Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.
- Pork ×1
Lucky Smoke
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1619
peak 1619 · rated over 34 contests ⓘ
Contests
35
in the data
First seen
2015-06-19
latest 2024-08-16
Best ToY finish
#309
Master 2019
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
5
11 podiums
Overall top-10s
10
of 35 contests
Avg finish
top 44%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
687.59 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 667.16 (+20.43)
Walk rate
77%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
and counting
Consistency
±20.02
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 168.40 · weakest Chicken (165.67)
Road miles
13,078
mi across 35 mapped stops · furthest 632 mi
Schedule strength
54%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1569)
Purse competed for
$265K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 17 state-championship entries
Master avg
667.16 / 720
35 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (11 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.
On the rise
+25
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 25 points across 4 contests since 2023-08-18 — from 1594 up to 1619.
- 4 contests since 2023-08-18
- now 1619
They almost always walk
77%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 27 of 35 contests
A top-10 category call in 77% of their 35 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
693.6916
career-best overall
96.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 693.6916 at Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships — 96.3% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2024-08-16
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ has finished one call ahead of Lucky Smoke 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2019
their best year
2019 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 27%.
- 7 contests
- 4 overall top-10s
- 2 category wins
- average top 27%
A tough matchup
15–3
behind in the head-to-head
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS ahead in 83% of their meetings
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has come out ahead in 15 of their 18 shared contests.
A strong matchup
8–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 89% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of 12 BAR BLUES CUE in 8 of their 9 shared contests.
The comeback
2.8 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Central Plains Ribfest (2022-06-17).
- last seen 2019-09-13
- back 2022-06-17
Pork Ribs nemesis
11 of 15
shared pork ribs entries lost
Backdraft BBQ ahead 73% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Backdraft BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 15 shared pork ribs entries.
The long haul
13,078
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 13,078 miles across 35 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 632 miles to BBQ in the Badlands.
- 35 mapped stops
- furthest 632 mi
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.
#875 of the rated field
- Contests
- 59
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1643
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Lucky Smoke)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Lucky Smoke has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#873 of the rated field
- Contests
- 99
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1670
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Lucky Smoke)
They've been 1670 at their best, 52 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#870 of the rated field
- Contests
- 40
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1629
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 6 years before Lucky Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#872 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 57%
- Peak
- 1654
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 44 contests to 35, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#876 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1625
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 18 contests, alongside a 67% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#874 of the rated field
- Contests
- 94
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1657
No shared contest yet.
Level with Lucky Smoke on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| Backdraft BBQ | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| WILD HOGS BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Grate Expectations | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Daddy's Backyard BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLIN' BEAVERS | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| PAPA'S PIT CREW | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Lost Weekend Grill | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Camp House BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 176.0116 | 139.9084 | 165.67 | top 56% |
| Pork Ribs | 36 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 178.2972 | 139.9544 | 168.40 | top 39% |
