Smokin N The Bandits

Smokin N The Bandits is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 25 at the Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival (2022), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1495 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,495

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1564

peak 1577 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 4, 2018

latest May 2, 2025 · 7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#476

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

24% of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2400 / 720

Master · Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off

Perfect 180s

Current form

677.77 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 669.92 (+7.85)

Walk rate

76%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition

Consistency

±14.77

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.07 · weakest Brisket (164.60)

Road miles

4,058

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 331 mi

Schedule strength

66%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1583)

Purse competed for

$213K

listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 19 state-championship entries

Master avg

669.92 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

311.36 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master 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.

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

The heartbreaker

3.4168 points from the title

Came within 3.4168 points of the Grand Championship at Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival (Apr 29, 2022).

Happy hunting ground

Top 19% average finish here

Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 6th
average top 19%

They almost always walk

76% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 76% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.2400 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2400 at Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 15, 2018

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Vallee AC Cold Smoke has finished one call ahead of Smokin N The Bandits 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

14–6 behind in the head-to-head

PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ ahead in 70% of their meetings

PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ has come out ahead in 14 of their 20 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.47 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 32%.

Brisket avg 164.60
Chicken avg 169.07
6 calls in 24 entries

Show 5 more storylines

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 2nd Hand Smoke in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

12 of 13 shared chicken entries lost

FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead 92% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE DANCER BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 13 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

THE BLUE BLOODS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 34% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 34% across 6 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.

6 June contests
top 48% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,058 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,058 miles across 25 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 331 miles to Smithfield Classic in Nashville.

25 mapped stops
furthest 331 mi

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
2019 ↗	Master	#476 (687 pts)	#459 (742 pts)	#439 (782 pts)	#398 (847 pts)	#435 (772 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#978 (292 pts)	#930 (347 pts)	#1048 (292 pts)	#796 (437 pts)	#950 (332 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Smokin N The Bandits, each with one reason worth a look.

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

TEXAS WARPIG BBQ

#1,497 of the rated field

1564 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1580

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Smokin N The Bandits)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Smokin N The Bandits has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Lake Rat BBQ

#1,491 of the rated field

1565 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1593

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

rated over 29 contests

⚔ Compare careers

CLARK KENT SUPER SMOKERS

#1,493 of the rated field

1565 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1568

Careers of much the same size, 18 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jul 3, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

Many Moons BBQ

#1,494 of the rated field

1565 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1583

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 15 contests, alongside a 20% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Oct 2, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

3 Blondes and a Bald

#1,496 of the rated field

1564 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1564

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Cook Shak BBQ MS

#1,498 of the rated field

1564 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1564

They turned up 7 years after Smokin N The Bandits did, first appearing in 2025.

rated over 10 contests
last seen May 2, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
SOUTHSIDE BBQ	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
Rankin County BBQ Company	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
THE BLUE BLOODS	11	3	7	27%	⚔ compare
2nd Hand Smoke	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
BEER-B-QUE BOYS	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
Kith n' Kin	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
Vallee AC Cold Smoke	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
Poppa Pig	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
MISSISSIPPI MEAT MAFIA	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Q-BONES BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	8	0	0	177.7028	152.5372	169.07	top 45%
Pork Ribs	25	8	1	1	178.8572	147.9428	167.32	top 47%
Pork	23	9	0	2	174.2628	156.5488	167.61	top 48%
Brisket	24	6	0	0	175.4172	143.3372	164.60	top 53%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	top 52%
Medium (20–39)	15	top 53%
Large (40+)	6	top 34%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MS	18	top 49%
LA	2	top 45%
TN	2	top 49%
AL	1	top 42%
FL	1	top 43%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2)	4	13	top 63%	Aug 24, 2019
Downtown BBQ Showdown	2	17	top 67%	Jul 19, 2019
Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off	2	6	top 19%	Jun 14, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 8 contests

Contests a season 3.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MS 19 of 25 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 19 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 534 finished ahead 505 times, behind 411

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

20252 milestones

May 2 25th tracked contest Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest
May 2 Most recent contest Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest

20241 milestone

Oct 25 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition

20231 milestone

Oct 5 Peak power rating (1577) Poosa Q

20222 milestones

Apr 29 First overall podium Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival
Apr 29 First Reserve Championship Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival

20192 milestones

Feb 22 First category win (Pork Ribs) D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival
May 24 10th tracked contest Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival

20185 milestones

Feb 23 First tracked contest D'Iberville BBQ Throw down Kids Q & Festival (JUDGES FULL)
May 4 First call Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival
May 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.0404 Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival
Jun 15 First overall top-10 Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off
Jun 15 Career-best overall score694.2400 Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.2	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival	Apr 29, 2022
+14.8	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off	Jun 15, 2018
+9.7	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off	Jun 14, 2019
+8.5	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff	Apr 28, 2023
+8	Hammond BBQ	Mar 22, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.6	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1)	Aug 23, 2019
-5.5	Hog Wild BBQ & Family Fest	May 3, 2024
-5.4	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest	May 2, 2025
-4.1	Downtown BBQ Showdown	Aug 17, 2018
-3.1	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2)	Aug 24, 2019

