Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Pork Ribs ×1
- Pork ×1
Smoker Bandits
Smoker Bandits is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series) (2017), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #815 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1626
peak 1631 · rated over 22 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
25
in the data
First seen
Apr 19, 2013
latest Sep 25, 2026 · 13.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time
Category wins
6
10 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
32% of 25 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 26%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
676.24 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 666.97 (+9.26)
Walk rate
52%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.54
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 167.49 · weakest Chicken (166.08)
Road miles
528
across 25 mapped stops · furthest 191 mi
Schedule strength
22%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1531)
Purse competed for
$43K
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 14 state-championship entries
Master avg
666.97 / 720
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #920 (125 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #843 (210 pts) | #950 (130 pts) | #1109 (110 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1211 (185 pts) | #1523 (130 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #1786 (100 pts) | #1664 (115 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1471 (150 pts) | #1551 (150 pts) | #1571 (150 pts) | #1560 (150 pts) | #1413 (175 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Smoker Bandits, each with one reason worth a look.
26 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#819 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 71%
- Peak
- 1630
Careers of much the same size, 35 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#818 of the rated field
- Contests
- 39
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1633
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Smoker Bandits's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#817 of the rated field
- Contests
- 68
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1646
68 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 32% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#816 of the rated field
- Contests
- 66
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1662
They've been 1662 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#811 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1627
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Smoker Bandits)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Smoker Bandits has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#813 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1634
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Smoker Bandits)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| KC Rib doctor | 14 | 13 | 1 | 93% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKING JOE'S BARBERQ | 14 | 11 | 3 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| T'S SMOKIN PIT | 13 | 9 | 4 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Hoggy Style BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| PASSIONS OF THE PIT | 12 | 12 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Fork BBQ | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| This is Nice | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| F.O.M.S.B. | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| SMF | 11 | 11 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Overland Pig Committee | 11 | 11 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| ALMOST FLAMOUS BARBEQUE | 11 | 11 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Charface | 11 | 10 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 25 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 177.7028 | 144.5028 | 166.08 | top 38% |
| Pork Ribs | 25 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 149.1428 | 167.49 | top 31% |
| Pork | 25 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 153.0856 | 166.59 | top 39% |
| Brisket | 25 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 177.7028 | 148.5372 | 166.82 | 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.
By field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 1 | top 22% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 34% |
| Large (40+) | 19 | 0 | top 26% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship | 5 | 5 | 0 | top 20% | Sep 23, 2022 |
| Shawnee Great Grillers | 4 | 12 | 0 | top 37% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Only Series) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 17% | May 4, 2018 |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 3 | 6 | 0 | top 9% | Jun 26, 2015 |
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 9% | Sep 21, 2018 |
| Smokin on Oak | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 46% | Aug 18, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
4 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
1.9
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
19 of 25 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
12
6 of them more than once
First title
May 5, 2017
UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series)
Opponents faced
1,583
finished ahead 2,437 times, behind 834
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Sep 27, 2019 → Sep 24, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Shawnee Great Grillers
- Most recent contest Shawnee Great Grillers
20231 milestone
- Peak power rating (1631) Shawnee Great Grillers
20221 milestone
- Career-best overall score691.9316 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
20173 milestones
- First Grand Championship UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series)
- First multi-meat day UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series)
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque
20164 milestones
- First overall podium UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series)
- First Reserve Championship UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series)
