SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC

SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC is a competition barbecue team with 31 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 43 at the Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (2023), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #3634 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “SMOKING ACES BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,634

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1491

peak 1491 · rated over 31 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 1, 2015

latest Nov 3, 2023 · 8.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#262

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

16% of 31 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 66%

overall standings

Best overall

695.3600 / 720

Master · Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

668.99 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 646.78 (+22.22)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.2972

Chicken · Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition

Consistency

±52.58

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.92 · weakest Brisket (161.67)

Road miles

11,748

across 31 mapped stops · furthest 4,180 mi

Schedule strength

76%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1597)

Purse competed for

$184K

listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 28 state-championship entries

Master avg

646.78 / 720

30 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

337.13 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

On the rise

+30 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 30 points across 8 contests since Nov 4, 2022 — from 1460 up to 1491.

8 contests since Nov 4, 2022
now 1491

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 21 of 31 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 31 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

695.3600 career-best overall

96.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 695.3600 at Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition — 96.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 7, 2023

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has finished one call ahead of SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2023 their best year

2023 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 50%.

7 contests
2 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 50%

A tough matchup

26–1 behind in the head-to-head

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ ahead in 96% of their meetings

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has come out ahead in 26 of their 27 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.25 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 48%.

Brisket avg 161.67
Chicken avg 168.92
5 calls in 28 entries

Show 6 more storylines

The comeback

2.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down (Oct 12, 2018).

last seen Aug 6, 2016
back Oct 12, 2018

Built for the big stage

Top 45% average finish in large fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 45% finish in large fields against top 82% in small ones.

Large (40+): top 45% (5)
Small (<20 teams): top 82% (5)

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE has landed one call behind them 3 times.

Boom or bust

±7.22% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±7.22% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 90.0% of a perfect score
best 96.6%

An April team

Top 42% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 42% across 4 contests, versus top 66% the rest of the year.

4 April contests
top 66% the rest of the year

The long haul

11,748 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,748 miles across 31 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,180 miles to Smoke in the North.

31 mapped stops
furthest 4,180 mi

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	#1006 (101 pts)	#1032 (116 pts)	#1171 (96 pts)	#1037 (106 pts)	#837 (161 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#341 (615 pts)	#353 (640 pts)	#337 (765 pts)	#314 (680 pts)	#392 (530 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#464 (459 pts)	#485 (459 pts)	#385 (664 pts)	#455 (489 pts)	#551 (379 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#521 (325 pts)	#439 (450 pts)	#490 (410 pts)	#557 (320 pts)	#510 (375 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#262 (431 pts)	#107 (936 pts)	#200 (596 pts)	#291 (421 pts)	#263 (453 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#563 (584 pts)	#238 (1,159 pts)	#533 (649 pts)	#716 (464 pts)	#535 (629 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Dyin Breed BBQ

#3,626 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1516

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jul 22, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

SmokeMasters BBQ

#3,629 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1491

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

Fewer contests behind them than SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC has cooked, 10 to 31, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Oct 15, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

No Swine without Wine

#3,623 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1516

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

They turned up 8 years after SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 5 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY

#3,635 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1531

They've been 1531 at their best, 41 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jun 23, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

Bad to the Brisket

#3,615 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1510

23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 26% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Southside Smoke

#3,621 of the rated field

1491 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1504

Level with SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	27	1	26	4%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TWISTED PAIR BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
POKE N SMOKE	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
Still Workin' On It	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
BUD WISER'S BBQ	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	31	15	1	4	178.2972	134.8000	168.92	top 44%
Pork Ribs	31	10	1	3	176.5600	135.9544	164.70	top 55%
Pork	30	4	1	1	176.5600	143.3256	162.39	top 70%
Brisket	28	5	0	0	173.7028	143.3944	161.67	top 66%

