Popping Smoke Barbecue

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

Power ranking

#3430

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1494

peak 1506 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2019-08-16

latest 2024-08-23

Best ToY finish

#570

Master 2024

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

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

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.48 · weakest Brisket (160.60)

Road miles

597

mi 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 🏅

GCs in 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.13 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

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
2022-08-26

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 (2021-08-27).

last seen 2019-08-16
back 2021-08-27

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.

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

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.

122 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

#3433 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 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 2022-01-14

⚔ Head-to-head

Three Little Pigs

#3436 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1494

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2021-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Black Sail BBQ

#3444 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

Mates Nice Rack BBQ

#3427 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-07-11

⚔ Head-to-head

NAISMITH BBQ

#3425 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

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 2023-09-27

⚔ Head-to-head

PIT ROW BBQ

#3426 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1516

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 4 years before Popping Smoke Barbecue's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

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 state / province

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

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 68%
Medium (20–39)	5	top 56%
Large (40+)	1	top 59%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Montana Pitmaster Classic	3	17	0	top 56%	2024-08-23
East Helena Smoke Show	2	13	0	top 67%	2024-08-09

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

On the trail 5 yrs 2019-08-16 → 2024-08-23

Busiest season 2024 3 contests

Contests a season 1.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MT 7 of 8 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 5 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 8 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 165.48 · weakest Brisket (160.60)

Walk rate 75% a top-10 call in 6 of 8 contests

Overall top-10 rate 13% 1 of 8 contests

Master average 651.13 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 126 99–127 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 597 8 mapped stops · furthest 216 mi

Schedule strength 1543 average field rating faced — tougher than 32% of rated contests

Purse competed for $85,475 listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 8 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2019-08-16 → 2021-08-27

Power rating 1494 peak 1506 · #3430 of 6,413 rated

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

2019
Aug 16 First tracked contest Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival
2021
Aug 27 First call Montana Pitmaster Classic
2022
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
2024
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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.5	Montana Pitmaster Classic	2021-08-27
+3	Montana Pitmaster Classic	2022-08-26

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.3	East Helena Smoke Show	2024-08-09
-2.5	Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off	2024-07-27
-2.4	Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival	2019-08-16
-2.2	Montana Pitmaster Classic	2024-08-23
-1.5	East Helena Smoke Show	2023-08-05

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	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
2024-08-23	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	25 / 39 (664.4800)	32 (161.0856)	29 (165.1200)	6 (175.4744)	29 (162.8000)
2024-08-09	East Helena Smoke Show 🏅 East Helena, MT	13 / 18 (638.6628)	13 (160.5144)	9 (165.1428)	17 (155.9428)	13 (157.0628)
2024-07-27	Blowin' Smoke Barbecue Cook Off 🏅 Dillon, MT	7 / 11 (636.4688)	4 (166.8344)	6 (162.2744)	9 (153.1200)	7 (154.2400)
2023-08-25	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	26 / 44 (657.0628)	10 (172.5828)	28 (161.7144)	32 (159.3828)	27 (163.3828)
2023-08-05	East Helena Smoke Show 🏅 East Helena, MT	15 / 24 (658.7424)	19 (159.4056)	8 (171.9772)	21 (155.3940)	6 (171.9656)
2022-08-26	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	17 / 37 (673.1316)	11 (171.9888)	16 (169.1200)	15 (169.7256)	23 (162.2972)
2021-08-27	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	12 / 31 (646.3204)	10 (170.8572)	26 (150.2744)	11 (166.9144)	16 (158.2744)
2019-08-16	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)

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
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)