The Fake Italian

The Fake Italian is a competition barbecue team with 4 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2020 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 15th of 25 at the Maryland State BBQ Bash (2021).

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Rating

1484

Unranked — needs 5 rated contests, has 4

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 24, 2020

latest Jul 29, 2023 · 3 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 4 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

665.5884 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)

Perfect 180s

Walk rate

25%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1428

Pork Ribs · Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)

Consistency

±6.66

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 167.97 · weakest Chicken (161.69)

Road miles

across 4 mapped stops

Schedule strength

51%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)

Purse competed for

$43K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

654.15 / 720

4 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (4 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

665.5884 career-best overall

92.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 665.5884 at Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) — 92.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 28, 2023

A tough matchup

4–0 behind in the head-to-head

Capt. Blue BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Capt. Blue BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Pappy's Q in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) (Jul 28, 2023).

last seen Oct 15, 2021
back Jul 28, 2023

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	4	0	167.4172	155.9884	161.69	top 74%
Pork Ribs	4	1	173.1428	163.3940	167.97	top 46%
Pork	4	0	167.3828	158.2400	162.52	top 72%
Brisket	4	0	170.8228	154.8228	161.96	top 61%

“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
Medium (20–39)	1	0	top 60%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 71%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
PA	3	0	top 71%
MD	1	0	top 60%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	2	31	0	top 75%	Jul 29, 2023

More numbers

Busiest season 2023 2 contests

Contests a season 1.3 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 3 of 4 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 3 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 180 finished ahead 82 times, behind 206

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs Oct 15, 2021 → Jul 28, 2023

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

20234 milestones

Jul 28 Career-best overall score665.5884 Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)
Jul 29 First call Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)
Jul 29 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)173.1428 Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)
Jul 29 Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)

20211 milestone

Oct 15 Peak power rating (1498) Maryland State BBQ Bash

20202 milestones

Jul 24 First tracked contest Smoke in the Grove
Jul 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.2336 Smoke in the Grove

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+3.3	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Oct 15, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.6	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	Jul 29, 2023
-5.5	Smoke in the Grove	Jul 24, 2020
-3.9	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)	Jul 28, 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	2	50%	top 75%	92.4%	91.3%
2021	1	0%	top 60%	90.4%	90.4%
2020	1	0%	top 61%	90.4%	90.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 29, 2023	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	36 / 40 (649.0512)	39 (155.9884)	8 (173.1428)	32 (165.0972)	39 (154.8228)
Jul 28, 2023	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	31 / 51 (665.5884)	35 (167.4172)	25 (169.1084)	46 (158.2400)	14 (170.8228)
Oct 15, 2021	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	15 / 25 (650.7084)	16 (163.4172)	16 (166.2400)	18 (159.3712)	15 (161.6800)
Jul 24, 2020	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	36 / 59 (651.2336)	40 (159.9312)	30 (163.3940)	26 (167.3828)	36 (160.5256)