“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)	5	top 82%
Medium (20–39)	21	top 67%
Large (40+)	5	top 45%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NC	15	top 63%
VA	8	top 78%
SC	3	top 66%
WV	2	top 67%
CA	1	top 5%
SE	1	top 55%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	3	14	top 75%	Oct 13, 2023
Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	2	4	top 28%	Apr 7, 2023
Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest	2	21	top 65%	Jul 22, 2022
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	2	9	top 61%	May 20, 2022

More numbers

Busiest season 2023 7 contests

Contests a season 3.9 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 15 of 31 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 26 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 503 finished ahead 397 times, behind 742

Longest layoff 2.2 yrs Aug 6, 2016 → Oct 12, 2018

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

20235 milestones

Mar 25 25th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Apr 7 Career-best overall score695.3600 Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
Jun 2 First overall podium Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
Jun 2 First Reserve Championship Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
Nov 3 Most recent contest Currituck Bulls and BBQ

20201 milestone

Aug 8 First category win (Chicken) BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2

20194 milestones

Apr 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.3204 Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition
Apr 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.2972 Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition
Sep 20 First overall top-10 Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
Nov 8 10th tracked contest Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)

20161 milestone

Aug 6 Peak power rating (1493) Smoke in the North

20152 milestones

Aug 1 First tracked contest Smoke in the North
Aug 1 First call Smoke in the North

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.4	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival	Jun 2, 2023
+16.4	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	Apr 7, 2023
+15.1	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic	Sep 20, 2019
+13	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	May 20, 2022
+5.4	Downtown BBQ Throwdown	Apr 22, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.2	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	Oct 12, 2018
-11.6	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1	Aug 7, 2020
-10.4	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival	May 17, 2019
-9.3	Zom-B-Q	Oct 30, 2020
-7.8	Smoke in the North	Aug 1, 2015

