SmokeMasters BBQ

SmokeMasters BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2020 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 4th of 28 at the University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest (2025). They are ranked #3629 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,629

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1491

peak 1491 · rated over 7 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 25, 2020

latest Oct 15, 2026 · 6.1 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

10% of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 76%

overall standings

Best overall

698.8340 / 720

Master · University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

659.76 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 652.41 (+7.35)

Walk rate

30%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7144

Brisket · Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard

Consistency

±29.39

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.41 · weakest Brisket (162.99)

Road miles

3,213

across 10 mapped stops · furthest 733 mi

Schedule strength

83%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1610)

Purse competed for

$176K

listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

652.41 / 720

7 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

698.8340 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 698.8340 at University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Mar 14, 2025

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.4 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.43 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 22%.

Brisket avg 162.99
Chicken avg 168.41
2 calls in 10 entries

The comeback

2.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard (Sep 21, 2023).

last seen Jul 23, 2021
back Sep 21, 2023

Chicken nemesis

5 of 6 shared chicken entries lost

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared chicken entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1610 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 83% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1610 power rating — a tougher draw than 83% of every rated contest in the data.

7 rated contests

Boom or bust

±7.22% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±7.22% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 89.3% of a perfect score
best 97.1%

Show 2 more storylines

A September team

Top 65% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 65% across 3 contests, versus top 76% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 76% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,213 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,213 miles across 10 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 733 miles to University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest.

10 mapped stops
furthest 733 mi

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SmokeMasters BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Rub Me Raw BBQ

#3,596 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1516

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SmokeMasters BBQ)

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

rated over 5 contests
last seen Mar 13, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC

#3,634 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1491

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SmokeMasters BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 31 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Nov 3, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokeback Mountain

#3,611 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1504

Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before SmokeMasters BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

⚔ Compare careers

IQue 180

#3,620 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Jun 10, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

FREDDY RAY'S BBQ

#3,614 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1491

They were already cooking in 2013, 7 years before SmokeMasters BBQ's first contest.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

BELLY DOWN BBQ

#3,639 of the rated field

1490 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1490

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

rated over 7 contests
last seen Jul 6, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	2	0	176.5716	150.7656	168.41	top 60%
Pork Ribs	10	0	0	171.9888	152.5372	164.42	top 75%
Pork	10	1	0	177.7028	153.6456	163.85	top 78%
Brisket	10	2	1	177.7144	137.0516	162.99	top 62%

“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)	1	top 94%
Medium (20–39)	6	top 78%
Large (40+)	3	top 65%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
GA	3	top 85%
VA	3	top 97%
IL	2	top 52%
AR	1	top 14%
TN	1	top 91%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)	3	24	0	top 85%	Oct 15, 2026
Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	2	14	0	top 52%	Sep 20, 2024

More numbers

Busiest season 2020 3 contests

Contests a season 1.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 3 of 10 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 7 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 299 finished ahead 103 times, behind 340

Longest layoff 2.2 yrs Jul 23, 2021 → Sep 21, 2023

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

20262 milestones

Oct 15 10th tracked contest Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)
Oct 15 Most recent contest Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)

20252 milestones

Mar 14 First overall top-10 University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest
Mar 14 Career-best overall score698.8340 University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest

20242 milestones

Sep 20 First call Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
Sep 20 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7144 Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard

20231 milestone

Sep 21 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7088 Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard

20202 milestones

Sep 25 First tracked contest TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest
Sep 25 Peak power rating (1491) TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.7	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest	Mar 14, 2025
+14.6	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	Sep 20, 2024

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.3	The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q	Oct 29, 2020
-9.7	Zom-B-Q	Oct 30, 2020
-9.1	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest	Sep 25, 2020
-8.8	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship	Jul 23, 2021
-3.8	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	Sep 21, 2023

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	100%	top 63%	94.6%	94.6%
2025	1	1	100%	top 14%	97.1%	97.1%
2024	2	0	50%	top 62%	96.4%	83.5%
2023	2	0	0%	top 86%	93.3%	91.8%
2021	1	0	0%	top 94%	88.6%	88.6%
2020	3	0	0%	top 96%	88.1%	87.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 15, 2026	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	24 / 38 (681.0400)	4 (176.5716)	33 (167.3828)	35 (163.9772)	13 (173.1084)
Mar 14, 2025	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR	4 / 28 (698.8340)	6 (176.0228)	14 (171.9656)	5 (177.7028)	5 (173.1428)
Oct 17, 2024	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	33 / 33 (508.4800)	—	27 (168.5256)	23 (170.2628)	15 (169.6916)
Sep 20, 2024	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	14 / 58 (694.2404)	30 (173.1200)	19 (171.9888)	29 (171.4172)	3 (177.7144)
Oct 20, 2023	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	32 / 35 (671.8284)	27 (168.5140)	26 (168.5372)	29 (169.6800)	31 (165.0972)
Sep 21, 2023	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	40 / 50 (650.7088)	24 (170.2744)	37 (163.9544)	46 (153.6456)	34 (162.8344)
Jul 23, 2021	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 🏅 Galax, VA	16 / 17 (638.0688)	15 (163.9312)	15 (158.8116)	15 (157.1088)	14 (158.2172)
Oct 30, 2020	Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	32 / 33 (616.9604)	17 (170.2628)	33 (152.5372)	33 (157.1088)	32 (137.0516)
Oct 29, 2020	The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	33 / 33 (633.4744)	29 (166.2512)	31 (154.2172)	33 (155.9316)	31 (157.0744)
Sep 25, 2020	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	43 / 47 (634.6172)	47 (150.7656)	31 (166.2400)	40 (161.6800)	43 (155.9316)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

SmokeMasters BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

Boom or bust

A September team

The long haul

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)