Popping Smoke Barbecue

Popping Smoke Barbecue is a competition barbecue team with 8 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 7th of 11 at the Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off (2024). They are ranked #3441 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,441

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1494

peak 1506 · rated over 8 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 16, 2019

latest Aug 23, 2024 · 5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#570

Master 2024 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

13% of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 59%

overall standings

Best overall

673.1316 / 720

Master · Montana Pitmaster Classic

Perfect 180s

Current form

651.08

last 5 Master vs avg 651.13 (-0.04)

Walk rate

75%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4744

Pork · Montana Pitmaster Classic

Consistency

±13.40

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.48 · weakest Brisket (160.60)

Road miles

597

across 8 mapped stops · furthest 216 mi

Schedule strength

32%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1543)

Purse competed for

$85K

listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.13 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

75% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 6 of 8 contests

A top-10 category call in 75% of their 8 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

673.1316 career-best overall

93.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.1316 at Montana Pitmaster Classic — 93.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 26, 2022

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

Rhythm n QUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

Rhythm n QUE has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.88 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 38%.

Brisket avg 160.60
Chicken avg 165.48
2 calls in 8 entries

A strong matchup

5–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Kick Back BBQ in 5 of their 6 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Montana Pitmaster Classic (Aug 27, 2021).

last seen Aug 16, 2019
back Aug 27, 2021

Chicken nemesis

6 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

Rhythm n QUE ahead 86% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Rhythm n QUE has out-cooked them in 6 of 7 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BIG BOYZ BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The metronome

±1.86% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.86% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.4% of a perfect score
8 contests

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
2024 ↗	Master	#570 (304 pts)	#558 (349 pts)	#614 (339 pts)	#527 (379 pts)	#603 (304 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#833 (159 pts)	#760 (214 pts)	#856 (204 pts)	#957 (129 pts)	#738 (224 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1145 (100 pts)	#1017 (130 pts)	#1227 (105 pts)	#1147 (110 pts)	#1291 (70 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#912 (121 pts)	#937 (131 pts)	#1577 (56 pts)	#938 (126 pts)	#1090 (101 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1814 (80 pts)	#1856 (90 pts)	#1930 (75 pts)	#1730 (110 pts)	#1775 (95 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Popping Smoke Barbecue, each with one reason worth a look.

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

G AND L BBQ

#3,445 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1512

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Popping Smoke Barbecue)

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

rated over 40 contests
last seen Jan 14, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

KYOTEE KOOKERS

#3,451 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1507

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Oct 17, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Mates Nice Rack BBQ

#3,437 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1518

Level with Popping Smoke Barbecue on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKE 'M ALL ST. LOUIS

#3,455 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1514

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before Popping Smoke Barbecue's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Compare careers

NAISMITH BBQ

#3,436 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1510

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Sep 27, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

PORK GONE WYLDE

#3,446 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1519

They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Popping Smoke Barbecue's first contest.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Sep 1, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Rhythm n QUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Kick Back BBQ	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
BIG BOYZ BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Bearded Boar BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMELLAQUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Poor Richard's BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Random Guys Smoking	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
1 Bite BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Last Best BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Shane Edd's BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Outta Left Field BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
202 BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	3	172.5828	159.4056	165.48	top 52%
Pork Ribs	8	3	171.9772	150.2744	162.63	top 59%
Pork	8	2	175.4744	153.1200	162.42	top 59%
Brisket	8	2	171.9656	154.2400	160.60	top 58%

“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)	2	top 68%
Medium (20–39)	5	top 56%
Large (40+)	1	top 59%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MT	7	0	top 58%
WY	1	0	top 67%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Montana Pitmaster Classic	3	17	0	top 56%	Aug 23, 2024
East Helena Smoke Show	2	13	0	top 67%	Aug 9, 2024

More numbers

Busiest season 2024 3 contests

Contests a season 1.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MT 7 of 8 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 5 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 126 finished ahead 99 times, behind 127

Longest layoff 2 yrs Aug 16, 2019 → Aug 27, 2021

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

20243 milestones

Jul 27 First overall top-10 Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off
Aug 23 Career-best single call (Pork)175.4744 Montana Pitmaster Classic
Aug 23 Most recent contest Montana Pitmaster Classic

20223 milestones

Aug 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score673.1316 Montana Pitmaster Classic
Aug 26 Career-best overall score673.1316 Montana Pitmaster Classic
Aug 26 Peak power rating (1506) Montana Pitmaster Classic

20211 milestone

Aug 27 First call Montana Pitmaster Classic

20191 milestone

Aug 16 First tracked contest Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.5	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 27, 2021
+3	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 26, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.3	East Helena Smoke Show	Aug 9, 2024
-2.5	Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off	Jul 27, 2024
-2.5	Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival	Aug 16, 2019
-2.2	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 23, 2024
-1.5	East Helena Smoke Show	Aug 5, 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)
2024	3	1	100%	top 67%	92.3%	89.8%
2023	2	0	100%	top 61%	91.5%	91.4%
2022	1	0	0%	top 46%	93.5%	93.5%
2021	1	0	100%	top 39%	89.8%	89.8%
2019	1	0	0%	top 67%	88.1%	88.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 23, 2024	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	25 / 39 (664.4800)	32 (161.0856)	29 (165.1200)	6 (175.4744)	29 (162.8000)
Aug 9, 2024	East Helena Smoke Show 🏅 East Helena, MT	13 / 18 (638.6628)	13 (160.5144)	9 (165.1428)	17 (155.9428)	13 (157.0628)
Jul 27, 2024	Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off 🏅 Dillon, MT	7 / 11 (636.4688)	4 (166.8344)	6 (162.2744)	9 (153.1200)	7 (154.2400)
Aug 25, 2023	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	26 / 44 (657.0628)	10 (172.5828)	28 (161.7144)	32 (159.3828)	27 (163.3828)
Aug 5, 2023	East Helena Smoke Show 🏅 East Helena, MT	15 / 24 (658.7424)	19 (159.4056)	8 (171.9772)	21 (155.3940)	6 (171.9656)
Aug 26, 2022	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	17 / 37 (673.1316)	11 (171.9888)	16 (169.1200)	15 (169.7256)	23 (162.2972)
Aug 27, 2021	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	12 / 31 (646.3204)	10 (170.8572)	26 (150.2744)	11 (166.9144)	16 (158.2744)
Aug 16, 2019	Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY	20 / 30 (634.1484)	18 (160.5828)	21 (155.3944)	14 (163.4056)	17 (154.7656)

Popping Smoke Barbecue

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 (9 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The metronome

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 — 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)