Handsome Devil

Handsome Devil is a competition barbecue team with 33 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 5th of 35 at the NYC BBQ Cookoff (2016). They are ranked #1804 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,804

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1547

peak 1589 · rated over 33 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 26, 2013

latest Oct 11, 2024 · 11.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#549

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

12% of 33 contests

Avg finish

top 49%

overall standings

Best overall

672.0572 / 720

Master · Sun BBQ Fest

Perfect 180s

Current form

639.64 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 644.52 (-4.88)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.2628

Pork · Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest

Consistency

±15.81

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 162.76 · weakest Brisket (159.94)

Road miles

4,175

across 33 mapped stops · furthest 228 mi

Schedule strength

45%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)

Purse competed for

$65K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

644.52 / 720

33 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

672.0572 career-best overall

93.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 672.0572 at Sun BBQ Fest — 93.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 3, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Chicken Chokers has finished one call ahead of Handsome Devil 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 33%.

6 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 33%

A tough matchup

24–2 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 92% of their meetings

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 24 of their 26 shared contests.

A strong matchup

13–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of THE OUTLAW BBQ NY in 13 of their 13 shared contests.

The comeback

5.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.2 years, then back at MD State BBQ Bash (Oct 11, 2024).

last seen Aug 9, 2019
back Oct 11, 2024

Pork Ribs nemesis

18 of 26 shared pork ribs entries lost

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has out-cooked them in 18 of 26 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 4 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

GREENWITCH QUE CO. has landed one call behind them 3 times.

The long haul

4,175 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,175 miles across 33 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 228 miles to Maryland State BBQ Bash.

33 mapped stops
furthest 228 mi

The metronome

±2.20% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.20% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.5% of a perfect score
33 contests

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Hudson Valley Ribfest every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 14th

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	#939 (292 pts)	#1109 (237 pts)	#823 (387 pts)	#1038 (267 pts)	#646 (527 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#765 (429 pts)	#831 (409 pts)	#609 (599 pts)	#936 (344 pts)	#671 (544 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#577 (685 pts)	#590 (680 pts)	#522 (765 pts)	#795 (505 pts)	#584 (675 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#549 (723 pts)	#623 (653 pts)	#352 (1,058 pts)	#717 (558 pts)	#496 (828 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#697 (510 pts)	#677 (565 pts)	#609 (640 pts)	#567 (680 pts)	#750 (490 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1766 (134 pts)	#1522 (184 pts)	#1823 (134 pts)	#1838 (134 pts)	#1817 (134 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#994 (291 pts)	#1492 (161 pts)	#629 (531 pts)	#984 (321 pts)	#1370 (186 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Handsome Devil, each with one reason worth a look.

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

SMOKIN' WITH POPS BBQ TEAM

#1,793 of the rated field

1548 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1563

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Handsome Devil)

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

rated over 35 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY

#1,798 of the rated field

1548 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1584

They've been 1584 at their best, 37 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 39 contests
last seen Oct 7, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BBQ

#1,792 of the rated field

1548 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1577

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 51 contests to 33.

rated over 51 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

TNT Explosive BBQ

#1,810 of the rated field

1547 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1568

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 21 contests, alongside a 33% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 1, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

COOL GRILLING

#1,799 of the rated field

1548 power rating

Contests: 65
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1560

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 62 contests
last seen Oct 20, 2023
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

HOGS GONE WILD BBQ

#1,800 of the rated field

1548 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1580

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

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jan 28, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	26	2	24	8%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ	23	3	20	13%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	23	2	21	9%	⚔ compare
Q HAVEN BBQ	20	7	13	35%	⚔ compare
Chicken Chokers	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
ACK-QUE	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
INSANE SWINE BBQ	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
GREENWITCH QUE CO.	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
THE BASIC BBQ TEAM	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
A MAZIE Q	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
FIRE DOWN BELOW	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
PADDY MCQ'S	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
THE OUTLAW BBQ NY	13	13	0	100%	⚔ compare
RIBS WITHIN	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	3	0	0	170.3316	148.5144	161.81	top 54%
Pork Ribs	33	12	2	6	173.1428	149.7144	162.76	top 42%
Pork	33	2	0	2	174.2628	143.3600	160.01	top 54%
Brisket	33	8	0	1	172.5716	139.3600	159.94	top 46%

