Kentucky Kookers

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

Power ranking

#4775

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1467

peak 1540 · rated over 42 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-03-29

latest 2024-09-13

Best ToY finish

#669

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 42 contests

Avg finish

top 61%

overall standings

Best overall

689.0744 / 720

Master · Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff

Perfect 180s

Current form

654.56 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 656.86 (-2.29)

Walk rate

57%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · Jim Beam BBQ Classic

Consistency

±16.44

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.22 · weakest Brisket (161.05)

Road miles

3,337

mi across 42 mapped stops · furthest 130 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1571)

Purse competed for

$93K

listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 11 state-championship entries

Master avg

656.86 / 720

42 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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

689.0744 career-best overall

95.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 689.0744 at Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff — 95.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-10-14

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE has finished one call ahead of Kentucky Kookers 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 39%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 39%

A tough matchup

30–2 behind in the head-to-head

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead in 94% of their meetings

BLUE CHIP BBQ has come out ahead in 30 of their 32 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.17 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 21%.

Brisket avg 161.05
Chicken avg 167.22
5 calls in 42 entries

A strong matchup

8–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of White Wolf Smokers in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

1.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.9 years, then back at Smoke on the Ohio (2023-09-08).

last seen 2021-10-22
back 2023-09-08

Chicken nemesis

24 of 32 shared chicken entries lost

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BLUE CHIP BBQ has out-cooked them in 24 of 32 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PoCo Porkers has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A March team

Top 50% average finish in March

Something about March: average finish in the top 50% across 5 contests, versus top 61% the rest of the year.

5 March contests
top 61% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,337 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,337 miles across 42 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 130 miles to Benton KY Kiwanis Barbeque Kook Off.

42 mapped stops
furthest 130 mi

The metronome

±2.28% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.28% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.2% of a perfect score
42 contests

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked Jim Beam BBQ Classic every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 3rd

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.

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

DD'S BBQ

#4770 of the rated field

1467 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1516

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1516 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2021-09-10

⚔ Head-to-head

503BACKYARDBBQ

#4754 of the rated field

1467 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1510

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Kentucky Kookers has cooked, 22 to 42, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2023-08-19

⚔ Head-to-head

BLUE MIST BBQ

#4784 of the rated field

1467 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 61%
Peak: 1467

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 18 contests, alongside a 61% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2026-08-01
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Pikes Pits BBQ

#4764 of the rated field

1467 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1467

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 5 years after Kentucky Kookers did, first appearing in 2018.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2022-10-01

⚔ Head-to-head

BLUE SMOKE BBQ OF INDIANA

#4765 of the rated field

1467 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1467

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2023-08-25

⚔ Head-to-head

DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY

#4788 of the rated field

1467 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1507

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1507 at their best, 40 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2024-08-02

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BLUE CHIP BBQ	32	2	30	6%	⚔ compare
HOBBIE BAR-B-Q	26	11	15	42%	⚔ compare
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	26	1	25	4%	⚔ compare
Pappy Q	24	7	17	29%	⚔ compare
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS	24	4	20	17%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	22	3	19	14%	⚔ compare
Z SMOKE	20	13	7	65%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	18	12	6	67%	⚔ compare
SON SEEKERS BBQ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
EAT MOR BUTT BBQ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
GREY STREET BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	42	9	1	3	179.4400	151.3600	167.22	top 51%
Pork Ribs	42	11	0	1	176.5716	147.3716	164.08	top 56%
Pork	42	6	0	2	175.4516	146.8570	164.50	top 59%
Brisket	42	5	0	0	176.5600	141.6232	161.05	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
KY	25	top 60%
IN	12	top 67%
TN	5	top 51%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 72%
Medium (20–39)	21	top 62%
Large (40+)	19	top 58%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off	7	6	top 59%	2021-10-15
Jim Beam BBQ Classic	7	3	top 64%	2019-10-04
Smoke on the Ohio	4	12	top 63%	2024-09-13
Smokin' For Garrett	4	19	top 75%	2021-10-22
Smoke on the Shores	2	23	top 39%	2018-03-09
*Smokin For Garrett	2	25	top 78%	2017-06-02
Grillin N Chillin BBQ	2	14	top 46%	2015-09-25

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

On the trail 11.5 yrs 2013-03-29 → 2024-09-13

Busiest season 2013 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 11 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KY 25 of 42 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 21 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 42 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.22 · weakest Brisket (161.05)

Walk rate 57% a top-10 call in 24 of 42 contests

Overall top-10 rate 7% 3 of 42 contests

Master average 656.86 out of 720 · 42 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 597 669–950 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,337 42 mapped stops · furthest 130 mi

Schedule strength 1571 average field rating faced — tougher than 56% of rated contests

