Perfect scores on the board
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
- Brisket ×1
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
96.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 693.0860 at Smokin' In McMinnville — 96.3% of a perfect 720.
DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS has finished one call ahead of Chokin "N" tha Smoke 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
2017 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 43%.
Organizer Portal ahead in 96% of their meetings
Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 43 of their 45 shared contests.
Ahead in 76% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS in 16 of their 21 shared contests.
Off the trail for 4.7 years, then back at High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025-05-16).
Organizer Portal ahead 76% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 34 of 45 shared chicken entries.
SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Something about September: average finish in the top 40% across 7 contests, versus top 53% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,448 miles across 55 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 375 miles to World Barbecue Championship.
Their overall lands within ±1.96% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
They've cooked High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.
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.
28 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headFewer contests behind them than Chokin "N" tha Smoke has cooked, 38 to 55, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 35% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir last contest in the data was back in 2017, 8 years before Chokin "N" tha Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headThey turned up 8 years after Chokin "N" tha Smoke did, first appearing in 2021.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organizer Portal | 45 | 2 | 43 | 4% | ⚔ compare |
| JIGGY PIGGY | 36 | 7 | 29 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BLUE QUE | 33 | 5 | 28 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| South Pork | 32 | 3 | 29 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 30 | 2 | 28 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| SWIGGIN PIG | 29 | 3 | 26 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG | 27 | 2 | 25 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| FAT, DRUNK & STUPID | 27 | 1 | 26 | 4% | ⚔ compare |
| BEAN BANDITS | 24 | 9 | 15 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| 2 LIVE CUE | 23 | 15 | 8 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 23 | 4 | 19 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT COLE'S BBQ | 23 | 3 | 20 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG G BBQ | 22 | 15 | 7 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS | 21 | 16 | 5 | 76% | ⚔ compare |
| The Specialists | 21 | 1 | 20 | 5% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 54 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 177.7028 | 150.2852 | 168.98 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 54 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 177.7372 | 145.7144 | 166.64 | top 49% |
| Pork | 54 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 153.7140 | 166.65 | top 54% |
| Brisket | 53 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 153.0856 | 165.45 | top 55% |
“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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| TN | 28 | 0 | top 58% |
| AL | 20 | 0 | top 48% |
| MS | 4 | 0 | top 35% |
| GA | 2 | 0 | top 65% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 32% |
| Medium (20–39) | 25 | 0 | top 60% |
| Large (40+) | 28 | 0 | top 47% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 8 | 19 | 0 | top 60% | 2025-05-16 |
| Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off | 4 | 9 | 0 | top 57% | 2019-07-26 |
| The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ | 4 | 16 | 0 | top 38% | 2018-05-04 |
| Smoke on the Falls | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 59% | 2020-09-18 |
| Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 41% | 2016-05-27 |
| *Mid-South BBQ Festival | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 63% | 2018-10-19 |
| Smoke on the Shores | 2 | 31 | 0 | top 64% | 2018-03-09 |
| World Barbecue Championship | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 27% | 2017-11-08 |
| Smokin' In McMinnville | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 56% | 2016-08-12 |
| Smokin' in McMinnville | 2 | 31 | 0 | top 84% | 2014-08-08 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.3 | Smokin' In McMinnville | 2016-08-12 |
| +13.4 | World Barbecue Championship | 2016-11-11 |
| +11.7 | Decatur Jaycee's 21st Annual Riverfest | 2015-09-11 |
| +10.9 | Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre | 2014-03-14 |
| +10.1 | Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest | 2013-09-13 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.2 | High on the Hog Festival | 2019-04-19 |
