MOON KING BBQ

MOON KING BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 15th of 18 at the I-39 Smokin Car Show (2017). They are ranked #6419 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,419

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1383

peak 1383 · rated over 25 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 13, 2014

latest Jul 14, 2023 · 9.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#528

Master 2022 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 83%

overall standings

Best overall

674.7884 / 720

Master · Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard

Perfect 180s

Current form

650.85 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 632.34 (+18.51)

Walk rate

24%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.2972

Chicken · Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off

Consistency

±22.20

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.95 · weakest Brisket (153.68)

Road miles

2,781

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 266 mi

Schedule strength

66%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1584)

Purse competed for

$94K

listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 15 state-championship entries

Master avg

632.34 / 720

25 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

674.7884 career-best overall

93.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 674.7884 at Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard — 93.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 23, 2022

A tough matchup

20–0 behind in the head-to-head

SmokinGhost BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

SmokinGhost BBQ has come out ahead in 20 of their 20 shared contests.

The weak link

−10.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.27 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 16%.

Brisket avg 153.68
Chicken avg 163.95
0 calls in 25 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG DADDY OOWEE SMOKIN BONES BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

14 of 16 shared chicken entries lost

Rusty Pig BBQ ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Rusty Pig BBQ has out-cooked them in 14 of 16 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SAUCED N SMOKED has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 70% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 70% across 4 contests, versus top 83% the rest of the year.

4 September contests
top 83% the rest of the year

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 ↗	Master	#1232 (65 pts)	#912 (155 pts)	#1716 (55 pts)	#1266 (65 pts)	#1277 (65 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#528 (383 pts)	#486 (458 pts)	#564 (413 pts)	#462 (483 pts)	#487 (463 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#533 (319 pts)	#327 (624 pts)	#567 (339 pts)	#581 (304 pts)	#553 (334 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#1108 (55 pts)	#772 (110 pts)	#1124 (55 pts)	#1117 (55 pts)	#1106 (55 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1471 (120 pts)	#1441 (150 pts)	#1542 (125 pts)	#1578 (120 pts)	#1536 (120 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#893 (339 pts)	#864 (384 pts)	#797 (449 pts)	#862 (384 pts)	#845 (399 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1577 (153 pts)	#1465 (188 pts)	#1498 (183 pts)	#1218 (263 pts)	#1647 (153 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2046 (90 pts)	#2175 (65 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2214 (60 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2821 (53 pts)	#2806 (53 pts)	#2813 (53 pts)	#2816 (53 pts)	#2811 (53 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to MOON KING BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

SCHWEBS BBQ

#6,418 of the rated field

1383 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1383

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

HI-TECH SMOKERS

#6,420 of the rated field

1383 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1383

Careers of much the same size, 32 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Apr 24, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

No Clue BBQ

#6,421 of the rated field

1382 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1382

25 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

DOLF'S BBQ

#6,417 of the rated field

1383 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1383

Level with MOON KING BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Aug 18, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

MOOSE'S BARBECUE

#6,415 of the rated field

1384 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1506

They've been 1506 at their best, 122 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 14, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Q-N WITH ATTITUDE

#6,416 of the rated field

1384 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1384

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before MOON KING BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 15 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SmokinGhost BBQ	20	0	20	0%	⚔ compare
HEFTY LEFTY BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
Rusty Pig BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
Carrol Lou's Smokehouse	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
Heavy Smoke BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
Risky Brisket	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
JaBs BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
Monsters of the Ribway	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED N SMOKED	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Up From The Pits BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
DB BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	4	174.2972	146.8112	163.95	top 62%
Pork Ribs	25	0	168.5600	135.9088	157.45	top 75%
Pork	25	2	173.1200	132.4688	157.27	top 77%
Brisket	25	0	170.8112	126.7428	153.68	top 80%

“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)	2	top 89%
Medium (20–39)	14	top 87%
Large (40+)	9	top 77%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IL	24	0	top 83%
WI	1	0	top 83%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Route 66 Smoke Out	3	27	top 82%	May 6, 2022
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	3	20	top 74%	Jul 19, 2019
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	2	21	top 86%	Jul 14, 2023
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two)	2	29	top 90%	Jun 25, 2022
I-39 Smokin Car Show	2	15	top 85%	Jun 30, 2018
Up In smoke on the Square	2	34	top 93%	Jun 3, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2022 6 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 24 of 25 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 17 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 363 finished ahead 156 times, behind 771

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs Jun 3, 2016 → Jul 1, 2017

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

20232 milestones

Jul 14 25th tracked contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
Jul 14 Most recent contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown

20221 milestone

Sep 23 Career-best overall score674.7884 Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard

20211 milestone

Sep 24 Career-best single call (Chicken)174.2972 Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off

20182 milestones

Jul 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0744 Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)
Oct 12 10th tracked contest CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ

20171 milestone

Jul 1 First call I-39 Smokin Car Show

20142 milestones

Jun 13 First tracked contest Smoke on the Prairie
Jun 13 Peak power rating (1488) Smoke on the Prairie