Purse competed for $92,980 listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 11 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.9 yrs 2021-10-22 → 2023-09-08

Power rating 1467 peak 1540 · #4775 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Mar 29 First tracked contest Benton KY Kiwanis Barbeque Kook Off
Mar 29 First call Benton KY Kiwanis Barbeque Kook Off
Mar 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.9996 Benton KY Kiwanis Barbeque Kook Off
Oct 4 First overall top-10 Jim Beam BBQ Classic
Oct 4 First overall podium Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2014
Oct 3 10th tracked contest Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2015
Sep 25 Peak power rating (1540) Grillin N Chillin BBQ
2016
Oct 14 Career-best overall score689.0744 Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff
2017
Oct 6 25th tracked contest Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2018
Oct 5 First category win (Chicken) Jim Beam BBQ Classic
Oct 5 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2024
Sep 13 Most recent contest Smoke on the Ohio

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2013-10-04
+12.6	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff	2016-10-14
+12.2	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off	2014-10-17
+10	Smoke on the Shores	2018-03-09
+7.7	*Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off	2017-10-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.9	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2015-10-02
-10.5	Smokin For Garrett	2019-04-26
-9	*Smokin For Garrett	2018-04-27
-8.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2016-05-13
-8.9	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2019-10-04

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 54%	92.8%	92.8%
2023	1	0	0	0%	top 72%	90.4%	90.4%
2021	3	0	0	33%	top 77%	92.8%	90.4%
2020	1	0	0	100%	top 59%	91.3%	91.3%
2019	6	0	0	0%	top 72%	93.6%	90.3%
2018	4	0	1	75%	top 59%	94%	91.1%
2017	5	0	0	20%	top 72%	93.8%	91.3%
2016	6	1	0	83%	top 65%	95.7%	91.6%
2015	4	0	0	75%	top 61%	93.5%	91.8%
2014	4	1	0	75%	top 39%	94.3%	92.7%
2013	7	1	0	86%	top 46%	95.5%	90.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-09-13	Smoke on the Ohio 🏅 Mt. Vernon, IN	15 / 28 (668.4228)	15 (167.9772)	15 (166.8228)	17 (163.9428)	9 (169.6800)
2023-09-08	Smoke on the Ohio 🏅 Mt. Vernon, IN	18 / 25 (651.2112)	14 (167.3828)	18 (160.5028)	22 (156.5028)	14 (166.8228)
2021-10-22	Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN	19 / 27 (658.1028)	17 (165.0972)	13 (166.2400)	15 (166.8228)	20 (159.9428)
2021-10-15	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Munfordville, KY	23 / 27 (667.8744)	14 (173.7028)	23 (163.3944)	20 (166.8344)	25 (163.9428)
2021-09-10	Smoke on the Ohio 🏅 Mt. Vernon, IN	12 / 16 (627.2004)	7 (167.9656)	11 (161.0856)	11 (156.5260)	15 (141.6232)
2020-10-23	Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN	24 / 41 (657.1432)	29 (160.5716)	2 (176.5716)	12 (170.8572)	38 (149.1428)
2019-10-18	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Munfordville, KY	25 / 31 (649.5432)	27 (157.6800)	27 (158.2288)	16 (168.5372)	23 (165.0972)
2019-10-04	Jim Beam BBQ Classic 🏅 Springfield, KY	39 / 42 (639.8060)	41 (154.7772)	21 (166.8344)	38 (157.1088)	32 (161.0856)
2019-09-13	Smoke On the Ohio 🏅 Mt.Vernon, IN	14 / 28 (646.6856)	12 (164.5256)	17 (160.5716)	16 (165.0856)	16 (156.5028)
2019-04-26	Smokin For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN	22 / 26 (636.3776)	12 (169.6800)	26 (147.9316)	20 (160.5256)	19 (158.2404)
2019-04-05	Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off 🏅 Franklin, KY	21 / 28 (655.8056)	16 (166.8228)	22 (162.8116)	21 (163.9428)	22 (162.2284)
2019-03-08	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN	32 / 67 (674.2060)	11 (174.2972)	26 (169.1200)	54 (161.1088)	28 (169.6800)
2018-10-19	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	20 / 29 (659.8056)	14 (169.6684)	10 (168.5372)	23 (162.2400)	23 (159.3600)
2018-10-05	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	20 / 42 (667.9088)	1 (179.4400)	41 (155.3716)	13 (169.1200)	26 (163.9772)
2018-04-27	*Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN	33 / 38 (618.0232)	37 (155.3716)	36 (147.3716)	34 (152.4800)	21 (162.8000)
