first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 22 | 6 | 15 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Piggy & Swine BBQ | 22 | 5 | 17 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 22 | 3 | 18 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| The Swine Doctor's BBQ | 21 | 4 | 17 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Optimus Swine | 21 | 1 | 19 | 5% | ⚔ compare |
| Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | 19 | 5 | 14 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE & GRAY BBQ | 19 | 5 | 14 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 19 | 2 | 17 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Menke Boys BBQ | 18 | 10 | 8 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 18 | 6 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 18 | 4 | 14 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | 18 | 4 | 14 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| HotMess BBQ | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 38 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 179.4400 | 151.9772 | 167.13 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 171.4516 | 146.8344 | 162.07 | top 58% |
| Pork | 16 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 174.2972 | 147.3600 | 167.77 | top 39% |
| Brisket | 10 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 178.8572 | 154.8688 | 168.27 | top 41% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA | 14 | 0 | top 67% |
| NJ | 8 | 0 | top 43% |
| DE | 4 | 0 | top 57% |
| PA | 4 | 0 | top 38% |
| GA | 2 | 0 | top 34% |
| MD | 1 | 0 | top 12% |
| WV | 1 | 0 | top 30% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 75% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 0 | top 57% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 36% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 4 | 10 | 0 | top 32% | 2026-07-11 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 4 | 9 | 0 | top 40% | 2025-03-22 |
| Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 78% | 2025-08-09 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 47% | 2025-07-26 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 29% | 2025-05-17 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 77% | 2025-04-26 |
| Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 34% | 2024-11-15 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 92% | 2024-04-20 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 44% | 2023-10-21 |
| Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 41% | 2023-05-06 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 77% | 2023-04-29 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (16 contests)
- Cooks mostly in VA (18 of 41 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (38 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 669.20 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 335.05 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2022-10-21 — First tracked contest · Red White & Que - Master of Ribs - Friday Night
- 📣 2022-10-21 — First call · Red White & Que - Master of Ribs - Friday Night
- ⭐ 2024-10-11 — Career-best overall score (690.2744) · MD State BBQ Bash
- 🎖️ 2025-03-21 — 25th tracked contest · BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- 📈 2025-07-25 — Peak power rating (1552) · Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.2 | MD State BBQ Bash | 2024-10-11 |
| +11.6 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | 2024-03-22 |
| +10.6 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 2025-07-12 |
| +10.5 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 2025-07-25 |
| +10.3 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 2024-07-13 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.9 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) | 2025-08-09 |
| -9.9 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) | 2024-04-19 |
| -9.8 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2024-04-20 |
| -8 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2025-04-26 |
| -7.9 | "The First State" BBQ Bash | 2024-09-27 |
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 42% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2025 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44% | top 54% | 95.4% | 92.9% |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 82% | top 47% | 95.9% | 92% |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60% | top 54% | 138.7% | 95.6% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 66% | 88.2% | 87.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-11 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 26 / 62 (671.3372) | 20 (169.6800) | 44 (161.6916) | 25 (168.5484) | 13 (171.4172) |
| 2025-09-26 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 17 / 25 (666.7660) | 12 (170.8228) | 21 (162.8344) | 16 (165.1200) | 14 (167.9888) |
| 2025-09-26 | First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Milford, DE | — | 12 (166.2284) | — | — | — |
| 2025-08-09 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 23 / 25 (667.9772) | 3 (179.4400) | 25 (160.5256) | 11 (173.1428) | 25 (154.8688) |
| 2025-08-08 | Triple Crown BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Doswell, VA | — | 4 (173.1200) | — | — | — |
| 2025-08-08 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 16 / 25 (330.8000) | 19 (162.7884) | 12 (168.0116) | — | — |