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.8	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)	Jul 20, 2018
+4.4	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	Sep 23, 2022
+2.9	Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off	Sep 24, 2021
+0.9	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off	Sep 20, 2019
+0.1	Smokin' in the Bogs	Sep 2, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.4	Up In smoke on the Square	Jun 3, 2016
-12.2	Smoke on the Prairie	Jun 13, 2014
-9.1	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	Jul 19, 2019
-8.9	Up In Smoke On The Square	Jun 5, 2015
-8.5	CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1	Jul 17, 2020

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	1	100%	top 88%	87%	87%
2022	6	0%	top 82%	93.7%	90.8%
2021	5	40%	top 85%	91.6%	87.9%
2020	1	0%	top 97%	87.8%	87.8%
2019	2	0%	top 78%	90%	88.4%
2018	5	20%	top 75%	91.8%	88.6%
2017	2	100%	top 84%	84.7%	84.2%
2016	1	0%	top 100%	81.9%	81.9%
2015	1	0%	top 85%	86.2%	86.2%
2014	1	0%	top 96%	80.7%	80.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 14, 2023	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	22 / 25 (626.0684)	7 (171.9772)	24 (142.7656)	22 (155.9428)	22 (155.3828)
Sep 23, 2022	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	30 / 46 (674.7884)	30 (167.9656)	32 (165.6800)	14 (173.1200)	21 (168.0228)
Sep 2, 2022	Smokin' in the Bogs 🏅 Warrens, WI	19 / 23 (637.6228)	17 (161.7028)	19 (159.4172)	15 (166.2628)	21 (150.2400)
Jul 15, 2022	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	21 / 25 (659.9200)	15 (169.6800)	15 (167.3828)	21 (165.7028)	23 (157.1544)
Jun 25, 2022	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) 🏅 Belvidere, IL	29 / 32 (655.8508)	31 (159.9428)	27 (163.9540)	20 (165.1428)	22 (166.8112)
Jun 24, 2022	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL	32 / 36 (653.0284)	32 (160.5256)	34 (158.2628)	29 (163.4288)	13 (170.8112)
May 6, 2022	Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL	27 / 33 (640.3656)	18 (169.7028)	29 (151.9544)	25 (157.0628)	24 (161.6456)
Sep 24, 2021	Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	26 / 39 (659.3140)	5 (174.2972)	27 (162.8000)	33 (158.2628)	26 (163.9540)
Jul 17, 2021	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 2 🏅 Eureka, IL	18 / 19 (611.2804)	14 (162.2860)	17 (161.6800)	19 (132.4688)	17 (154.8456)
Jul 16, 2021	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL	23 / 25 (629.0512)	7 (172)	20 (157.0856)	25 (145.6800)	21 (154.2856)
Jul 9, 2021	Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL	36 / 38 (626.1136)	12 (171.4056)	36 (150.8112)	38 (153.0740)	37 (150.8228)
May 1, 2021	Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL	34 / 44 (639.8056)	33 (162.8000)	27 (161.6572)	39 (157.6800)	35 (157.6684)
Jul 17, 2020	CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL	29 / 30 (632.4916)	14 (167.4172)	28 (157.7028)	28 (157.6800)	30 (149.6916)
Sep 20, 2019	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	36 / 54 (647.9428)	42 (159.3828)	24 (168.0344)	34 (165.1200)	42 (155.4056)
Jul 19, 2019	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL	36 / 40 (624.4456)	19 (167.4056)	36 (154.7888)	38 (146.8112)	36 (155.4400)
Oct 12, 2018	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	35 / 45 (633.5428)	34 (159.3828)	17 (164.5600)	38 (153.0628)	41 (156.5372)
Jul 20, 2018	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	20 / 43 (661.0744)	25 (166.8460)	11 (168.5600)	34 (158.2628)	19 (167.4056)
Jun 30, 2018	I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL	25 / 29 (620.4000)	13 (166.8228)	28 (135.9088)	10 (162.2628)	19 (155.4056)
Jun 15, 2018	Hog Capital Challenge Kewanee, IL	19 / 25 (639.2572)	17 (161.6572)	18 (158.2172)	20 (158.2856)	14 (161.0972)
May 4, 2018	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	33 / 38 (633.5424)	25 (162.2628)	21 (162.8456)	25 (162.2284)	37 (146.2056)
Jul 21, 2017	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	41 / 48 (602.1712)	46 (146.8112)	17 (160.6172)	5 (168)	48 (126.7428)
Jul 1, 2017	I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL	15 / 18 (609.6000)	9 (163.4056)	17 (145.6800)	18 (148.5600)	15 (151.9544)
Jun 3, 2016	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	52 / 52 (589.5428)	46 (157.7028)	50 (146.2172)	52 (145.6800)	50 (139.9428)
Jun 5, 2015	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	34 / 40 (620.3884)	19 (164.5256)	24 (161.0972)	25 (160.5484)	37 (134.2172)
Jun 13, 2014	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	27 / 28 (580.9596)	25 (150.8340)	26 (148.5256)	26 (151.3712)	28 (130.2288)

MOON KING BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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

Storylines (7 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

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)