| -10 | The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ | 2013-05-03 |
| -9.9 | Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off | 2013-05-17 |
| -9.9 | Smokin' in McMinnville | 2015-08-07 |
| -9.1 | Smokin' in McMinnville | 2014-08-08 |
| 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 75% | 92% | 92% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 61% | 91.6% | 91.6% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 63% | 93.6% | 91.8% |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57% | top 54% | 95% | 93.1% |
| 2017 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60% | top 43% | 96.2% | 94% |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 63% | top 46% | 96.3% | 93.8% |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43% | top 56% | 94.7% | 92.5% |
| 2014 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 56% | top 49% | 95.9% | 93% |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43% | top 64% | 92.6% | 90% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 24 / 32 (331.3600) | 17 (170.2744) | 27 (161.0856) | 12 (170.2744) | — |
| 2020-09-18 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 17 / 28 (659.8628) | 24 (158.8000) | 5 (171.9772) | 10 (169.1084) | 25 (159.9772) |
| 2019-07-26 | Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hartselle, AL | 21 / 27 (647.9088) | 22 (161.1316) | 15 (163.9772) | 19 (163.3944) | 18 (159.4056) |
| 2019-04-19 | High on the Hog Festival 🏅 Winchester, TN | 32 / 39 (649.5200) | 18 (170.8228) | 33 (158.8000) | 33 (160.5144) | 34 (159.3828) |
| 2019-04-12 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 12 / 30 (673.6804) | 3 (176.5600) | 9 (170.2860) | 24 (161.0972) | 18 (165.7372) |
| 2019-03-08 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN | 36 / 67 (672.4684) | 27 (170.2744) | 32 (168.5256) | 57 (159.9312) | 13 (173.7372) |
| 2019-02-08 | KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018-10-19 | *Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN | 13 / 22 (667.8740) | 14 (169.6800) | 11 (166.8228) | 6 (171.4056) | 19 (159.9656) |
| 2018-09-14 | *Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival Decatur, AL | 15 / 32 (669.6348) | 28 (161.6572) | 3 (175.4516) | 26 (162.8116) | 9 (169.7144) |
| 2018-07-27 | *Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL | 9 / 27 (683.9428) | 8 (172.5600) | 4 (174.8572) | 17 (163.9656) | 9 (172.5600) |
| 2018-05-04 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | 17 / 61 (679.9084) | 3 (177.7028) | 37 (165.1316) | 15 (171.9656) | 37 (165.1084) |
| 2018-04-20 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 30 / 42 (664.4456) | 40 (159.3600) | 18 (169.6800) | 27 (165.6684) | 20 (169.7372) |
| 2018-04-13 | Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL | 29 / 38 (664.4112) | 31 (163.3828) | 26 (165.6800) | 27 (164.5256) | 17 (170.8228) |
| 2018-03-09 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 56 / 87 (661.5884) | 60 (165.0856) | 43 (165.1428) | 60 (165.6800) | 48 (165.6800) |
| 2017-11-08 | World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 31 / 93 (677.0168) | 9 (174.2628) | 61 (164.5372) | 59 (165.6684) | 19 (172.5484) |
| 2017-10-20 | Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN | 19 / 28 (670.1368) | 22 (169.1200) | 12 (169.6800) | 22 (160.4912) | 14 (170.8456) |
| 2017-09-15 | Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest Decatur, AL | 19 / 39 (671.9200) | 17 (169.1772) | 9 (171.9772) | 15 (168.5256) | 26 (162.2400) |
| 2017-08-25 | Great American BBQ Festival Franklin, TN | 15 / 40 (677.0628) | 31 (163.9656) | 16 (169.1200) | 11 (173.7028) | 12 (170.2744) |
| 2017-07-28 | *Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL | 9 / 27 (683.9428) | 8 (172.5600) | 4 (174.8572) | 17 (163.9656) | 9 (172.5600) |
| 2017-07-14 | The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig Cummings, GA | 23 / 41 (668.4456) | 4 (176.5600) | 28 (164.5256) | 31 (163.9656) | 28 (163.3944) |
| 2017-05-19 | Southern Smoke BBQ Championship Lebanon, TN | 6 / 19 (692.5144) | 5 (176.0000) | 9 (170.2860) | 2 (177.7028) | 9 (168.5256) |
| 2017-05-05 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | 16 / 69 (682.1712) | 49 (161.0740) | 17 (172.5600) | 5 (177.7144) | 18 (170.8228) |
| 2017-04-21 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 19 / 41 (679.3256) | 23 (169.1084) | 20 (167.9656) | 17 (170.8460) | 20 (171.4056) |
| 2017-03-10 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 33 / 62 (668.4456) | 25 (170.2856) | 36 (166.2400) | 40 (164.5372) | 30 (167.3828) |
| 2016-11-11 | World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 19 / 89 (685.6572) | 28 (172.0116) | 8 (175.4400) | 48 (167.3828) | 32 (170.8228) |
| 2016-09-29 | Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS | 8 / 28 (685.0852) | 9 (171.9884) | 7 (171.9884) | 17 (165.7028) | 5 (175.4056) |
| 2016-08-12 | Smokin' In McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 7 / 32 (693.0860) | 9 (173.1316) | 23 (166.2516) | 8 (173.7028) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2016-06-03 | Fire in the Valley Red Bank BBQ Red Bank(Chattanooga), TN | 33 / 39 (657.0060) | 30 (166.2400) | 24 (168.5488) | 34 (160.5488) | 32 (161.6684) |
