Smokin Big

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#5241

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1457

peak 1457 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-03-03

latest 2025-08-22

Best ToY finish

#448

Master 2025

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

681.6456 / 720

Master · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)

Perfect 180s

Current form

675.60 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 655.23 (+20.36)

Walk rate

38%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Pork Ribs · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1

Consistency

±20.02

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 164.47 · weakest Pork (162.99)

Road miles

3,023

mi across 34 mapped stops · furthest 149 mi

Schedule strength

64%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1580)

Purse competed for

$200K

listed at 23 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 24 state-championship entries

Master avg

655.23 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

High-water mark

681.6456 career-best overall

94.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.6456 at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) — 94.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2025-06-13

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PO PO PORK has finished one call ahead of Smokin Big 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2025 their best year

2025 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 45%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 45%

A tough matchup

27–1 behind in the head-to-head

HOT DADDY'S BBQ ahead in 96% of their meetings

HOT DADDY'S BBQ has come out ahead in 27 of their 28 shared contests.

A strong matchup

12–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Smokin G's BBQ in 12 of their 14 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

26 of 29 shared pork ribs entries lost

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has out-cooked them in 26 of 29 shared pork ribs entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

3,023 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,023 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 149 miles to Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1.

34 mapped stops
furthest 149 mi

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) every year from 2020 to 2025 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 12th

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.

128 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

MONTANA MAX BBQ

#5240 of the rated field

1457 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Smokin Big)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Smokin Big ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2020-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

MEATO BANDITOS

#5251 of the rated field

1456 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1456

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Smokin Big)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 4 years before Smokin Big's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 5 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Onkel Felix BBQ

#5246 of the rated field

1456 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1456

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2026-08-08

⚔ Head-to-head

K CASS BBQ

#5222 of the rated field

1457 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Smokin Big has cooked, 19 to 34, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2023-08-18

⚔ Head-to-head

SMART ASH BBQ

#5255 of the rated field

1456 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1456

No shared contest yet.

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2019-04-26

⚔ Head-to-head

RUBBED RAW

#5234 of the rated field

1457 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

No shared contest yet.

Level with Smokin Big on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2022-04-08

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HOT DADDY'S BBQ	28	1	27	4%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	27	0	27	0%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	25	0	25	0%	⚔ compare
NECTAR OF THE HOGS	24	3	21	13%	⚔ compare
SIX BUTT BBQ	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
ACES HIGH BBQ	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ	21	2	19	10%	⚔ compare
Phoenix BBQ	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
Son of a Boar BBQ	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
UGLY BABY BBQ	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
MACHETE BOYS BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
Ash Kickin' BBQ	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
WHEN PIGS DIE	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
RUB MY RACK	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	2	0	0	174.8456	150.2972	164.30	top 69%
Pork Ribs	34	7	1	3	177.1428	146.2284	164.47	top 59%
Pork	28	3	1	1	176.5944	145.6456	162.99	top 66%
Brisket	28	6	0	0	175.4172	147.3716	164.07	top 56%

“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	Avg finish
MN	16	top 66%
WI	10	top 71%
IA	1	top 53%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	8	0	top 66%
Large (40+)	20	0	top 69%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	6	12	top 63%	2025-06-13
Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	4	28	top 84%	2024-06-08
Minnesota in May	3	37	top 70%	2025-05-09
Minnesota in May (Masters)	3	26	top 66%	2022-05-13
Minnesota in May	2	49	top 75%	2018-05-11
Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2	41	top 88%	2018-03-02

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8.5 yrs 2017-03-03 → 2025-08-22

Busiest season 2023 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 9 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MN 21 of 34 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 14 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 34 entries · 1 win · 7 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 164.47 · weakest Pork (162.99)

Walk rate 38% a top-10 call in 13 of 34 contests

Overall top-10 rate 3% 1 of 34 contests

Master average 655.23 out of 720 · 28 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 502 448–1,339 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,023 34 mapped stops · furthest 149 mi