“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)	17	0	top 50%
Large (40+)	16	0	top 47%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CT	11	top 51%
NY	9	top 42%
VT	7	top 50%
MD	3	top 63%
NJ	1	top 49%
NH	1	top 27%
DE	1	top 47%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Hudson Valley Ribfest	6	14	top 43%	Aug 17, 2018
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	5	10	top 53%	May 4, 2019
The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival	4	9	top 51%	Jul 27, 2019
Sun BBQ Fest	4	15	top 46%	Jun 2, 2018
Maryland State BBQ Bash	2	11	top 53%	Aug 9, 2019
Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ	2	16	top 63%	Jul 25, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 7 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CT 11 of 33 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 16 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 587 finished ahead 792 times, behind 720

Longest layoff 5.2 yrs Aug 9, 2019 → Oct 11, 2024

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

20241 milestone

Oct 11 Most recent contest MD State BBQ Bash

20182 milestones

Jun 2 25th tracked contest Sun BBQ Fest
Aug 10 Peak power rating (1589) Maryland State BBQ Bash

20171 milestone

Jun 3 Career-best overall score672.0572 Sun BBQ Fest

20152 milestones

May 29 Career-best single call (Pork)174.2628 Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest
Aug 14 10th tracked contest Hudson Valley Ribfest

20135 milestones

Jul 26 First tracked contest The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ
Jul 26 First call The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ
Jul 26 First overall top-10 The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ
Jul 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.4288 The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ
Aug 16 First category win (Pork Ribs) Hudson Valley Ribfest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.8	NYC BBQ Cookoff	Apr 8, 2016
+11.4	The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ	Jul 26, 2013
+9.4	Sun BBQ Fest	Jun 3, 2017
+9	Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest	May 29, 2015
+8.4	Hudson Valley Ribfest	Aug 19, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.7	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival	Jul 27, 2019
-7.8	Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ	Jul 25, 2014
-7.5	MD State BBQ Bash	Oct 11, 2024
-7.5	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	May 5, 2018
-7.3	Sun BBQFest	Jun 1, 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)
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 85%	89.5%	89.5%
2019	4	0	0	75%	top 70%	90.5%	88.7%
2018	5	0	0	80%	top 51%	92.3%	90.1%
2017	6	1	0	67%	top 33%	93.3%	90.4%
2016	7	2	1	57%	top 47%	93.1%	88.9%
2015	6	0	0	33%	top 45%	92.1%	89.9%
2014	2	0	0	0%	top 66%	87.2%	86.9%
2013	2	1	1	100%	top 25%	92.1%	90.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 11, 2024	MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD	22 / 26 (644.3544)	20 (165.0972)	24 (158.8116)	15 (168.5256)	26 (151.9200)
Aug 9, 2019	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	23 / 30 (629.5660)	25 (157.0744)	23 (158.2628)	28 (149.6572)	13 (164.5716)
Jul 27, 2019	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival 🏅 Windsor, VT	28 / 33 (636.4112)	33 (152.5028)	29 (156.5372)	21 (162.2628)	10 (165.1084)
Jun 1, 2019	Sun BBQFest 🏅 Uncasville, CT	44 / 61 (635.9428)	57 (151.3828)	54 (149.7144)	33 (162.8228)	6 (172.0228)
May 4, 2019	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival 🏅 Ridgefield, CT	14 / 29 (651.9200)	23 (159.9772)	4 (172.0344)	21 (157.0856)	15 (162.8228)
Aug 17, 2018	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	40 / 58 (635.2456)	48 (155.3484)	37 (159.9772)	30 (160.5372)	26 (159.3828)
