Survivor-Que

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

Power ranking

#1029

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1601

peak 1619 · rated over 40 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-09-11

latest 2025-06-27

Best ToY finish

#131

Master 2018

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 44 contests

Avg finish

top 47%

overall standings

Best overall

702.8000 / 720

Master · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

669.25 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 667.66 (+1.59)

Walk rate

75%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Consistency

±18.49

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.56 · weakest Brisket (164.40)

Road miles

6,611

mi across 44 mapped stops · furthest 464 mi

Schedule strength

74%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1593)

Purse competed for

$59K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

667.66 / 720

42 Master contests · 1 GC

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 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.

The heartbreaker

0.0112 points from the title

Came within 0.0112 points of the Grand Championship at *Smokin on the White (2017-09-15).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

Against the odds

20-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 80 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off (2018-05-25) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 20-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, FIRE DANCER BBQ.

Happy hunting ground

Top 18% average finish here

*Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 4th
average top 18%

They almost always walk

75% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 33 of 44 contests

A top-10 category call in 75% of their 44 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

702.8000 career-best overall

97.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 702.8000 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 97.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-06-08

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

OKLAHOMA JOE'S SERIOUS QUE has finished one call ahead of Survivor-Que 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

18–1 behind in the head-to-head

BUTCHER BBQ ahead in 95% of their meetings

BUTCHER BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 19 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.16 points below their pork, and turns into a call 36% of the time against 56%.

Brisket avg 164.40
Pork avg 169.56
15 calls in 42 entries

The drought

17 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off on 2018-05-25 — 17 contests and 8.3 years ago.

last GC 2018-05-25
8.3 years ago

A strong matchup

12–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BBQR'S DELIGHT in 12 of their 16 shared contests.

The comeback

2.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Old Town Smokeout (ONE MEAT RIBS) (2025-06-27).

last seen 2022-09-09
back 2025-06-27

Pork nemesis

15 of 22 shared pork entries lost

FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead 68% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE DANCER BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 22 shared pork entries.

A big fish in small ponds

Top 32% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 32% finish in small fields against top 49% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 32% (5)
Large (40+): top 49% (16)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SPICY SPITFIRE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 28% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 28% across 3 contests, versus top 47% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 47% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,611 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,611 miles across 44 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 464 miles to World Barbecue Championship.

44 mapped stops
furthest 464 mi

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.

PLASTERED PORK BBQ

#1027 of the rated field

1601 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1614

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Survivor-Que)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Survivor-Que has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 43 contests
last seen 2022-08-26

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKEY'S Q

#1028 of the rated field

1601 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1617

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 7 years before Survivor-Que's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 42 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

PORK BARREL BBQ

#1032 of the rated field

1601 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 55
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1665

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1665 at their best, 64 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

BLAZING CATTLES BBQ

#1033 of the rated field

1601 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1601

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Survivor-Que has cooked, 20 to 44, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2018-06-22

⚔ Head-to-head

3 WOODYS BBQ

#1030 of the rated field

1601 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1605

No shared contest yet.

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 31% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2016-09-23

⚔ Head-to-head

PALMETTO SMOKEHOUSE

#1031 of the rated field

1601 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 73%
Peak: 1601

No shared contest yet.

4 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2014-11-14

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAZORRACKS	24	7	17	29%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	22	10	12	45%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
BUFFALO'S BBQ	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
501 BBQ	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
Three Hog Night Smokers	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
DAD'S GRILLIN CREW	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
BBQR'S DELIGHT	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
DIVINE SWINE	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
ROYAL SMOKERS	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
HOT AND FAST BBQ	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	42	15	0	1	177.1772	152.5372	167.16	top 50%
Pork Ribs	43	13	2	5	177.7028	151.3828	166.82	top 50%
Pork	43	24	1	7	180.0000 🔥	153.0972	169.56	top 39%
Brisket	42	15	0	2	178.8572	141.6344	164.40	top 51%

“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
AR	23	1	top 38%
OK	12	0	top 67%
MS	4	0	top 30%
KS	2	0	top 54%
AL	1	0	top 96%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	1	top 32%
Medium (20–39)	21	0	top 50%
Large (40+)	16	0	top 49%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	4	3	top 33%	2021-06-11
*Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship	2	4	top 18%	2018-10-05
*Bikes, Blues and BBQ	2	11	top 27%	2018-09-28
39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	56	top 54%	2018-09-15
*Smokin on the White	2	2	top 44%	2018-09-07
*Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2)	2	7	top 34%	2018-08-25
*Grand Lake BBQ & Festival	2	21	top 76%	2018-05-18
Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2)	2	54	top 74%	2017-03-25

The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.8 yrs 2015-09-11 → 2025-06-27

Busiest season 2017 17 contests

Contests a season 5.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AR 25 of 44 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 32 8 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 43 entries · 2 wins · 13 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 169.56 · weakest Brisket (164.40)

