High-water mark
670.2744
career-best overall
93.1% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 670.2744 at Montana Pitmaster Classic — 93.1% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Aug 22, 2025
Poor Richard's BBQ
Poor Richard's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 6th of 11 at the Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off (2024). They are ranked #6013 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1433
peak 1505 · rated over 14 contests
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
Aug 23, 2019
latest Aug 28, 2026 · 7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
7% of 14 contests
Avg finish
top 77%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
646.68 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 635.03 (+11.65)
Walk rate
29%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±23.20
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 162.97 · weakest Brisket (151.52)
Road miles
2,459
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 559 mi
Schedule strength
40%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)
Purse competed for
$151K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 14 state-championship entries
Master avg
635.03 / 720
14 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #1020 (60 pts) | #1093 (60 pts) | #926 (130 pts) | #1067 (60 pts) | #1051 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #930 (117 pts) | #875 (152 pts) | #843 (182 pts) | #981 (117 pts) | #971 (117 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #491 (382 pts) | #521 (392 pts) | #587 (367 pts) | #425 (502 pts) | #587 (317 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #740 (197 pts) | #791 (202 pts) | #872 (197 pts) | #518 (387 pts) | #789 (197 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #818 (156 pts) | #1075 (111 pts) | #912 (151 pts) | #938 (126 pts) | #772 (186 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #827 (74 pts) | #846 (84 pts) | #881 (74 pts) | #867 (74 pts) | #833 (79 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1457 (124 pts) | #1714 (114 pts) | #1091 (254 pts) | #1947 (74 pts) | #1850 (84 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Poor Richard's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
62 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#6,006 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1434
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Poor Richard's BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Poor Richard's BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#6,014 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1433
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#6,022 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1433
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#6,017 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1433
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Poor Richard's BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#6,004 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1500
They were already cooking in 2014, 5 years before Poor Richard's BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#6,010 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1433
Level with Poor Richard's 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG BOYZ BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| SMELLAQUE | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Rhythm n QUE | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Whistle Pig BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Last Best BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Random Guys Smoking | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Kick Back BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Shane Edd's BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 202 BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Taste of Mitch | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Willy Mo's | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Popping Smoke Barbecue | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.2972 | 149.0744 | 160.45 | top 76% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 174.2972 | 144.5828 | 162.97 | top 66% |
| Pork | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 176.5600 | 129.0856 | 160.10 | top 67% |
| Brisket | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 167.4172 | 142.8344 | 151.52 | top 85% |
“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 | 0 | top 81% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 74% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 89% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Pitmaster Classic | 5 | 11 | 0 | top 72% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Montana BBQ Cookoff | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 76% | Jun 7, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
4 contests
Contests a season
2
across 7 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MT
11 of 14 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
9
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
199
finished ahead 94 times, behind 308
Longest layoff
1.8 yrs
Aug 27, 2021 → Jun 9, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Montana Pitmaster Classic
20251 milestone
- Career-best overall score670.2744 Montana Pitmaster Classic
20242 milestones
- First overall top-10 Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off
- 10th tracked contest East Helena Smoke Show
20232 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork)176.5600 Montana BBQ Cookoff
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3484 Miles City Cowtown Cookoff
20193 milestones
- First tracked contest Montana Pitmaster Classic
- First call Montana Pitmaster Classic
- Peak power rating (1505) Montana Pitmaster Classic
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +4.7 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 23, 2019 |
| +2.9 | Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off | Jul 27, 2024 |
| +2 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 27, 2021 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.1 | Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championships & Bluegrass Festival | Aug 20, 2021 |
| -11.2 | S.T.A.R Brews & Q | Sep 5, 2020 |
| -9.2 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 25, 2023 |
| -8.8 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 28, 2026 |
| -8.3 | East Helena Smoke Show | Aug 9, 2024 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 87.9% | 87.9% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 93.1% | 91.5% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 71% | 92% | 88.9% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 86% | 91% | 88.7% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 72% | 89.4% | 86.3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 80.3% | 80.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 89.4% | 89.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 37 / 39 (633.0632) | 35 (158.8800) | 11 (174.2860) | 38 (153.0972) | 37 (146.8000) |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 25 / 38 (670.2744) | 22 (170.2972) | 15 (173.7028) | 29 (166.2972) | 29 (159.9772) |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Smoke-N-Wings 🏅 Blackfoot, ID | 29 / 32 (646.8112) | 21 (164.5828) | 22 (167.9772) | 27 (166.2856) | 31 (147.9656) |
| Aug 23, 2024 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 28 / 39 (662.1940) | 22 (167.4400) | 23 (169.1428) | 18 (169.6912) | 35 (155.9200) |
| Aug 9, 2024 | East Helena Smoke Show 🏅 East Helena, MT | 16 / 18 (621.0512) | 16 (152.5600) | 15 (161.6684) | 14 (159.4400) | 17 (147.3828) |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off 🏅 Dillon, MT | 6 / 11 (641.0860) | 8 (164) | 10 (155.4288) | 3 (172.5600) | 9 (149.0972) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Montana BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Absarokee, MT | 19 / 28 (635.2800) | 16 (167.4172) | 17 (163.9544) | 16 (159.3828) | 26 (144.5256) |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 39 / 44 (626.1372) | 40 (155.9888) | 36 (155.9656) | 28 (162.2400) | 40 (151.9428) |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Miles City Cowtown Cookoff 🏅 Miles City, MT | 19 / 22 (655.3484) | 18 (161.1312) | 19 (164) | 16 (168.5600) | 19 (161.6572) |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Montana BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Absarokee, MT | 30 / 36 (634.7200) | 32 (153.6916) | 29 (161.0856) | 3 (176.5600) | 35 (143.3828) |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 16 / 31 (643.9660) | 25 (157.7028) | 20 (158.8916) | 22 (159.9544) | 10 (167.4172) |
| Aug 20, 2021 | Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championships & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 28 / 30 (598.7204) | 29 (149.0744) | 22 (156.5716) | 25 (150.2400) | 29 (142.8344) |
| Sep 5, 2020 | S.T.A.R Brews & Q 🏅 Lake City, CO | 19 / 19 (578.3088) | 17 (158.3316) | 19 (144.5828) | 19 (129.0856) | 18 (146.3088) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 11 / 29 (643.4284) | 13 (165.1428) | 2 (174.2972) | 21 (147.9884) | 19 (156) |