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	7	2	2	86%	top 50%	96.6%	93.2%
2022	5	2	0	80%	top 55%	94.7%	93.4%
2021	4	0	0	25%	top 74%	92.6%	92%
2020	5	0	1	80%	top 88%	93.1%	86.4%
2019	7	1	0	71%	top 64%	94.2%	90.6%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 100%	59.7%	59.7%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 55%	87.6%	87.6%
2015	1	0	0	100%	top 77%	86.8%	86.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Nov 3, 2023	Currituck Bulls and BBQ 🏅 Powells Point, NC	14 / 21 (675.2684)	11 (169.6800)	15 (166.2400)	13 (169.6684)	6 (169.6800)
Oct 13, 2023	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 🏅 Rocky Mount, NC	14 / 27 (674.1712)	9 (171.9656)	12 (169.7144)	22 (160.5256)	10 (171.9656)
Jun 9, 2023	WV Coalfields Cookoff 🏅 Welch, WV	13 / 16 (649.4736)	10 (169.1084)	10 (165.0972)	14 (159.3368)	14 (155.9312)
Jun 2, 2023	Covington Cork & Pork Festival 🏅 Covington, VA	22 / 27 (650.6972)	8 (172.5600)	24 (153.0972)	20 (164.5372)	23 (160.5028)
Jun 2, 2023	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival 🏅 Norco, CA	2 / 43 (337.1316)	3 (167.4172)	1 (169.7144)	—	—
Apr 7, 2023	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	4 / 28 (695.3600)	14 (172.5600)	2 (176.5600)	1 (176.5600)	14 (169.6800)
Mar 25, 2023	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	24 / 46 (680.5604)	25 (173.1200)	17 (172.5716)	30 (168.5600)	30 (166.3088)
Nov 4, 2022	Currituck Bulls & BBQ 🏅 Powells Point, NC	20 / 22 (663.8168)	20 (165.6684)	10 (170.2744)	14 (168.5256)	19 (159.3484)
Jul 22, 2022	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest 🏅 Apex, NC	21 / 35 (670.1372)	16 (170.8344)	16 (169.6800)	25 (163.3828)	19 (166.2400)
May 20, 2022	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	9 / 32 (681.5884)	5 (175.4056)	4 (172.5600)	15 (168.5372)	18 (165.0856)
Apr 22, 2022	Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV	9 / 17 (673.0172)	11 (165.0972)	5 (172)	6 (169.6800)	10 (166.2400)
Apr 8, 2022	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	15 / 36 (674.7888)	28 (162.8228)	5 (174.2860)	7 (174.2628)	21 (163.4172)
Aug 27, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	14 / 22 (665.5544)	5 (173.1200)	13 (167.3944)	19 (159.9544)	13 (165.0856)
Jul 23, 2021	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest 🏅 Apex, NC	21 / 30 (661.0744)	12 (170.8572)	12 (167.4172)	17 (165.0972)	27 (157.7028)
Jun 4, 2021	GrillBillies BBQ Shootout 🏅 Wendell, NC	16 / 18 (655.3600)	14 (168.5600)	11 (169.1544)	16 (159.4400)	15 (158.2056)
Mar 12, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pirateland 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	28 / 39 (666.7088)	27 (165.0972)	23 (166.8344)	30 (163.9544)	13 (170.8228)
Oct 30, 2020	Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	33 / 33 (494.1944)	27 (165.7028)	22 (165.0972)	28 (163.3944)	—
Oct 29, 2020	The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	30 / 33 (658.7316)	7 (173.1316)	18 (171.4172)	32 (161.1200)	32 (153.0628)
Aug 8, 2020	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2 🏅 Wythe, VA	15 / 17 (646.6628)	1 (177.1544)	3 (172.5600)	17 (143.3256)	17 (153.6228)
Aug 7, 2020	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 🏅 Wythe, VA	19 / 19 (641.5084)	6 (172.5600)	14 (167.9772)	19 (153.0856)	19 (147.8856)
Mar 13, 2020	Speed & Feed BBQ Cook-Off & Car Show 🏅 Darlington, SC	18 / 29 (670.2056)	6 (173.7028)	25 (165.7028)	18 (164.5716)	15 (166.2284)
Nov 8, 2019	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) 🏅 Concord, NC	35 / 47 (655.8400)	13 (173.1084)	46 (149.6344)	43 (159.9772)	10 (173.1200)
Oct 25, 2019	Zom-B-Q (BBQ Wythe US) 🏅 Wytheville, VA	11 / 20 (663.8968)	4 (172.5600)	6 (170.8456)	14 (162.8228)	18 (157.6684)
Oct 11, 2019	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 🏅 Rocky Mount, NC	23 / 32 (642.0800)	8 (171.9656)	22 (158.2288)	23 (157.6800)	26 (154.2056)
Sep 20, 2019	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic 🏅 Salisbury, NC	10 / 56 (678.2172)	2 (177.7144)	8 (173.1544)	52 (153.6456)	7 (173.7028)
Aug 2, 2019	Pigs & Pedals 🏅 Asheboro, NC	31 / 40 (639.8972)	14 (169.1200)	35 (153.6800)	35 (156)	28 (161.0972)
May 17, 2019	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	34 / 36 (634.1256)	32 (161.0972)	31 (155.9888)	27 (161.6340)	29 (155.4056)
Apr 26, 2019	Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition 🏅 Lanexa, VA	19 / 32 (654.3204)	2 (178.2972)	20 (159.4288)	29 (158.2972)	22 (158.2972)
Oct 12, 2018	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	39 / 39 (430.1600)	39 (134.8000)	39 (135.9544)	28 (159.4056)	—
Aug 6, 2016	Smoke in the North Gothenburg, Sweden	17 / 31 (630.8112)	24 (155.4056)	22 (154.8456)	19 (157.7028)	15 (162.8572)
Aug 1, 2015	Smoke in the North Gunnilse/Gothenburg	20 / 26 (625.1204)	6 (166.2744)	25 (148.5716)	7 (166.8800)	26 (143.3944)

SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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

Backyard avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

On the rise

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Built for the big stage

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

An April team

The long haul

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, 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

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)