Schedule strength 1580 average field rating faced — tougher than 64% of rated contests

Purse competed for $200,200 listed at 23 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 24 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1 yrs 2019-08-23 → 2020-08-28

Power rating 1457 peak 1457 · #5241 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2017
Mar 3 First tracked contest Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
Mar 3 Peak power rating (1491) Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
2020
Aug 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.2684 Minnesota in Mayaugust
Oct 16 First call Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
Oct 16 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.1428 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
2021
May 7 10th tracked contest Minnesota in May
2022
Jun 11 First category win (Pork) Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
2023
Jun 10 25th tracked contest Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
2025
Jun 13 Career-best overall score681.6456 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Aug 22 First overall top-10 MN Masters BBQ
Aug 22 Most recent contest MN Masters BBQ

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.5	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	2025-06-13
+13	Fire on Ice BBQ Championship	2025-02-21
+12.8	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off	2022-07-15
+10.1	MN Masters BBQ	2025-08-22
+8.2	Minnesota in May (Masters)	2022-05-13

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	Minnesota in May	2019-05-10
-9.8	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1	2021-06-11
-9.3	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2018-03-02
-9.2	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2	2021-06-12
-9.1	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2017-03-03

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	4	1	0	75%	top 45%	94.7%	94%
2024	4	0	0	50%	top 61%	93.8%	93.5%
2023	7	0	0	43%	top 70%	94%	91.9%
2022	6	0	2	67%	top 61%	93.5%	92.5%
2021	5	0	0	0%	top 85%	91.3%	88.8%
2020	2	0	0	50%	top 61%	92.1%	91.9%
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 84%	88.2%	87.5%
2018	2	0	0	0%	top 80%	89%	88.1%
2017	2	0	0	0%	top 84%	87%	86.1%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025-08-22	MN Masters BBQ 🏅 Pierz, MN	10 / 26 (674.2284)	11 (169.7028)	12 (168.5716)	17 (167.4056)	7 (168.5484)
2025-06-13	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	12 / 36 (681.6456)	10 (171.9656)	9 (172.0344)	32 (162.2400)	4 (175.4056)
2025-05-09	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	43 / 58 (670.7652)	26 (171.4056)	49 (165.1200)	26 (171.4284)	44 (162.8112)
2025-02-21	Fire on Ice BBQ Championship 🏅 Onamia, MN	14 / 42 (679.3600)	8 (174.8456)	27 (164.5716)	29 (165.6800)	5 (174.2628)
2024-06-08	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	28 / 37 (671.9772)	34 (162.8684)	17 (171.4516)	33 (163.3944)	7 (174.2628)
2024-06-07	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	18 / 41 (671.8972)	36 (163.3828)	21 (165.7028)	17 (167.3944)	5 (175.4172)
2024-05-10	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	37 / 58 (675.3600)	42 (169.1084)	39 (166.8688)	43 (167.9772)	23 (171.4056)
2024-05-10	Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN	—	—	23 (168.5600)	—	—
2023-07-28	7th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA	17 / 32 (676.5260)	31 (162.2516)	4 (174.2628)	14 (171.4172)	18 (168.5944)
2023-06-10	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	34 / 40 (654.1256)	33 (163.3828)	5 (173.1200)	36 (155.3828)	31 (162.2400)
2023-06-09	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	26 / 43 (657.5660)	33 (162.2516)	30 (162.8344)	19 (168.5256)	28 (163.9544)
2023-06-09	Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI	—	—	14 (167.9772)	—	—
