Half-Inked BBQ

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

Power ranking

#5636

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1447

peak 1447 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2021-06-12

latest 2026-08-08

Best ToY finish

#604

Master 2025

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 15 contests

Avg finish

top 75%

overall standings

Best overall

681.0856 / 720

Master · Mass in May (Day 2)

Perfect 180s

Current form

665.30 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 655.92 (+9.37)

Walk rate

47%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · Mass in May (Day 2)

Consistency

±12.27

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.78 · weakest Chicken (163.40)

Road miles

353

mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 128 mi

Schedule strength

45%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)

Purse competed for

$58K

listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 12 state-championship entries

Master avg

655.92 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 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.

High-water mark

681.0856 career-best overall

94.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.0856 at Mass in May (Day 2) — 94.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2026-05-16

A tough matchup

12–0 behind in the head-to-head

FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY ahead in 100% of their meetings

FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Pray For Me BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

11 of 12 shared pork entries lost

FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY ahead 92% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY has out-cooked them in 11 of 12 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Mullen It Over BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

The metronome

±1.70% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.70% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.1% of a perfect score
15 contests

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.

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

33 Smokers

#5628 of the rated field

1447 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1505 at their best, 58 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-09-19

⚔ Head-to-head

CAVEMEN BBQ TEAM

#5644 of the rated field

1446 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Half-Inked BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKING BEER BBQ

#5646 of the rated field

1446 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1446

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2023-03-31

⚔ Head-to-head

BENTWOOD SMOKERS

#5625 of the rated field

1447 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1447

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2018-04-20

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKI BROS. BBQ

#5624 of the rated field

1447 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1447

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2013, 8 years before Half-Inked BBQ's first contest.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2017-09-22

⚔ Head-to-head

Sixkiller BBQ

#5627 of the rated field

1447 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1447

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2026-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Mullen It Over BBQ	12	7	5	58%	⚔ compare
ELJEFE SMOKE	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
HOG WASH BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Let It Smoke Barbecue	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
STICKS & STONES BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Morning Wood BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Q Shanty	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Up-2 BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Matt's Backyard BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Titans of BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
American Barbecue Company	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	14	3	178.8572	145.0856	163.40	top 69%
Pork Ribs	14	1	172.5600	155.3716	163.98	top 68%
Pork	13	2	175.4056	153.0972	164.78	top 61%
Brisket	13	3	172.5484	151.9772	163.50	top 63%

“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	Avg finish
MA	11	top 74%
NY	1	top 79%
NH	1	top 91%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 79%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 76%
Large (40+)	1	top 62%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Massachusetts in May (Day 2)	4	19	top 79%	2025-05-17
Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)	3	18	top 72%	2023-09-23
Trillium BBQ Throwdown	2	15	top 84%	2026-08-08

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.2 yrs 2021-06-12 → 2026-08-08

Busiest season 2026 4 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MA 13 of 15 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 7 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 14 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 164.78 · weakest Chicken (163.40)

Walk rate 47% a top-10 call in 7 of 15 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 15 contests

Master average 655.92 out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 119 95–267 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 353 15 mapped stops · furthest 128 mi

Schedule strength 1558 average field rating faced — tougher than 45% of rated contests

Purse competed for $57,850 listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 12 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.3 yrs 2021-06-12 → 2022-10-01

Power rating 1447 peak 1447 · #5636 of 6,413 rated

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

2021
Jun 12 First tracked contest Granite State BBQ Championship
2022
Oct 1 First call Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
Oct 1 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.1316 Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
Oct 1 Peak power rating (1491) Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
2025
May 17 10th tracked contest Massachusetts in May (Day 2)
2026
May 16 Career-best overall score681.0856 Mass in May (Day 2)
May 16 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Mass in May (Day 2)
Aug 8 Most recent contest Trillium BBQ Throwdown

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+7.7	Mass in May (Day 2)	2026-05-16
+0.6	Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	2022-10-01

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.1	Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1)	2023-09-22
-9.8	Granite State BBQ Championship	2021-06-12
-9.3	Massachusetts in May (Day 1)	2024-05-17
-9	Massachusetts in May (Day 2)	2024-05-18
-7.8	Trillium BBQ Throwdown	2026-08-08

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	4	50%	top 67%	94.6%	92.7%
2025	3	100%	top 70%	92.7%	92.2%
2024	3	33%	top 83%	91%	90.3%
2023	3	0%	top 80%	92.4%	90.7%
2022	1	100%	top 55%	91.3%	91.3%
2021	1	0%	top 91%	87.8%	87.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-08-08	Trillium BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Canton, MA	23 / 25 (653.5540)	25 (155.9084)	24 (155.9772)	5 (175.4056)	16 (166.2628)
2026-05-16	Mass in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	13 / 31 (681.0856)	4 (178.8572)	27 (156.5600)	10 (173.1200)	8 (172.5484)
2026-05-16	Mass in May (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Wrentham, MA	—	14 (168.5828)	—	—	—
2026-05-16	Mass in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) Wrentham, MA	—	—	20 (155.3716)	—	—
2025-08-09	Trillium BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Canton, MA	15 / 20 (664.4920)	10 (170.8688)	16 (166.2400)	14 (166.8228)	16 (160.5604)
2025-05-17	Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	19 / 29 (667.4060)	6 (174.2628)	25 (165.6800)	13 (169.7600)	22 (157.7032)
2025-05-16	Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	19 / 27 (659.9424)	23 (159.3712)	8 (172.5484)	11 (166.8800)	19 (161.1428)
2024-10-26	Weekend of Giving 🏅 Wrentham, MA	17 / 25 (654.8344)	13 (168.5944)	12 (166.8800)	23 (153.0972)	8 (166.2628)
2024-05-18	Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	28 / 31 (655.3256)	28 (159.9312)	29 (159.4288)	12 (171.4400)	27 (164.5256)
2024-05-17	Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA	27 / 30 (641.0744)	29 (153.6800)	17 (167.4172)	22 (160.5600)	23 (159.4172)
2023-09-23	Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Southwick, MA	26 / 42 (665.5888)	34 (164.5372)	13 (172.5600)	32 (165.6800)	29 (162.8116)
2023-09-22	Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Southwick, MA	31 / 31 (641.0400)	31 (145.0856)	12 (171.4172)	31 (158.2628)	18 (166.2744)
2023-06-24	Frog Alley BREW-B-QUE Cookoff Schenectady, NY	15 / 19 (653.0632)	15 (164.5372)	16 (162.2516)	16 (159.9772)	13 (166.2972)
2022-10-01	Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Southwick, MA	18 / 33 (657.1316)	25 (161.1660)	19 (164.5828)	18 (161.6800)	9 (169.7028)
2021-06-12	Granite State BBQ Championship 🏅 Hancock, NH	29 / 32 (632.4568)	20 (162.2628)	23 (158.8112)	23 (159.4056)	28 (151.9772)

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
2025 ↗	Master	#604 (261 pts)	#566 (351 pts)	#650 (291 pts)	#548 (336 pts)	#655 (241 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#974 (111 pts)	#1061 (111 pts)	#920 (151 pts)	#782 (191 pts)	#861 (145 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#716 (210 pts)	#768 (210 pts)	#637 (330 pts)	#750 (205 pts)	#674 (255 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1183 (93 pts)	#1621 (58 pts)	#1297 (88 pts)	#1231 (93 pts)	#944 (143 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1511 (57 pts)	#1193 (82 pts)	#1286 (67 pts)	#1241 (67 pts)	#1504 (57 pts)