| 2016-05-27 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN | 13 / 31 (678.8112) | 19 (169.1428) | 26 (163.9656) | 11 (169.6800) | 4 (176.0228) |
| 2016-05-06 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | 28 / 67 (665.5772) | 12 (173.1316) | 4 (175.4172) | 40 (163.9428) | 53 (153.0856) |
| 2016-04-15 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 36 / 56 (669.0972) | 18 (172.5600) | 53 (157.0972) | 28 (169.1544) | 24 (170.2856) |
| 2016-03-11 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 31 / 49 (669.0516) | 23 (169.7144) | 31 (166.2516) | 14 (171.4056) | 38 (161.6800) |
| 2015-12-04 | Calhoun KOA's Smokin Up the Campground (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA | 29 / 39 (649.5772) | 32 (157.0972) | 32 (159.9428) | 6 (172.5600) | 31 (159.9772) |
| 2015-09-11 | Decatur Jaycee's 21st Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL | 11 / 55 (682.1828) | 11 (173.1200) | 17 (167.9772) | 16 (170.2628) | 17 (170.8228) |
| 2015-08-07 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 33 / 37 (655.9196) | 33 (163.4056) | 28 (165.1084) | 23 (168.5600) | 30 (158.8456) |
| 2015-05-22 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN | 11 / 28 (681.6228) | 4 (176.5828) | 11 (170.8344) | 16 (168.5372) | 17 (165.6684) |
| 2015-05-15 | Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL | 20 / 27 (656.4800) | 24 (165.7028) | 14 (164.5372) | 22 (162.2400) | 19 (164.0000) |
| 2015-04-17 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 27 / 59 (675.9200) | 16 (173.1200) | 33 (166.8800) | 13 (173.1200) | 46 (162.8000) |
| 2015-03-13 | Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS | 46 / 94 (660.4000) | 7 (175.4172) | 69 (158.2288) | 31 (168.5256) | 62 (158.2284) |
| 2014-10-17 | Mid-South Barbecue Festival Mount Pleasant, TN | 15 / 35 (679.8860) | 19 (169.6800) | 11 (170.8460) | 15 (170.8228) | 17 (168.5372) |
| 2014-10-03 | Smokin' At The Market Gallatin, TN | 16 / 29 (690.2400) | 18 (171.4056) | 5 (176.5600) | 19 (171.4400) | 14 (170.8344) |
| 2014-09-19 | 20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL | 38 / 75 (654.7204) | 57 (159.9772) | 39 (163.9660) | 42 (165.1088) | 35 (165.6684) |
| 2014-08-08 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 34 / 40 (651.8968) | 35 (163.3828) | 21 (166.8228) | 25 (167.4400) | 32 (154.2512) |
| 2014-07-25 | Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN | 21 / 49 (669.0860) | 3 (176.5600) | 8 (172.0116) | 39 (161.6800) | 41 (158.8344) |
| 2014-05-24 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN | 17 / 41 (678.2060) | 6 (175.4172) | 12 (172.0116) | 23 (167.9772) | 28 (162.8000) |
| 2014-05-02 | The WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (JUDGES SIGN UP STARTS DECEMBER 2, 2013) Huntsville, AL | 37 / 62 (650.6860) | 35 (163.9544) | 43 (161.0972) | 27 (165.6800) | 39 (159.9544) |
| 2014-04-18 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 24 / 62 (675.3256) | 15 (173.1428) | 32 (166.8228) | 54 (160.5028) | 10 (174.8572) |
| 2014-03-14 | Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre Tupelo, MS | 21 / 95 (674.2400) | 8 (176.0344) | 1 (177.7372) | 80 (157.0856) | 46 (163.3828) |
| 2013-09-13 | Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL | 21 / 80 (666.8344) | 31 (166.8572) | 13 (169.7372) | 11 (171.9884) | 53 (158.2516) |
| 2013-08-09 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 31 / 37 (647.8856) | 23 (165.6684) | 34 (154.2516) | 7 (173.1428) | 35 (154.8228) |
| 2013-05-24 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off Lewisburg, TN | 27 / 36 (639.4288) | 4 (173.1430) | 31 (149.7144) | 31 (158.2856) | 27 (158.2858) |
| 2013-05-17 | Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off Hartselle, AL | 23 / 27 (639.4286) | 18 (167.9998) | 27 (145.7144) | 9 (172.0000) | 25 (153.7144) |
| 2013-05-03 | The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | 51 / 62 (630.2848) | 59 (150.2852) | 47 (158.2856) | 59 (153.7140) | 18 (168.0000) |
| 2013-04-19 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 33 / 60 (651.4286) | 16 (170.2858) | 25 (164.5716) | 46 (157.7142) | 38 (158.8570) |
| 2013-03-15 | Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS | 41 / 100 (658.2850) | 27 (169.1426) | 66 (160.5712) | 55 (161.7142) | 39 (166.8570) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #657 (524 pts) | #599 (619 pts) | #536 (709 pts) | #793 (439 pts) | #628 (584 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #383 (962 pts) | #363 (1022 pts) | #373 (1007 pts) | #335 (1087 pts) | #366 (1037 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #522 (756 pts) | #520 (776 pts) | #490 (831 pts) | #558 (726 pts) | #411 (971 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #641 (570 pts) | #495 (780 pts) | #674 (570 pts) | #559 (695 pts) | #714 (515 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #483 (799 pts) | #308 (1119 pts) | #287 (1219 pts) | #547 (709 pts) | #474 (789 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #625 (505 pts) | #436 (715 pts) | #624 (535 pts) | #437 (735 pts) | #639 (510 pts) |