| Pork | 35 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 147.9888 | 166.50 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 35 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 177.1428 | 151.4056 | 166.47 | top 40% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 10 | 0 | top 55% |
| MT | 9 | 0 | top 42% |
| WY | 6 | 0 | top 57% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 28% |
| TX | 3 | 0 | top 21% |
| NE | 1 | 0 | top 55% |
| UT | 1 | 0 | top 17% |
| SD | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 29% |
| Medium (20–39) | 23 | 0 | top 50% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 36% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild West BBQ Cook-Off | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 39% | 2024-05-10 |
| San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ | 3 | 16 | 0 | top 48% | 2019-08-02 |
| Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 21% | 2024-08-16 |
| Miles City Cowtown Cook Off | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 52% | 2019-06-14 |
| Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 38% | 2018-08-17 |
| Griller's Cup | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 82% | 2016-07-15 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
9.2 yrs
2015-06-19 → 2024-08-16
Busiest season
2018
8 contests
Contests a season
4.4
across 8 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
CO
10 of 35 contests · 8 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
27
6 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
36 entries · 1 win · 13 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 168.40 · weakest Chicken (165.67)
Walk rate
77%
a top-10 call in 27 of 35 contests
Overall top-10 rate
29%
10 of 35 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests — and still running
Master average
667.16
out of 720 · 35 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
938
1,076–671 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
13,078
35 mapped stops · furthest 632 mi
Schedule strength
1569
average field rating faced — tougher than 54% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$265,380
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 17 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.8 yrs
2019-09-13 → 2022-06-17
Power rating
1619
peak 1619 · #871 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2015
- First tracked contest Miles City Cowtown Cook-Off
- First call Griller's Cup
- 2016
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.2684 Griller's Cup
- 2017
- First overall top-10 Miles City Cowtown Cookoff
- 10th tracked contest BBQ in the Badlands
- 2018
- First category win (Brisket) Wild West BBQ Cook Off
- 2019
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Miles City Cowtown Cook Off
- First overall podium Western Legends Roundup BBQ Cook Off
- 25th tracked contest Western Legends Roundup BBQ Cook Off
- 2024
- Career-best overall score693.6916 Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships
- Peak power rating (1619) Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships
- Most recent contest Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15 | Miles City Cowtown Cook Off | 2018-06-15 |
| +13.3 | Western Legends Roundup BBQ Cook Off | 2019-08-16 |
| +12.7 | Miles City Cowtown Cookoff | 2017-06-16 |
| +11.6 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 2019-07-12 |
| +11.6 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off | 2024-05-10 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.3 | Griller's Cup | 2015-07-17 |
| -8.2 | Smoke & Soul Fest | 2018-09-14 |
| -7.2 | Boats, Bands, & BBQ | 2016-06-10 |
| -6 | San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ | 2018-08-03 |
| -4.8 | Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews | 2022-08-05 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 14% | 96.3% | 95.8% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 31% | 95.8% | 95.3% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 49% | 94.5% | 93.7% |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 86% | top 27% | 95.3% | 93.8% |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 75% | top 51% | 94.8% | 91.8% |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 36% | 95.5% | 94.1% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 75% | 90.5% | 89.2% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 78% | 86.5% | 86.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-16 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 6 / 41 (693.6916) | 15 (170.2744) | 4 (175.4172) | 8 (173.1428) | 6 (174.8572) |
| 2024-05-10 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 4 / 29 (686.1712) | 5 (175.4056) | 21 (164.5372) | 9 (170.8228) | 4 (175.4056) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 163 / 487 (681.0628) | 311 (165.6800) | 200 (170.2972) | 211 (169.6800) | 44 (175.4056) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 69 / 211 (687.3828) | 153 (168.0000) | 22 (176.5600) | 87 (172.5600) | 107 (170.2628) |
| 2023-08-18 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championships 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 13 / 48 (689.6344) | 6 (174.2628) | 15 (171.9888) | 22 (167.9656) | 7 (175.4172) |