Aug 10, 2018	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	11 / 38 (664.4680)	20 (163.9656)	3 (173.1428)	16 (162.8112)	17 (164.5484)
Jul 28, 2018	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival Windsor, VT	16 / 34 (650.1252)	15 (165.6568)	5 (169.1428)	26 (156.5028)	18 (158.8228)
Jun 2, 2018	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	22 / 59 (658.8000)	18 (168.5372)	34 (159.4056)	28 (163.4172)	8 (167.4400)
May 5, 2018	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	30 / 40 (633.5884)	30 (157.6456)	26 (154.8572)	35 (154.2400)	10 (166.8456)
Aug 18, 2017	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	17 / 59 (654.8000)	9 (170.3316)	24 (159.9772)	21 (162.2400)	21 (162.2512)
Aug 4, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Windsor, CT	13 / 30 (651.3368)	22 (159.3828)	2 (172.5600)	19 (161.1084)	18 (158.2856)
Jul 29, 2017	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival Windsor, VT	11 / 30 (650.8116)	18 (161.1544)	18 (160.5488)	12 (162.2628)	4 (166.8456)
Jun 3, 2017	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	15 / 73 (672.0572)	15 (169.7256)	21 (169.1544)	29 (165.7488)	25 (167.4284)
May 6, 2017	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	10 / 38 (638.1488)	5 (167.4172)	7 (163.9772)	30 (146.2400)	7 (160.5144)
Apr 7, 2017	NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	17 / 43 (639.9652)	21 (160.5484)	15 (161.1772)	17 (160.0112)	22 (158.2284)
Sep 24, 2016	Red White and Que Cresskill, NJ	20 / 41 (638.2288)	38 (148.5144)	5 (166.8688)	19 (161.1084)	18 (161.7372)
Aug 19, 2016	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	14 / 52 (658.8572)	25 (164.5828)	21 (162.2972)	16 (166.2744)	13 (165.7028)
Jul 23, 2016	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival Windsor, VT	9 / 26 (670.2404)	10 (169.1428)	7 (169.7144)	19 (158.8116)	3 (172.5716)
Jun 11, 2016	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	53 / 69 (627.3372)	47 (160.0116)	57 (153.6800)	33 (161.7028)	47 (151.9428)
May 20, 2016	Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	20 / 32 (604.9600)	11 (159.4056)	11 (158.8116)	26 (147.3828)	25 (139.3600)
Apr 30, 2016	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	26 / 39 (620.5144)	14 (162.8456)	7 (164.5944)	36 (143.3600)	30 (149.7144)
Apr 8, 2016	NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	5 / 35 (660.5260)	16 (161.1544)	1 (169.7028)	16 (161.6916)	4 (167.9772)
Aug 14, 2015	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	29 / 57 (621.0284)	12 (165.6912)	23 (160.5716)	45 (148.5028)	41 (146.2628)
Jul 25, 2015	Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	16 / 35 (660.4688)	29 (159.9428)	3 (172.6060)	12 (166.2400)	20 (161.6800)
Jun 13, 2015	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	26 / 52 (650.8800)	19 (168.5828)	17 (166.3088)	18 (167.3940)	44 (148.5944)
May 29, 2015	Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest Swanzey, NH	13 / 49 (662.7772)	12 (169.7028)	38 (153.6688)	3 (174.2628)	15 (165.1428)
May 2, 2015	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	15 / 30 (651.9772)	15 (163.3828)	13 (163.4400)	15 (163.4516)	13 (161.7028)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	47 / 99 (637.0628)	49 (161.1428)	78 (151.9544)	25 (163.9656)	45 (160)
Aug 16, 2014	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	31 / 60 (627.8964)	25 (161.6684)	30 (158.8112)	30 (155.4284)	39 (151.9884)
Jul 25, 2014	Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	27 / 34 (623.3372)	15 (162.2972)	25 (155.4172)	28 (153.7028)	28 (151.9200)
Aug 16, 2013	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	16 / 51 (642.2168)	34 (154.8456)	1 (172.5600)	22 (160)	22 (154.8112)
Jul 26, 2013	The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	6 / 31 (663.4288)	19 (161.1428)	3 (170.8916)	3 (171.4172)	17 (159.9772)

Handsome Devil

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)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)