2018-03-09	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	27 / 87 (676.5032)	54 (166.2400)	9 (175.4172)	42 (168.5944)	46 (166.2516)
2017-10-20	*Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off Munfordville, KY	14 / 36 (675.3368)	25 (165.0856)	8 (171.4400)	6 (171.9656)	13 (166.8456)
2017-10-06	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	39 / 44 (650.7088)	41 (157.6688)	29 (164.5372)	23 (169.6800)	35 (158.8228)
2017-06-02	*Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN	26 / 31 (646.6168)	23 (163.9312)	15 (165.6800)	28 (160.5028)	26 (156.5028)
2017-04-07	First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off(TEAMS FULL) Bowling Green, KY	27 / 40 (660.4800)	16 (169.1428)	35 (158.8000)	30 (163.9772)	19 (168.5600)
2017-03-10	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	50 / 62 (652.9488)	41 (166.2400)	26 (167.3944)	47 (162.2400)	56 (157.0744)
2016-10-14	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff Munfordville, KY	8 / 34 (689.0744)	27 (166.2284)	4 (174.2744)	6 (175.4516)	8 (173.1200)
2016-09-30	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	33 / 43 (656.4116)	24 (169.1200)	29 (166.8344)	18 (168.5256)	41 (151.9316)
2016-09-16	Nebo Fall Festival and BBQ Competition Nebo, KY	17 / 20 (656.4688)	4 (172.5600)	19 (157.6916)	15 (164.5372)	17 (161.6800)
2016-05-20	Smokin' for Garrett Boonville, IN	25 / 35 (647.3032)	22 (164.5372)	9 (168.5716)	16 (167.9772)	32 (146.2172)
2016-05-13	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Bowling Green, KY	25 / 29 (632.9488)	27 (151.3600)	27 (153.6916)	26 (155.9200)	6 (171.9772)
2016-03-11	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	23 / 49 (673.1204)	4 (176.5600)	13 (170.2972)	15 (170.8572)	45 (155.4060)
2015-10-16	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	16 / 34 (669.6228)	23 (166.2400)	7 (170.8572)	13 (170.2856)	22 (162.2400)
2015-10-02	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	42 / 45 (632.9028)	22 (169.6684)	37 (160.5372)	40 (158.8000)	44 (143.8972)
2015-09-25	Grillin N Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	14 / 38 (667.8976)	15 (170.2744)	17 (163.9660)	3 (175.4400)	25 (158.2172)
2015-09-18	Nebo Fall Festival BBQ Nebo, KY	11 / 16 (673.0512)	9 (171.9656)	12 (168.0000)	11 (167.9656)	11 (165.1200)
2014-10-17	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	6 / 32 (678.7772)	13 (168.5600)	4 (173.1200)	10 (168.5372)	12 (168.5600)
2014-10-03	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	18 / 44 (676.4800)	22 (169.6800)	9 (173.7028)	20 (169.7028)	25 (163.3944)
2014-09-26	Grillin N Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	24 / 43 (658.7200)	13 (170.2628)	36 (157.0972)	3 (174.2628)	28 (157.0972)
2014-04-03	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out Evansville, IN	25 / 64 (654.8004)	28 (164.5372)	32 (162.3088)	41 (161.1200)	15 (166.8344)
2013-10-18	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	29 / 40 (638.1144)	26 (160.5484)	36 (153.0860)	35 (158.2400)	15 (166.2400)
2013-10-04	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	3 / 41 (687.9432)	4 (177.7144)	6 (171.9888)	26 (161.6800)	4 (176.5600)
2013-09-27	Grillin and Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	21 / 45 (661.5888)	4 (176.0000)	31 (161.1088)	25 (163.9772)	28 (160.5028)
2013-06-21	Queen City Cook-Off Clarksville, TN	18 / 39 (667.9998)	30 (163.4282)	35 (158.2860)	7 (173.1428)	7 (173.1428)
2013-06-14	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Lexington, KY	11 / 27 (635.4286)	3 (170.2858)	12 (160.5714)	26 (146.8570)	13 (157.7144)
2013-04-05	1st Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out Evansville, IN	31 / 50 (632.5710)	11 (165.1428)	9 (168.0000)	40 (152.5714)	43 (146.8568)
2013-03-29	Benton KY Kiwanis Barbeque Kook Off Benton, KY	18 / 40 (655.9996)	3 (175.4284)	19 (162.8572)	18 (164.5714)	32 (153.1426)

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
2021 ↗	Master	#735 (188 pts)	#693 (238 pts)	#731 (223 pts)	#712 (213 pts)	#832 (168 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#842 (65 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#448 (260 pts)	#682 (125 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#887 (315 pts)	#737 (460 pts)	#950 (315 pts)	#847 (370 pts)	#900 (335 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#669 (461 pts)	#420 (741 pts)	#661 (501 pts)	#724 (461 pts)	#597 (536 pts)