High-water mark
682.8116
career-best overall
94.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 682.8116 at The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) — 94.8% of a perfect 720.
- Competitor Series
- Jun 11, 2021
Holy Smoke
Holy Smoke is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 4th of 20 at The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) (2021). They are ranked #5233 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1457
peak 1507 · rated over 12 contests7 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
25
in the data
First seen
May 3, 2013
latest Sep 18, 2026 · 13.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podium
Overall top-10s
6
24% of 25 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 61%
overall standings
Best overall
682.8116 / 720
Competitor Series · The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
610.56 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 625.01 (-14.45)
Walk rate
44%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±48.32
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 163.72 · weakest Brisket (155.91)
Road miles
31,278
across 25 mapped stops · furthest 4,883 mi
Schedule strength
27%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1537)
Purse competed for
$59K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
625.01 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Holy Smoke, each with one reason worth a look.
117 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5,244 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1457
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Holy Smoke)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Holy Smoke has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#5,218 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1501
They've been 1501 at their best, 43 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#5,243 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1457
Fewer contests behind them than Holy Smoke has cooked, 10 to 25, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#5,222 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1507
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#5,232 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1457
They turned up 9 years after Holy Smoke did, first appearing in 2022.
⚔ Compare careers#5,236 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1457
Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before Holy Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BLAZERS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| RTQue | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad company cookers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQR'S DELIGHT | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD'S GRILLIN CREW | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| M-1 Smokin' Guns | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| Daddy-Jacks BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| BOARder Line BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| VanBand BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| DC's Backyard Smokers | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT MALONE'S PIG SHACK | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogs B Hatin' | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Killer B Backyard BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Pig Destroyer | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 176.5600 | 141.6228 | 163.17 | top 59% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 135.9428 | 160.81 | top 60% |
| Pork | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 171.4400 | 152.4800 | 163.72 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 169.1544 | 142.8000 | 155.91 | top 65% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 78% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 0 | top 57% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 61% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 4 | 17 | 0 | top 66% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 25% | Jun 10, 2022 |
| Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 27% | Apr 28, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
4 contests
Contests a season
1.9
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
7 of 25 contests · 9 states in all
Contests visited
14
3 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
19 entries · 0 wins · 6 calls
Opponents faced
365
finished ahead 212 times, behind 309
Longest layoff
1.7 yrs
Sep 13, 2019 → Jun 11, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge
- Most recent contest Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge
20211 milestone
- Career-best overall score682.8116 The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20173 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5600 Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
- Peak power rating (1507) Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
- 10th tracked contest Q'ing to Cure Childhood Cancer BBQ Cookoff
20162 milestones
- First overall top-10 Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.0056 Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off
20151 milestone
- First call Bryant's Buzzin' BBQ Bash
20131 milestone
- First tracked contest Smokelawn
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.9 | Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off | Apr 29, 2016 |
| +9.7 | Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off | Apr 28, 2017 |
| +7 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | Jun 7, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.3 | Q'ing to Cure Childhood Cancer BBQ Cookoff | Aug 11, 2017 |
| -12.7 | Bryant's Buzzin' BBQ Bash | Sep 25, 2015 |
| -11.7 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge | Sep 18, 2026 |
| -11.2 | Open Polish BBQ Championship | Sep 13, 2019 |
| -10.2 | Smoke on the Bricks | Aug 20, 2021 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50% | top 66% | 96.3% | 90% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 75% | 91% | 87.7% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 60% | 91.4% | 91.4% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 31% | 92.4% | 92.4% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 56% | 94.8% | 89.1% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 64% | 94.1% | 89.5% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 63% | 94.8% | 84.5% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 27% | 92.9% | 92.9% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 94% | 88.1% | 88.1% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 54% | 89% | 89% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge 🏅 Rutherford College, NC | 29 / 29 (602.5488) | 28 (152.5372) | 29 (153.6460) | 28 (152.4800) | 29 (143.8856) |
| Jul 12, 2026 | BBQ Fest Market Plaza La Chorrera, PO | 9 / 13 (631.2112) | 8 (157.0856) | 10 (153.0628) | 11 (157.6456) | 5 (163.4172) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 23 / 32 (498.2172) | 21 (165.6800) | 19 (168.5944) | 22 (163.9428) | — |
| May 1, 2026 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 5 / 23 (519.9428) | 9 (169.1200) | 8 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 29 / 36 (491.3144) | 28 (162.2400) | 29 (158.2516) | 15 (170.8228) | — |
| Apr 26, 2025 | BBQ Fest Panama Panama, Pa | 16 / 23 (607.9312) | 5 (161.6912) | 23 (135.9428) | 10 (158.3544) | 12 (151.9428) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 17 / 33 (503.3372) | 19 (166.2400) | 12 (169.7144) | 21 (167.3828) | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 18 / 30 (658.1600) | 20 (164.5372) | 25 (155.3944) | 18 (165.1084) | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 8 / 26 (665.0168) | 19 (161.6800) | 14 (159.3828) | 5 (168.5484) | — |
| Aug 20, 2021 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 42 / 46 (599.8400) | 38 (159.9772) | 45 (138.2400) | 39 (158.8228) | 42 (142.8000) |
| Jun 11, 2021 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 4 / 20 (682.8116) | 10 (164.5372) | 5 (173.7144) | 13 (164.5600) | — |
| Sep 13, 2019 | Open Polish BBQ Championship Poland | 21 / 23 (611.2912) | 23 (141.6228) | 15 (163.4056) | 14 (157.7256) | 19 (148.5372) |
| Jun 7, 2019 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR | 19 / 51 (677.6000) | 28 (168.5256) | 5 (175.4172) | 26 (167.3944) | 23 (166.2628) |
| Jul 13, 2018 | 2018 Clayton BBQ Cook-off Clayton, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Smokin on the White Batesville, AR | 12 / 17 (650.6280) | 8 (168.5484) | 12 (158.2056) | 8 (168.5256) | 15 (155.3484) |
| Aug 11, 2017 | Q'ing to Cure Childhood Cancer BBQ Cookoff Conroe, TX | 24 / 26 (493.1088) | — | 17 (160.5488) | 5 (171.4400) | 12 (161.1200) |
| Jul 15, 2017 | 2017 Clayton BBQ Cook-off a KCBS (Competitor Series) event Sponsored by the CBCA Clayton, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 28, 2017 | Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off Stuttgart, AR | 8 / 29 (682.2288) | 5 (176.5600) | 7 (171.9656) | 20 (164.5488) | 9 (169.1544) |
| Aug 5, 2016 | 2016 Clayton Rib Cook-off (COMPETITOR SERIES ) Clayton, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2016 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 29, 2016 | Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off Stuttgart, AR | 7 / 26 (669.0056) | 12 (168.5256) | 2 (176) | 16 (161.6800) | 11 (162.8000) |
| Sep 25, 2015 | Bryant's Buzzin' BBQ Bash Bryant, AR | 15 / 16 (634.1832) | 9 (165.6800) | 16 (152.5372) | 7 (167.4172) | 15 (148.5488) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | 8th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2014 | Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 3, 2013 | Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR | 22 / 41 (640.5716) | 22 (162.2858) | 20 (160.5716) | 22 (160.5714) | 27 (157.1428) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.