High-water mark
694.7996
career-best overall
96.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 694.7996 at 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) — 96.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2017-09-01
In Hognito
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1546
peak 1546 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
2014-03-14
latest 2025-09-19
Best ToY finish
#1069
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 52%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
673.34 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 671.14 (+2.20)
Walk rate
46%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.39
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.96 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.64)
Road miles
4,586
mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 959 mi
Schedule strength
79%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1601)
Purse competed for
$63K
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
671.14 / 720
13 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (10 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.
A tough matchup
7–0
behind in the head-to-head
PORKY BUTTS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
PORKY BUTTS BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
The weak link
−5.3
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.32 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 8%.
- Pork Ribs avg 164.64
- Chicken avg 169.96
- 0 calls in 13 entries
A strong matchup
4–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 80% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Rollin' Smoke BBQ Texas in 4 of their 5 shared contests.
The comeback
6 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 6 years, then back at Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff (2024-09-13).
- last seen 2018-08-31
- back 2024-09-13
Chicken nemesis
5 of 7
shared chicken entries lost
BUTCHER BBQ ahead 71% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, BUTCHER BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 7 shared chicken entries.
Announced themselves early
4th
at their very first contest
Finished 4 of 29 at their very first tracked contest, Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2014-03-14).
- 2014-03-14
- 29-team field
A September team
Top 41%
average finish in September
Something about September: average finish in the top 41% across 4 contests, versus top 52% the rest of the year.
- 4 September contests
- top 52% the rest of the year
The long haul
4,586
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,586 miles across 13 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 959 miles to Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY).
- 13 mapped stops
- furthest 959 mi
The metronome
±2.00%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±2.00% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 93.2% of a perfect score
- 13 contests
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.
65 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1821 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1571
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to In Hognito)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team In Hognito has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1807 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1547
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to In Hognito)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 22 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1809 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1547
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1825 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1560
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 10 years before In Hognito's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1804 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 70%
- Peak
- 1547
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 10 contests, alongside a 70% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1805 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1551
No shared contest yet.
Level with In Hognito on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKY BUTTS BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| PELLET ENVY | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin' Smoke BBQ Texas | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Hog Night Smokers | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| BUFFALO'S BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| NCOGNITO COOKERS | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 178.8800 | 162.2284 | 169.96 | top 42% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 174.2628 | 154.2628 | 164.64 | top 65% |
| Pork | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 156.5600 | 167.55 | top 52% |
| Brisket | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 179.4400 | 153.0744 | 169.00 | top 40% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 4 | 0 | top 30% |
| OK | 2 | 0 | top 68% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 47% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 65% |
| IL | 1 | 0 | top 59% |
| FL | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 70% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 2 | 0 | top 42% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 54% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | 2017-09-01 |
| The National BBQ Cup (Day 2) | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 65% | 2016-05-28 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
11.5 yrs
2014-03-14 → 2025-09-19
Busiest season
2018
5 contests
Contests a season
2.2
across 6 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TX
4 of 13 contests · 7 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
13 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 169.96 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.64)
Walk rate
46%
a top-10 call in 6 of 13 contests
Overall top-10 rate
8%
1 of 13 contests
Master average
671.14
out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
786
701–460 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
4,586
13 mapped stops · furthest 959 mi
Schedule strength
1601
average field rating faced — tougher than 79% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$62,700
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 2 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
6 yrs
2018-08-31 → 2024-09-13
Power rating
1546
peak 1546 · #1817 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First category win (Brisket) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.7312 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- 2017
- Career-best overall score694.7996 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
- Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
- 2018
- 10th tracked contest *Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off
- 2025
- Peak power rating (1546) Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Most recent contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.7 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2017-09-01 |
| +13.3 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2014-03-14 |
| +11.4 | The National BBQ Cup (Day 1) | 2016-05-27 |
| +6.7 | *Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival | 2018-08-31 |
| +5.1 | Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 | 2018-03-24 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -7.9 | The National BBQ Cup (Day 2) | 2016-05-28 |
| -5.9 | Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 | 2018-03-23 |
| -3.2 | Porktober Que | 2017-09-29 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 59% | 95.5% | 95.5% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 94% | 94% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 56% | 95.3% | 92.6% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 55% | 96.5% | 93.6% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 65% | 95.4% | 93.8% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 14% | 90.9% | 90.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-19 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 33 / 56 (687.3944) | 27 (173.7028) | 25 (172.5944) | 41 (168.5372) | 23 (172.5600) |
| 2024-09-13 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff 🏅 Waller, TX | 23 / 67 (676.5596) | 29 (169.6912) | 55 (162.8456) | 27 (170.2856) | 6 (173.7372) |
| 2018-08-31 | *Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX | 24 / 74 (666.8344) | 30 (166.8112) | 24 (167.4288) | 63 (156.5600) | 3 (176.0344) |
| 2018-04-06 | *Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off Cedar Park, TX | 26 / 69 (657.6112) | 25 (166.2284) | 57 (154.2628) | 7 (173.7256) | 25 (163.3944) |
| 2018-03-24 | Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK | 41 / 79 (678.3200) | 22 (173.1200) | 34 (170.2856) | 41 (170.2972) | 55 (164.6172) |
| 2018-03-23 | Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK | 70 / 84 (645.5428) | 26 (172.5600) | 67 (162.2284) | 74 (157.6800) | 75 (153.0744) |
| 2018-03-02 | Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) unrated Orlando, FL | 36 / 49 (686.2400) | 26 (169.1428) | 46 (165.0972) | 24 (175.4400) | 14 (176.5600) |
| 2017-09-29 | Porktober Que Dothan, AL | 21 / 30 (665.0168) | 16 (168.5256) | 21 (164.5256) | 12 (169.7028) | 22 (162.2628) |
| 2017-09-01 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 11 / 407 (694.7996) | 79 (173.1428) | 38 (174.2628) | 168 (167.9540) | 6 (179.4400) |
| 2017-08-31 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 119 / 129 (661.6456) | 114 (162.8456) | 101 (166.2744) | 123 (159.9772) | 47 (172.5484) |
| 2016-05-28 | The National BBQ Cup (Day 2) Nashville, TN | 47 / 50 (663.3260) | 21 (172.5600) | 48 (157.0972) | 23 (171.4172) | 43 (162.2516) |
| 2016-05-27 | The National BBQ Cup (Day 1) Nashville, TN | 18 / 51 (686.8120) | 4 (178.8800) | 44 (163.9660) | 14 (171.9888) | 22 (171.9772) |
| 2014-03-14 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Worth, TX | 4 / 29 (654.7312) | 15 (162.2284) | 14 (159.4172) | 8 (164.5256) | 1 (168.5600) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1069 (245 pts) | #1117 (255 pts) | #1150 (245 pts) | #930 (345 pts) | #813 (415 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2113 (75 pts) | #2043 (100 pts) | #2218 (75 pts) | #1799 (120 pts) | #2197 (70 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1599 (155 pts) | #1153 (290 pts) | #1884 (120 pts) | #1536 (185 pts) | #1749 (135 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1349 (204 pts) | #2015 (104 pts) | #1979 (109 pts) | #1723 (149 pts) | #1131 (279 pts) |