- First category win (Brisket) Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship
- 10th tracked contest 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
20151 milestone
20141 milestone
- First overall top-10 Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest 5th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge (FULL)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.7140 Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.7 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 27, 2014 |
| +13.3 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Oct 29, 2016 |
| +12.2 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque | Sep 22, 2017 |
| +11.8 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 26, 2015 |
| +11.5 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 21, 2013 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -2.6 | Shawnee Great Grillers | Sep 25, 2026 |
| -2.6 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open | Oct 3, 2013 |
| -2.1 | Shawnee Great Grillers | Sep 26, 2025 |
| -0.7 | Bikes, Blues and BBQ | Sep 28, 2018 |
| -0.5 | Shawnee Great Grillers | Sep 27, 2024 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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 | 0% | top 46% | 92.8% | 92.8% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 45% | 92.4% | 92.4% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 40% | 92.4% | 92.4% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 16% | 95.9% | 95.9% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100% | top 18% | 96.1% | 94.1% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 27% | 93.5% | 93.5% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 5% | 95.2% | 95.2% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 35% | 93.6% | 92.2% |
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 75% | top 21% | 95.8% | 93.7% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 19% | 94.6% | 92.7% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 29% | 92.5% | 91.4% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 3% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 38% | 90.8% | 89.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Shawnee Great Grillers 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 30 / 65 (667.8972) | 28 (169.7144) | 16 (173.1084) | 54 (161.6572) | 40 (163.4172) |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Shawnee Great Grillers 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 30 / 67 (665.5884) | 9 (177.7028) | 45 (161.6800) | 58 (158.2056) | 27 (168) |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Shawnee Great Grillers 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 29 / 73 (665.0056) | 53 (161.6684) | 26 (168.5372) | 30 (169.1200) | 27 (165.6800) |
| Sep 22, 2023 | Shawnee Great Grillers 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 12 / 73 (690.7656) | 38 (165.6800) | 4 (176.5600) | 11 (176.5600) | 15 (171.9656) |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 10 / 87 (691.9316) | 14 (173.1200) | 9 (175.4172) | 9 (176.5716) | 26 (166.8228) |
| May 6, 2022 | UMB Smokin Vault BBQ Contest - Competitor's Series Kansas City, MO | 3 / 12 (662.7088) | 8 (156.5144) | 1 (177.7144) | 8 (161.0972) | 1 (167.3828) |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship (TEAM & JUDGES ARE FULL-WAITLIST ONLY) 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 23 / 86 (673.0972) | 80 (153.1544) | 10 (174.8456) | 34 (167.3944) | 5 (177.7028) |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 5 / 102 (685.6456) | 11 (174.2628) | 31 (167.4400) | 17 (171.9772) | 14 (171.9656) |
| Sep 28, 2018 | Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR | 26 / 49 (661.0400) | 20 (168.5256) | 25 (163.4172) | 26 (165.7028) | 26 (163.3944) |
| Sep 21, 2018 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 17 / 107 (674.1712) | 6 (175.4056) | 68 (161.6800) | 33 (167.9656) | 25 (169.1200) |
| May 4, 2018 | UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Only Series) unrated Kansas City, MO | 5 / 14 (655.9772) | 7 (162.8228) | 5 (164.0116) | 3 (169.1200) | 7 (160.0228) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 3 / 112 (689.7028) | 37 (165.1428) | 2 (180) | 1 (180) | 34 (164.5600) |
| Sep 1, 2017 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 110 / 407 (676.0116) | 281 (161.6456) | 143 (168.0344) | 29 (176) | 90 (170.3316) |
| Aug 18, 2017 | Smokin on Oak Bonner Springs, KS | 13 / 28 (665.6456) | 7 (170.8228) | 10 (167.9772) | 19 (163.4400) | 17 (163.4056) |
| May 5, 2017 | UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series) unrated Kansas City, MO | 1 / 17 (666.8116) | 1 (174.2744) | 5 (160.5600) | 8 (159.4172) | 1 (172.5600) |
| Oct 29, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 60 / 557 (681.1200) | 103 (170.8572) | 29 (174.8800) | 171 (168.5600) | 181 (166.8228) |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 12 / 111 (673.6344) | 60 (161.6800) | 6 (173.7028) | 77 (161.0972) | 1 (177.1544) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Smokin' On Oak Bonner Springs, KS | 17 / 37 (658.7428) | 13 (169.6800) | 17 (166.2628) | 24 (162.2628) | 19 (160.5372) |
| May 6, 2016 | UMB Smokin' Vault (Competitors Invitational Series) unrated Kansas City, MO | 2 / 24 (655.9768) | 6 (163.9656) | 8 (158.8456) | 2 (170.8456) | 5 (162.3200) |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS | 53 / 112 (649.6456) | 16 (170.8112) | 64 (161.7144) | 27 (168.5828) | 94 (148.5372) |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 20 / 183 (666.2284) | 71 (162.8112) | 7 (173.1772) | 149 (153.0856) | 2 (177.1544) |
| Jun 27, 2014 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 6 / 184 (671.3712) | 11 (170.8800) | 23 (169.1428) | 42 (165.1084) | 29 (166.2400) |
| Oct 3, 2013 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 317 / 535 (632.4572) | 499 (144.5028) | 345 (155.9544) | 108 (167.4400) | 137 (164.5600) |
| Jun 21, 2013 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 26 / 183 (653.7140) | 68 (161.7142) | 52 (163.4286) | 58 (163.9998) | 40 (164.5714) |
| Apr 19, 2013 | 5th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge (FULL) Overland Park, KS | 29 / 73 (639.4282) | 25 (164.5714) | 58 (149.1428) | 33 (159.4284) | 20 (166.2856) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.