Walk rate 75% a top-10 call in 33 of 44 contests

Overall top-10 rate 27% 12 of 44 contests

Wins it all 2% 1 Grand Championship · 2 reserve

First title 2018-05-25 *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 667.66 out of 720 · 42 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,072 1,009–1,213 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 6,611 44 mapped stops · furthest 464 mi

Schedule strength 1593 average field rating faced — tougher than 74% of rated contests

Purse competed for $58,550 listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 5 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.8 yrs 2022-09-09 → 2025-06-27

Power rating 1601 peak 1619 · #1029 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Sep 11 First tracked contest Biggest Buck and Best Rack
Sep 11 First call Biggest Buck and Best Rack
2016
Sep 23 First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.7544 Bikes Blues and BBQ
2017
Apr 28 First overall top-10 *Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
May 5 10th tracked contest *Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL)
Sep 15 First category win (Pork Ribs) *Smokin on the White
Sep 15 First overall podium *Smokin on the White
Sep 15 First Reserve Championship *Smokin on the White
2018
Apr 27 25th tracked contest Southaven Springfest
May 25 First Grand Championship *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off
Jun 8 Career-best overall score702.8000 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
2019
Jun 7 First perfect 180 (Pork) Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 7 Peak power rating (1619) Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
2025
Jun 27 Most recent contest Old Town Smokeout

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15	*10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off	2018-05-25
+14.4	*Smokin on the White	2017-09-15
+14.4	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	2018-06-08
+13.8	*Smoke on the Border	2018-04-07
+13.7	*Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash	2017-09-29

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.4	World Barbecue Championship	2017-11-08
-11.5	Old Town Smokeout	2025-06-27
-10.8	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2	2018-03-24
-10.1	*Smokin on the White	2018-09-07
-8.9	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2018-09-15