| 2025-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 19 / 27 (326.7884) | 13 (169.6912) | 21 (157.0972) | — | — |
| 2025-07-25 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 7 / 30 (343.4056) | 8 (173.7028) | 14 (169.7028) | — | — |
| 2025-07-12 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 10 / 63 (678.8228) | 15 (171.9884) | 17 (168.5600) | 25 (165.7144) | 6 (172.5600) |
| 2025-05-17 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 6 / 21 (341.1544) | 2 (176.0344) | 9 (165.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 8 / 28 (335.3712) | 3 (171.9884) | 14 (163.3828) | — | — |
| 2025-04-26 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 15 / 16 (331.3256) | 16 (165.0856) | 14 (166.2400) | — | — |
| 2025-04-25 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 12 / 20 (341.7144) | 2 (177.1544) | 16 (164.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 21 / 43 (333.6572) | 19 (167.4056) | 20 (166.2516) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 23 / 45 (322.1712) | 22 (162.8228) | 22 (159.3484) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 20 (147.9084) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-11-15 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA | 18 / 58 (335.9316) | 13 (171.9772) | 23 (163.9544) | 8 (173.1544) | — |
| 2024-10-11 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 3 / 26 (690.2744) | 7 (174.2972) | 10 (171.4516) | 10 (170.8228) | 2 (173.7028) |
| 2024-09-27 | "The First State" BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 20 / 26 (664.5260) | 21 (163.9428) | 18 (165.1772) | 11 (173.7144) | 19 (161.6916) |
| 2024-08-10 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 15 / 28 (325.6344) | 15 (162.8000) | 11 (162.8344) | 7 (169.7144) | — |
| 2024-07-13 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 13 / 62 (673.7144) | 34 (164.0000) | 14 (170.2744) | 31 (162.2628) | 1 (177.1772) |
| 2024-06-14 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 9 / 30 (329.1088) | 9 (163.3944) | 7 (165.7144) | — | — |
| 2024-04-20 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 22 / 25 (661.6000) | 23 (161.1316) | 19 (163.4056) | 3 (174.2628) | 22 (162.8000) |
| 2024-04-19 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 24 / 25 (311.3488) | 21 (162.8116) | 27 (148.5372) | 9 (167.9656) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2024-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 17 / 42 (329.0744) | 18 (162.8000) | 15 (166.2744) | 3 (174.2972) | — |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | — | 26 (154.7772) | — | — | — |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 9 / 45 (336.5256) | 7 (170.8344) | 14 (165.6912) | 8 (170.2744) | — |
| 2023-11-17 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 22 / 60 (322.7428) | 6 (173.7144) | 30 (149.0284) | 18 (161.0972) | — |
| 2023-10-21 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 16 / 29 (326.8232) | 7 (172.5716) | 19 (154.2516) | — | — |
| 2023-10-20 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Jackson, NJ | — | 17 (158.2172) | — | — | — |
| 2023-10-20 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 11 / 34 (326.7888) | 12 (162.8116) | 12 (163.9772) | — | — |
| 2023-09-22 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 18 / 24 (499.3260) | 12 (170.8344) | 20 (161.6572) | 16 (166.8344) | — |
| 2023-07-14 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 31 / 64 (647.8172) | 22 (168.5256) | 13 (170.2628) | 61 (147.3600) | 29 (161.6688) |
| 2023-05-06 | Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Lincoln, DE | 9 / 19 (316.5488) | 4 (169.7144) | 12 (146.8344) | — | — |
| 2023-05-05 | Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Lincoln, DE | 7 / 20 (319.9660) | 6 (162.8344) | 8 (157.1316) | — | — |
| 2023-04-29 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 16 / 19 (329.1084) | 16 (161.1084) | 7 (168.0000) | — | — |
| 2023-04-28 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 14 / 20 (333.7028) | 7 (170.8456) | 18 (162.8572) | — | — |
| 2022-10-22 | Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 20 / 27 (309.6228) | 21 (151.9772) | 19 (157.6456) | — | — |
| 2022-10-21 | Red White & Que: Day 1 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 17 / 29 (317.6572) | 18 (157.0972) | 14 (160.5600) | — | — |
| 2022-10-21 | Red White & Que - Master of Ribs - Friday Night Jackson, NJ | — | — | 10 (157.6916) | — | — |
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 ↗ | Master | #894 (60 pts) | #911 (85 pts) | #1013 (60 pts) | #929 (60 pts) | #747 (120 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #82 (666 pts) | #40 (1048 pts) | #121 (548 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #577 (285 pts) | #303 (743 pts) | #650 (291 pts) | #614 (275 pts) | #548 (330 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #114 (520 pts) | #99 (635 pts) | #115 (525 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #419 (487 pts) | #512 (399 pts) | #551 (407 pts) | #407 (532 pts) | #334 (682 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #81 (758 pts) | #116 (579 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #895 (160 pts) | #1118 (120 pts) | #1287 (60 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #222 (151 pts) | #201 (181 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1203 (111 pts) | — | — |