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0	0	100%	top 74%	94.2%	94.2%
2024	2	0	0	50%	top 65%	94%	93.3%
2023	2	1	0	100%	top 37%	95.8%	95%
2022	2	1	0	100%	top 25%	95.5%	95%
2021	3	1	0	67%	top 43%	95.1%	94.6%
2020	1	0	0	100%	top 48%	90.7%	90.7%
2019	8	2	1	63%	top 50%	95.6%	90.8%
2018	6	1	0	83%	top 50%	96.4%	92.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 2, 2025	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	20 / 27 (678.1944)	21 (170.8112)	6 (175.4288)	11 (174.2628)	25 (157.6916)
Oct 25, 2024	VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA	18 / 31 (677.0628)	20 (166.2400)	6 (178.8572)	11 (171.9656)	23 (160)
May 3, 2024	Hog Wild BBQ & Family Fest 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	18 / 25 (666.2856)	14 (170.8456)	17 (169.7372)	19 (165.1200)	21 (160.5828)
Oct 5, 2023	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	31 / 73 (677.6228)	6 (177.7028)	40 (167.9656)	65 (162.8344)	38 (169.1200)
Apr 28, 2023	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Brandon, MS	9 / 28 (689.6684)	13 (174.8456)	4 (177.1544)	19 (167.9656)	16 (169.7028)
Jun 3, 2022	Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival 🏅 Covington, TN	12 / 28 (679.9200)	10 (173.1316)	5 (175.4056)	14 (169.1084)	18 (162.2744)
Apr 29, 2022	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	2 / 25 (687.4060)	4 (174.8572)	9 (165.7144)	3 (174.2628)	4 (172.5716)
Sep 3, 2021	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	28 / 50 (681.0512)	45 (163.3828)	13 (173.7144)	22 (172.5484)	23 (171.4056)
Jun 25, 2021	Back the Blue 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	6 / 16 (677.0400)	4 (173.1200)	12 (164.5372)	3 (173.1200)	11 (166.2628)
Jun 18, 2021	DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Nesbit, MS	17 / 48 (684.5028)	13 (173.1200)	24 (168.5600)	22 (167.9772)	8 (174.8456)
Jun 26, 2020	Swinging Bridge BBQ Festival 🏅 Byram, MS	15 / 31 (653.0740)	10 (167.9540)	31 (147.9428)	10 (168)	9 (169.1772)
Aug 24, 2019	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2) 🏅 Brandon, MS	19 / 28 (657.0172)	20 (161.0972)	12 (166.2628)	24 (162.2400)	15 (167.4172)
Aug 23, 2019	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) 🏅 Brandon, MS	24 / 29 (647.8056)	10 (169.6800)	21 (161.6456)	19 (160.5372)	23 (155.9428)
Jul 19, 2019	Downtown BBQ Showdown 🏅 Hattiesburg, MS	17 / 28 (662.1600)	18 (165.6800)	16 (163.9428)	8 (169.7372)	22 (162.8000)
Jun 14, 2019	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off 🏅 Hernado, MS	12 / 49 (688.4916)	23 (170.8344)	23 (170.8228)	—	9 (172.5716)
May 24, 2019	Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	8 / 26 (155.4172)	12 (166.2400)	16 (160.5256)	15 (162.8684)	13 (161.7144)
Mar 22, 2019	Hammond BBQ 🏅 Hammond, LA	15 / 48 (681.0284)	16 (171.9656)	41 (161.0856)	8 (172.5600)	5 (175.4172)
Mar 15, 2019	Smokin In the Square 🏅 Pensacola, FL	15 / 35 (311.3600)	13 (170.2856)	15 (158.8228)	30 (156.5488)	12 (168.5828)
Feb 22, 2019	D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival 🏅 Diberville, MS	9 / 16 (650.6972)	6 (165.7028)	1 (175.4172)	6 (166.2400)	14 (143.3372)
Aug 25, 2018	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2) Brandon, MS	15 / 28 (667.9884)	17 (168.5828)	7 (170.2972)	19 (163.4056)	15 (165.7028)
Aug 24, 2018	Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) Brandon, MS	13 / 28 (668.0116)	12 (170.8344)	12 (167.4172)	23 (158.8800)	6 (170.8800)
Aug 17, 2018	Downtown BBQ Showdown Hattiesburg, MS	22 / 30 (645.5776)	13 (168.5256)	21 (160.5488)	5 (170.8344)	26 (145.6688)
Jun 15, 2018	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off Hernado, MS	6 / 45 (694.2400)	8 (174.2628)	4 (176.5716)	9 (173.7028)	20 (169.7028)
May 4, 2018	Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival Brookhaven, MS	12 / 19 (649.0404)	11 (164.5716)	14 (157.1200)	4 (170.2628)	12 (157.0860)
Feb 23, 2018	D'Iberville BBQ Throw down Kids Q & Festival (JUDGES FULL) D'Iberville, MS	—	—	—	—	—

Smokin N The Bandits

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)