Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.
- Pork ×1
Three Stooges bbq
Three Stooges bbq is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 4th of 13 at the Bar-B-QC (Backyard) (2022). They are ranked #4229 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1478
peak 1502 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
12
in the data
First seen
Oct 11, 2019
latest Aug 25, 2023 · 3.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
17% of 12 contests
Avg finish
top 70%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
615.37 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 632.58 (-17.21)
Walk rate
33%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±54.19
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.06)
Road miles
1,080
across 12 mapped stops · furthest 194 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1586)
Purse competed for
$78K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
632.58 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
328.51 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
515.93 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #168 (284 pts) | #193 (224 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #277 (103 pts) | #238 (143 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1051 (118 pts) | #921 (163 pts) | #815 (232 pts) | #784 (213 pts) | #978 (133 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #739 (185 pts) | #687 (240 pts) | #704 (235 pts) | #885 (145 pts) | #782 (180 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Three Stooges bbq, each with one reason worth a look.
139 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,220 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1526
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Three Stooges bbq)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Three Stooges bbq has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,225 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1478
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#4,224 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1510
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,216 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1504
Level with Three Stooges bbq on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#4,235 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1478
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 6 years before Three Stooges bbq's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#4,231 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1478
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Up From The Pits BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKRASTINATORS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Chasin Chicken Barbeque | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 174.2628 | 157.7144 | 166.68 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170.8572 | 141.0740 | 162.06 | top 64% |
| Pork | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 180 🔥 | 151.3256 | 164.04 | top 63% |
| Brisket | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 151.9660 | 163.67 | top 68% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 31% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 78% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | 2 | 43 | 0 | top 94% | Jun 26, 2021 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
4 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
10 of 12 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
10
1 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
12 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Opponents faced
232
finished ahead 104 times, behind 315
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20231 milestone
- Most recent contest Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
20224 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First overall top-10 Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- 10th tracked contest Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
20211 milestone
- Career-best overall score666.1600 Ottumwa 4th Annual Smoketoberfest
20194 milestones
- First tracked contest Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)
- First call Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.3944 Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)
- Peak power rating (1502) Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.7 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) | Sep 9, 2022 |
| +10.6 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 25, 2023 |
| +1.5 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) | Oct 11, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.6 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | Jun 26, 2021 |
| -9.4 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day one) | Jun 25, 2021 |
| -7 | Route 66 Smoke Out | May 6, 2022 |
| -6.9 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 | Jul 17, 2020 |
| -5.9 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | Jun 24, 2022 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 50% | 94.4% | 91.3% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 67% | 95.5% | 91.2% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 85% | 92.5% | 83.1% |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 76% | 91.8% | 91.7% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 58% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2023 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 7 / 26 (339.9428) | 3 (174.2628) | 9 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2023 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 24 / 33 (317.0744) | 27 (157.7144) | 19 (159.3600) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) Davenport, IA | 4 / 13 (515.9316) | 12 (166.2516) | 7 (169.6800) | 1 (180) | — |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 30 / 36 (655.7824) | 35 (158.2056) | 35 (157.0740) | 8 (173.1200) | 24 (167.3828) |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown - One Meat ribs Belvidere, IL | — | — | 12 (166.2856) | — | — |
| May 6, 2022 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 29 / 33 (626.0108) | 16 (170.8228) | 33 (141.0740) | 30 (151.3256) | 23 (162.7884) |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Ottumwa 4th Annual Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 24 / 35 (666.1600) | 16 (171.4172) | 27 (162.8000) | 20 (168) | 26 (163.9428) |
| Jun 26, 2021 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 43 / 43 (493.6460) | 22 (170.8228) | 14 (170.8572) | — | 42 (151.9660) |
| Jun 25, 2021 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day one) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 43 / 49 (635.2680) | 33 (162.2512) | 44 (158.2400) | 48 (152.5484) | 36 (162.2284) |
| Jul 17, 2020 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL | 25 / 30 (659.3144) | 18 (166.8572) | 23 (163.3828) | 23 (166.2628) | 22 (162.8116) |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 36 / 53 (661.0516) | 27 (167.9772) | 23 (167.4056) | 43 (160.5488) | 37 (165.1200) |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 25 / 43 (663.3944) | 28 (166.8456) | 25 (162.8916) | 30 (160.5372) | 9 (173.1200) |