2023-06-02	Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	23 / 29 (658.2288)	21 (165.0856)	24 (158.8688)	18 (165.1200)	10 (169.1544)
2023-05-12	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	43 / 59 (662.7200)	42 (166.2628)	37 (165.1316)	28 (168.5256)	43 (162.8000)
2023-05-12	Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) St. Peter, MN	—	—	38 (161.0972)	—	—
2022-07-15	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN	14 / 40 (673.0400)	29 (166.2400)	2 (175.4400)	10 (171.4172)	33 (159.9428)
2022-07-15	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off (One Meat Ribs) Worthington, MN	—	—	1 (176.0000)	—	—
2022-06-11	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	29 / 37 (663.3144)	19 (171.4056)	35 (154.7888)	1 (176.5944)	28 (160.5256)
2022-06-10	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	34 / 39 (653.5428)	38 (155.9200)	25 (164.5604)	21 (167.9656)	20 (165.0968)
2022-05-13	Minnesota in May (Masters) 🏅 Cambridge, MN	26 / 59 (673.0856)	36 (165.1084)	10 (171.4516)	9 (173.7028)	43 (162.8228)
2022-05-13	Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) Cambridge, MN	—	—	18 (164.5372)	—	—
2021-08-20	13th Annual Big Island BBQ 🏅 Albert Lea, MN	28 / 35 (657.5312)	19 (168.5256)	21 (163.9772)	28 (161.0972)	21 (163.9312)
2021-06-12	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI	43 / 45 (628.3772)	44 (158.8000)	23 (163.9884)	37 (158.2172)	45 (147.3716)
2021-06-11	Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI	49 / 52 (616.3312)	49 (154.8000)	46 (155.3600)	51 (149.6684)	44 (156.5028)
2021-05-07	Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN	41 / 60 (655.3368)	44 (163.3712)	45 (160.0000)	42 (162.8456)	18 (169.1200)
2021-05-07	Minnesota in May - One Meat Contest - Ribs Cambridge, MN	—	—	23 (165.1084)	—	—
2020-10-16	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI	24 / 40 (663.4628)	29 (162.3200)	2 (177.1428)	31 (162.2972)	30 (161.7028)
2020-08-28	Minnesota in Mayaugust 🏅 Cambridge, MN	28 / 45 (659.2684)	28 (166.8344)	36 (159.9428)	25 (165.1084)	18 (167.3828)
2019-08-23	Big Island BBQ 🏅 Alberta Lea, MN	41 / 50 (634.6856)	42 (159.9428)	39 (155.9544)	37 (161.7028)	35 (157.0856)
2019-05-10	Minnesota in May 🏅	49 / 57 (624.9488)	46 (158.8344)	51 (154.2056)	57 (145.6456)	27 (166.2632)
2018-05-11	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	49 / 70 (640.9828)	33 (166.2628)	45 (160.5600)	63 (154.8000)	51 (159.3600)
2018-03-02	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	51 / 57 (627.9432)	56 (150.2972)	40 (161.1316)	46 (159.9772)	45 (156.5372)
2017-05-12	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	57 / 71 (626.1940)	23 (165.7256)	59 (155.4056)	66 (151.9428)	55 (153.1200)
2017-03-03	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	41 / 47 (614.1140)	30 (163.4056)	46 (146.2284)	44 (146.2284)	26 (158.2516)

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
2025 ↗	Master	#448 (426 pts)	#480 (471 pts)	#559 (381 pts)	#618 (271 pts)	#366 (611 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#701 (215 pts)	#806 (180 pts)	#656 (310 pts)	#731 (220 pts)	#493 (420 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#529 (341 pts)	#604 (311 pts)	#343 (740 pts)	#496 (411 pts)	#490 (401 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#625 (295 pts)	#688 (270 pts)	#286 (879 pts)	#368 (645 pts)	#695 (265 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#640 (240 pts)	#620 (270 pts)	#573 (334 pts)	#666 (240 pts)	#601 (295 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#639 (125 pts)	#696 (120 pts)	#383 (320 pts)	#706 (120 pts)	#614 (155 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1471 (120 pts)	#1593 (120 pts)	#1575 (120 pts)	#1578 (120 pts)	#1536 (120 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1745 (130 pts)	#1822 (120 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)