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	2	0	0	0	50%	top 89%	91.2%	91.2%
2022	1	0	0	1	100%	—	—	—
2021	1	0	0	0	0%	top 66%	90.9%	90.9%
2019	3	0	0	0	67%	top 42%	94.9%	94.2%
2018	16	1	6	1	75%	top 43%	97.6%	93.4%
2017	17	0	6	1	82%	top 46%	96%	92.5%
2016	3	0	0	0	67%	top 54%	92.8%	90.8%
2015	1	0	0	0	100%	top 84%	90%	90%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025-06-27	Old Town Smokeout 🏅 Van Buren, AR	24 / 27 (656.4460)	24 (166.8572)	25 (163.3944)	17 (170.2628)	26 (155.9316)
2025-06-27	Old Town Smokeout (ONE MEAT RIBS) Van Buren, AR	—	—	3 (175.4172)	—	—
2022-09-09	Annual Crawford County Fair BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT PORK) Mulberry, AR	—	—	—	1 (173.1200)	—
2021-06-11	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	25 / 38 (654.1484)	26 (164.5716)	25 (167.3828)	22 (166.2284)	32 (155.9656)
2019-06-07	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	21 / 51 (677.0056)	15 (171.4172)	30 (165.0856)	2 (180.0000)	35 (160.5028)
2019-05-10	Esperanza Bonanza BBQ Blitz 🏅 Marion, AR	12 / 30 (683.2912)	16 (169.6684)	12 (173.1200)	6 (173.1200)	13 (167.3828)
2019-02-08	KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR	41 / 92 (675.3372)	16 (175.4056)	36 (168.5716)	63 (165.1200)	60 (166.2400)
2018-10-05	*Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR	4 / 26 (679.3712)	10 (167.4056)	6 (170.8344)	8 (167.4056)	3 (173.7256)
2018-09-28	*Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR	12 / 49 (681.1084)	8 (173.7256)	17 (168.5372)	31 (163.3828)	4 (175.4628)
2018-09-15	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	347 / 467 (639.9316)	190 (168.0000)	325 (161.1544)	405 (153.0972)	337 (157.6800)
2018-09-14	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	56 / 164 (686.8000)	47 (173.7144)	128 (165.0972)	34 (174.2856)	54 (173.7028)
2018-09-07	*Smokin on the White Batesville, AR	13 / 17 (648.4000)	5 (168.5600)	12 (161.1088)	16 (154.8000)	10 (163.9312)
2018-08-25	*Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2) Brandon, MS	12 / 28 (670.7200)	11 (170.2628)	24 (161.6572)	15 (166.8228)	4 (171.9772)
2018-08-24	*Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) Brandon, MS	7 / 28 (678.7772)	17 (167.9772)	5 (170.8572)	8 (167.9656)	4 (171.9772)
2018-07-13	*17th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	17 / 32 (674.7540)	24 (162.8228)	1 (177.7028)	21 (166.2628)	16 (167.9656)
2018-06-15	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off Hernado, MS	7 / 45 (693.0628)	18 (171.9656)	11 (173.1316)	14 (170.8228)	4 (177.1428)
2018-06-08	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR	3 / 44 (702.8000)	14 (174.2628)	13 (171.9772)	3 (177.7028)	4 (178.8572)
2018-05-25	*10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off Gillett, AR	1 / 18 (680.5372)	7 (170.2856)	6 (168.5716)	9 (167.9772)	3 (173.7028)
2018-05-18	*Grand Lake BBQ & Festival Langley, OK	21 / 26 (674.7884)	25 (158.2284)	12 (171.4172)	3 (177.7028)	20 (167.4400)
2018-04-27	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	12 / 34 (678.7312)	27 (159.9428)	2 (177.1428)	7 (173.1084)	15 (168.5372)
2018-04-07	*Smoke on the Border Gravette, AR	4 / 33 (697.1200)	5 (174.8456)	3 (177.1544)	7 (173.1200)	10 (172.0000)
2018-03-24	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK	76 / 79 (630.1716)	75 (159.9656)	72 (161.1200)	68 (163.4172)	78 (145.6688)
2018-03-23	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK	72 / 84 (643.9200)	76 (156.5372)	40 (167.4400)	46 (168.0000)	77 (151.9428)
2017-11-08	World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL	89 / 93 (631.2348)	33 (170.2744)	84 (157.6572)	75 (161.6688)	93 (141.6344)
2017-10-06	*Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR	5 / 25 (672.5372)	7 (168.5600)	5 (172.5716)	9 (165.1428)	9 (166.2628)
2017-09-29	*Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR	2 / 19 (687.3716)	4 (172.0000)	5 (170.2744)	2 (173.1200)	4 (171.9772)
2017-09-22	Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR	11 / 38 (670.8004)	33 (155.9660)	4 (173.7028)	7 (174.2744)	13 (166.8572)
2017-09-15	*Smokin on the White Batesville, AR	2 / 17 (689.0628)	9 (166.8228)	1 (175.4172)	4 (172.5600)	5 (174.2628)
2017-07-07	*16th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	14 / 31 (671.8628)	15 (169.1200)	16 (168.5372)	15 (168.5256)	15 (165.6800)
2017-06-23	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Chandler, OK	8 / 14 (657.0172)	8 (161.6684)	8 (162.8116)	7 (169.1200)	8 (163.4172)
2017-06-16	*Carlton Landing's 2nd Annual Smoke on the Water BBQ Comptition Carlton Landing, OK	16 / 26 (652.4572)	10 (166.8228)	24 (151.3828)	8 (170.2744)	15 (163.9772)
2017-06-09	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR	9 / 45 (691.3484)	7 (176.5600)	15 (170.8344)	7 (173.7028)	15 (170.2512)
2017-06-02	Boots and BBQ Festival Claremore, OK	20 / 28 (644.9940)	22 (158.8228)	19 (158.8228)	9 (171.9656)	22 (155.3828)
2017-05-19	Grand Lake BBQ & Festival Langley, OK	26 / 36 (664.4684)	16 (171.4056)	28 (163.9772)	7 (174.2628)	35 (154.8228)
2017-05-05	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL) Bixby, OK	24 / 68 (663.3484)	30 (164.5828)	23 (165.1200)	9 (173.7028)	31 (159.9428)
2017-04-28	*Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off Stuttgart, AR	5 / 29 (685.0744)	7 (173.1428)	15 (167.3944)	9 (171.9772)	6 (172.5600)
2017-04-21	Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	20 / 47 (669.6920)	13 (169.7372)	28 (158.8344)	3 (178.2972)	27 (162.8232)
2017-04-01	*Smoke on the Border Gravette Chambers of Commerce Gravette, AR	16 / 37 (666.7544)	9 (174.2856)	20 (163.9772)	20 (165.6916)	17 (162.8000)
2017-03-25	Firelake BBQ Cook Off(Day 2) Shawnee, OK	54 / 77 (660.4684)	70 (158.8228)	74 (157.6684)	3 (177.7144)	35 (166.2628)
2017-03-24	Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Shawnee, OK	67 / 87 (647.8288)	70 (160.5372)	66 (160.5260)	17 (173.1200)	81 (153.6456)
2016-10-21	Smokin' The Fort-BBQ & Bluegrass Festival FortGibson, OK	14 / 28 (667.9088)	9 (170.8572)	12 (166.8344)	6 (174.2972)	22 (155.9200)
2016-09-23	Bikes Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR	11 / 43 (666.7544)	42 (154.8000)	4 (173.1428)	17 (167.9888)	7 (170.8228)
2016-07-08	15th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	34 / 39 (625.5428)	38 (152.5372)	34 (157.0972)	31 (157.1084)	24 (158.8000)
2015-09-11	Biggest Buck and Best Rack Alma, AR	21 / 25 (647.9200)	2 (177.1772)	23 (158.8228)	16 (162.8572)	23 (149.0628)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1170 (200 pts)	#1195 (210 pts)	#1285 (180 pts)	#753 (430 pts)	#1322 (175 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#131 (1704 pts)	#224 (1267 pts)	#97 (1749 pts)	#149 (1515 pts)	#90 (1839 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#186 (1561 pts)	#191 (1431 pts)	#198 (1438 pts)	#90 (1836 pts)	#244 (1336 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1067 (298 pts)	#1255 (258 pts)	#952 (388 pts)	#1080 (328 pts)	#1111 (298 pts)