| 2022-08-19 | Raider Red Meat BBQ & Ribeye Championships 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 13 / 59 (680.4800) | 7 (176.0116) | 29 (166.8228) | 18 (168.5256) | 11 (169.1200) |
| 2022-08-05 | Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews 🏅 Alamosa, CO | 23 / 35 (663.3028) | 32 (159.3944) | 21 (165.6684) | 23 (163.3828) | 5 (174.8572) |
| 2022-06-24 | Miles City Cowtown Cookoff 🏅 Miles City, MT | 14 / 26 (679.9544) | 7 (174.8800) | 12 (169.7144) | 14 (170.2628) | 17 (165.0972) |
| 2022-06-17 | Central Plains Ribfest 🏅 Holdrege, NE | 16 / 29 (673.6000) | 24 (165.6800) | 12 (169.6916) | 1 (177.1428) | 25 (161.0856) |
| 2019-09-13 | Smoke & Soul Fest 🏅 Casper, WY | 5 / 28 (668.4456) | 16 (164.5256) | 2 (173.1544) | 9 (169.1200) | 11 (161.6456) |
| 2019-08-16 | Western Legends Roundup BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kanab, UT | 3 / 18 (686.2284) | 13 (167.3828) | 1 (178.2972) | 5 (174.2972) | 12 (166.2512) |
| 2019-08-02 | San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ 🏅 Alamosa, CO | 17 / 54 (676.5600) | 24 (169.7028) | 5 (174.8572) | 30 (164.5600) | 19 (167.4400) |
| 2019-07-26 | Dodge City Days Smokin Saddles BBQ Competition 🏅 Dodge City, KS | 9 / 39 (683.3484) | 22 (167.9772) | 2 (177.1428) | 15 (170.8228) | 21 (167.4056) |
| 2019-07-12 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 14 / 59 (683.3716) | 32 (167.9772) | 8 (175.4172) | 9 (174.2972) | 28 (165.6800) |
| 2019-06-14 | Miles City Cowtown Cook Off 🏅 Miles City, MT | 10 / 28 (675.8856) | 10 (166.8344) | 15 (167.4056) | 1 (180.0000) | 16 (161.6456) |
| 2019-05-10 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 12 / 28 (653.6340) | 13 (164.5484) | 11 (165.7256) | 11 (165.7028) | 20 (157.6572) |
| 2018-09-14 | Smoke & Soul Fest Casper, WY | 23 / 28 (630.6512) | 22 (158.8228) | 17 (161.6456) | 17 (157.6572) | 23 (152.5256) |
| 2018-08-24 | Hill City Wine Brew & BBQ Hill City, SD | 12 / 27 (670.2856) | 23 (161.1656) | 15 (165.7028) | 18 (166.2744) | 1 (177.1428) |
| 2018-08-17 | Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 11 / 30 (675.9200) | 17 (163.3944) | 11 (169.1200) | 2 (176.0000) | 11 (167.4056) |
| 2018-08-03 | San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ Alamosa, CO | 31 / 41 (651.2572) | 23 (168.5600) | 24 (162.8000) | 37 (149.0516) | 7 (170.8456) |
| 2018-06-23 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 8 / 26 (676.4800) | 6 (173.1200) | 10 (170.8572) | 5 (172.5600) | 16 (159.9428) |
| 2018-06-15 | Miles City Cowtown Cook Off Miles City, MT | 4 / 27 (682.2284) | 5 (173.1428) | 3 (174.2856) | 8 (165.6800) | 7 (169.1200) |
| 2018-05-11 | Wild West BBQ Cook Off Lamar, CO | 16 / 26 (652.4800) | 14 (165.0972) | 12 (165.6912) | 26 (147.9888) | 1 (173.7028) |
| 2018-04-28 | LuLu's Brew & Que Brighton, CO | 25 / 40 (649.0972) | 22 (164.5828) | 17 (165.6800) | 29 (158.8116) | 22 (160.0228) |
| 2017-10-14 | *Nile Beer-B-Q Billings, MT | 7 / 17 (687.9084) | 11 (169.6800) | 2 (177.7144) | 10 (170.8456) | 7 (169.6684) |
| 2017-09-29 | BBQ in the Badlands Glendive, MT | 11 / 26 (678.8460) | 24 (158.8456) | 9 (172.5716) | 7 (174.2744) | 6 (173.1544) |
| 2017-08-18 | Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 11 / 28 (662.1600) | 15 (162.2400) | 16 (159.9772) | 6 (171.9772) | 4 (167.9656) |
| 2017-08-04 | San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ Alamosa, CO | 16 / 44 (675.9312) | 22 (167.9656) | 2 (176.0228) | 11 (170.2628) | 25 (161.6800) |
| 2017-06-16 | Miles City Cowtown Cookoff Miles City, MT | 6 / 26 (681.1200) | 10 (166.8572) | 4 (174.8572) | 8 (170.2972) | 5 (169.1084) |
| 2016-07-29 | SanLuis Valley Beat The Heat Brew BBQ & Chili Challenge Alamosa, CO | 21 / 27 (649.5996) | 26 (160.5712) | 18 (163.9772) | 24 (158.2056) | 6 (166.8456) |
| 2016-07-15 | Griller's Cup Laramie, WY | 21 / 27 (651.2684) | 20 (161.1084) | 18 (163.3828) | 20 (159.3600) | 8 (167.4172) |
| 2016-06-17 | Custer County Community Table/Miles City Cowtown Cook-off Miles City, MT | 17 / 26 (637.5996) | 21 (158.2400) | 13 (164.0344) | 24 (151.3368) | 15 (163.9884) |
| 2016-06-10 | Boats, Bands, & BBQ Pueblo, CO | 24 / 30 (631.8856) | 12 (166.8228) | 30 (139.9544) | 15 (163.9656) | 17 (161.1428) |
| 2015-07-17 | Griller's Cup Laramie, WY | 25 / 29 (620.3996) | 29 (139.9084) | 7 (169.7372) | 19 (159.3484) | 24 (151.4056) |
| 2015-06-19 | Miles City Cowtown Cook-Off Miles City, MT | 18 / 26 (622.8340) | 15 (159.9312) | 18 (157.1772) | 20 (151.4284) | 16 (154.2972) |
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 | #720 (204 pts) | #819 (179 pts) | #1268 (74 pts) | #888 (139 pts) | #762 (204 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #649 (240 pts) | #625 (295 pts) | #773 (245 pts) | #770 (195 pts) | #610 (285 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #516 (395 pts) | #503 (440 pts) | #600 (375 pts) | #416 (550 pts) | #492 (460 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #309 (997 pts) | #541 (642 pts) | #179 (1347 pts) | #299 (1022 pts) | #528 (637 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #399 (869 pts) | #445 (819 pts) | #368 (954 pts) | #376 (929 pts) | #249 (1234 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #596 (662 pts) | #832 (472 pts) | #414 (937 pts) | #550 (717 pts) | #524 (752 pts) |