SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE

SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 16th of 29 at the GOBS Que (2019). They are ranked #3710 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,710

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1489

peak 1489 · rated over 13 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 12, 2017

latest Apr 4, 2025 · 7.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 66%

overall standings

Best overall

669.6344 / 720

Master · Iowa State BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

662.08 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 655.40 (+6.68)

Walk rate

62%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Chicken · Iowa State BBQ Championship

Consistency

±9.60

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 166.93 · weakest Brisket (161.02)

Road miles

709

across 13 mapped stops · furthest 165 mi

Schedule strength

81%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1605)

Purse competed for

$66K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

655.40 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

62% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 8 of 13 contests

A top-10 category call in 62% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

669.6344 career-best overall

93.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.6344 at Iowa State BBQ Championship — 93.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Mar 29, 2024

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY has finished one call ahead of SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 56%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 56%

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead in 100% of their meetings

WHEN PIGS DIE has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.91 points below their pork, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 31%.

Brisket avg 161.02
Pork avg 166.93
1 call in 13 entries

A strong matchup

6–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

The comeback

2.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Iowa State BBQ Championship (Mar 29, 2024).

last seen Jun 18, 2021
back Mar 29, 2024

Pork nemesis

8 of 11 shared pork entries lost

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WHEN PIGS DIE has out-cooked them in 8 of 11 shared pork entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1605 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 81% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1605 power rating — a tougher draw than 81% of every rated contest in the data.

13 rated contests

The metronome

±1.33% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.33% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.0% of a perfect score
13 contests

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
2025 ↗	Master	#1148 (60 pts)	#799 (185 pts)	#1293 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#1189 (70 pts)	#701 (235 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#917 (120 pts)	#978 (120 pts)	#833 (180 pts)	#818 (170 pts)	#957 (120 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#983 (266 pts)	#1028 (266 pts)	#1147 (231 pts)	#611 (556 pts)	#1187 (211 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1253 (185 pts)	#1005 (305 pts)	#1289 (200 pts)	#918 (350 pts)	#1330 (180 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1352 (225 pts)	#1707 (135 pts)	#1678 (145 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Grill Em All

#3,729 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1489

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jan 24, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Team No Clue BBQ

#3,683 of the rated field

1490 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1490

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE)

Fewer contests behind them than SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE has cooked, 6 to 13, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 6 contests
last seen Apr 3, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

MARIE'S

#3,682 of the rated field

1490 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1490

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Apr 6, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

BLAZED N' GLAZED

#3,727 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1489

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 8 years before SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 13 contests

⚔ Compare careers

BROKE ASS BAR-B-QUE CO.

#3,706 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1504

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 4, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

PIT"SBURGH SMOKERS

#3,688 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1489

Level with SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 12 contests
last seen May 22, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
WHEN PIGS DIE	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
TEAM BREW & QUE	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
HELPING U BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
TEAM CRAWFORD	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Piccolos BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKEHOUSE 72	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
TIMBONE BARBECUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	3	0	177.1428	144.5256	163.40	top 64%
Pork Ribs	13	0	0	171.9656	155.9200	164.06	top 59%
Pork	13	4	1	176.0116	152.5028	166.93	top 47%
Brisket	13	1	1	173.1428	145.0400	161.02	top 64%

“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
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 62%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 68%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
NE	8	0	top 62%
IA	5	0	top 72%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Iowa State BBQ Championship	2	25	top 70%	Apr 4, 2025
Q for a Cause	2	19	top 64%	Apr 26, 2019
BBQ in the Bluffs	2	27	top 71%	May 11, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 3 contests

Contests a season 1.9 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NE 8 of 13 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 10 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 309 finished ahead 202 times, behind 408

Longest layoff 2.8 yrs Jun 18, 2021 → Mar 29, 2024

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

20252 milestones

Apr 4 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1428 Iowa State BBQ Championship
Apr 4 Most recent contest Iowa State BBQ Championship

20241 milestone

Mar 29 Career-best overall score669.6344 Iowa State BBQ Championship

20211 milestone

May 28 10th tracked contest 9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

20191 milestone

May 31 Peak power rating (1498) 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition

20182 milestones

Apr 20 First call Q for a Cause
Apr 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.1372 Q for a Cause

20171 milestone

May 12 First tracked contest BBQ in the Bluffs

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+2.5	Q for a Cause	Apr 26, 2019
+2.5	7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	May 18, 2018
+2.2	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	May 31, 2019
+2.1	9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition	May 28, 2021
+1.8	Iowa State BBQ Championship	Mar 29, 2024

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.1	Iowa State BBQ Championship	Apr 4, 2025
-3.3	BBQ in the Bluffs	May 12, 2017
-2.9	BBQ in the Bluffs	May 11, 2018
-2.7	Back to Mayberry Day 1	Jun 26, 2020
-2.3	Riverfest Community Festival	Jul 21, 2017

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	100%	top 80%	92%	92%
2024	1	100%	top 60%	93%	93%
2021	2	0%	top 67%	92.6%	92.2%
2020	1	0%	top 79%	90.5%	90.5%
2019	3	100%	top 56%	92.4%	91.2%
2018	3	100%	top 65%	91.2%	90.8%
2017	2	0%	top 70%	89%	88.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Apr 4, 2025	Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA	39 / 49 (662.1484)	5 (177.1428)	26 (167.9772)	46 (152.5028)	30 (164.5256)
Mar 29, 2024	Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA	25 / 42 (669.6344)	38 (163.9772)	31 (162.8000)	23 (169.7144)	3 (173.1428)
Jun 18, 2021	Central Plains Ribfest Day 1 🏅 Holdrege, NE	28 / 40 (660.4572)	35 (159.9660)	13 (171.9656)	15 (169.1544)	32 (159.3712)
May 28, 2021	9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	29 / 46 (666.7888)	29 (166.2516)	27 (166.2972)	25 (166.2628)	26 (167.9772)
Jun 26, 2020	Back to Mayberry Day 1 🏅 Rodney, IA	42 / 53 (651.3716)	37 (162.8460)	47 (158.2628)	26 (167.9772)	32 (162.2856)
Aug 9, 2019	GOBS Que 🏅 Arlington, NE	16 / 29 (645.5312)	8 (170.8112)	14 (165.1200)	18 (164.5600)	27 (145.0400)
May 31, 2019	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	21 / 39 (659.8972)	36 (153.6800)	26 (165.7028)	4 (175.4172)	20 (165.0972)
Apr 26, 2019	Q for a Cause 🏅 Papillion, NE	19 / 32 (665.0060)	27 (161.6456)	24 (161.1088)	2 (176.0116)	22 (166.2400)
May 18, 2018	7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	24 / 42 (656.4688)	19 (166.8228)	22 (161.0972)	10 (171.4288)	30 (157.1200)
May 11, 2018	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	27 / 39 (650.6744)	8 (171.4172)	34 (155.9200)	27 (162.2400)	27 (161.0972)
Apr 20, 2018	Q for a Cause Papillion, NE	28 / 41 (654.1372)	30 (162.8228)	24 (162.2744)	8 (171.9772)	28 (157.0628)
Jul 21, 2017	Riverfest Community Festival Bellevue, NE	31 / 46 (637.0400)	45 (144.5256)	15 (165.0972)	22 (165.1428)	20 (162.2744)
May 12, 2017	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	28 / 39 (641.0400)	28 (162.2400)	14 (169.1428)	31 (157.6800)	37 (151.9772)

SMACKIN' BUTTS BBQ, NE

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

Storylines (11 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

The metronome

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 — 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)