High-water mark
684.5484
career-best overall
95.1% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 684.5484 at Smoke on the Bricks — 95.1% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- May 31, 2019
M.T. Pockets
M.T. Pockets is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 49 at the Smoke on the Bricks (2019). They are ranked #3585 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1491
peak 1502 · rated over 18 contests
Contests
18
in the data
First seen
Oct 7, 2016
latest Jun 30, 2023 · 6.7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
6% of 18 contests
Avg finish
top 66%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
668.01 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 652.42 (+15.59)
Walk rate
28%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.31
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 165.41 · weakest Brisket (161.46)
Road miles
1,017
across 18 mapped stops · furthest 100 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)
Purse competed for
$65K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
652.42 / 720
18 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #649 (277 pts) | #755 (237 pts) | #815 (232 pts) | #501 (447 pts) | #686 (272 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1029 (110 pts) | #1130 (100 pts) | #1182 (95 pts) | #826 (165 pts) | #957 (120 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1067 (239 pts) | #1251 (194 pts) | #996 (294 pts) | #985 (294 pts) | #1036 (274 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1086 (240 pts) | #1152 (240 pts) | #1173 (240 pts) | #1159 (240 pts) | #976 (310 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1392 (180 pts) | #1420 (200 pts) | #1506 (180 pts) | #1489 (180 pts) | #1476 (180 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2274 (60 pts) | #1846 (125 pts) | #2349 (60 pts) | #1720 (155 pts) | #2345 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to M.T. Pockets, each with one reason worth a look.
149 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,584 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1504
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 6 years before M.T. Pockets's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,598 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1522
They've been 1522 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#3,580 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1491
Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,602 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1506
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Compare careers#3,573 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 6%
- Peak
- 1521
Level with M.T. Pockets on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,595 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1526
They've been 1526 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| 777 BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Boxer Q BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCK N BLUES BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| M Squared Smokin' Q | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| INDIGO PIG | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Griswold Grillers | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE BUCKET BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 172.6172 | 151.3140 | 165.41 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.1656 | 145.0972 | 161.51 | top 66% |
| Pork | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 178.8800 | 135.3600 | 164.04 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 172.5828 | 145.6344 | 161.46 | top 60% |
“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) | 8 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 62% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Water | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 53% | Oct 14, 2022 |
| Johnson County BBQ Challenge | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 82% | Jul 5, 2019 |
| Smoke in the Spring | 2 | 73 | 0 | top 76% | Apr 6, 2018 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
5 contests
Contests a season
2.6
across 7 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
15 of 18 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
15
3 of them more than once
Opponents faced
447
finished ahead 314 times, behind 622
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Oct 11, 2019 → Oct 15, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20231 milestone
- Most recent contest Happy Basset 3rd Annual BBQ Competition
20196 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Smoke on the Bricks
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Bricks
- First overall podium Smoke on the Bricks
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Bricks
- Career-best overall score684.5484 Smoke on the Bricks
- Career-best single call (Pork)178.8800 Smoke on the Bricks
20164 milestones
- First tracked contest Cookin on the Kaw
- First call Cookin on the Kaw
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.1144 Cookin on the Kaw
- Peak power rating (1502) Cookin on the Kaw
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.3 | Smoke on the Bricks | May 31, 2019 |
| +6.1 | Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition | Apr 29, 2022 |
| +4.1 | Happy Basset 2nd Annual BBQ Competition | Jul 1, 2022 |
| +3.2 | Smoke on the Water | Oct 15, 2021 |
| +2.8 | Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest (JUDGES FULL) | Oct 11, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10 | Johnson County Fair BBQ Challenge | Jul 7, 2017 |
| -9 | 14th Annual Cookin on the Kaw | Oct 13, 2017 |
| -7.9 | Rib's and Bibs | Oct 6, 2018 |
| -7.5 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) | Apr 7, 2017 |
| -5.5 | Johnson County BBQ Challenge (JUDGES FULL) | Jul 6, 2018 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 79% | 92.2% | 92.2% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33% | top 49% | 93.8% | 92.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40% | top 51% | 95.1% | 92.1% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 77% | 92.3% | 89.1% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 87.1% | 86.5% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 61% | 91.1% | 91.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2023 | Happy Basset 3rd Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Topeka, KS | 26 / 33 (663.9200) | 19 (172.5600) | 16 (172.5716) | 32 (150.2284) | 19 (168.5600) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS | 15 / 28 (670.1252) | 23 (163.9428) | 16 (167.3940) | 13 (167.9656) | 11 (170.8228) |
| Jul 1, 2022 | Happy Basset 2nd Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Topeka, KS | 12 / 24 (657.0628) | 12 (168.5256) | 20 (155.4516) | 1 (176.5600) | 19 (156.5256) |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Topeka, KS | 34 / 77 (675.2912) | 29 (171.4056) | 42 (165.6800) | 36 (168.5256) | 23 (169.6800) |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS | 13 / 25 (673.6344) | 15 (164.5372) | 16 (165.6916) | 6 (176.0228) | 11 (167.3828) |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 DeSoto, KS | 23 / 51 (673.6572) | 32 (166.8572) | 11 (172.5828) | 28 (165.6800) | 18 (168.5372) |
| Sep 20, 2019 | Little Apple Classic Car & BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Manhattan, KS | 13 / 24 (665.0976) | 20 (157.1316) | 14 (166.8228) | 5 (174.8688) | 11 (166.2744) |
| Jul 5, 2019 | Johnson County BBQ Challenge 🏅 Warrensburg, MO | 30 / 37 (641.5884) | 20 (168.5484) | 33 (151.4172) | 13 (168.5372) | 32 (153.0856) |
| May 31, 2019 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 3 / 49 (684.5484) | 23 (165.6800) | 6 (173.1656) | 1 (178.8800) | 14 (166.8228) |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS | 73 / 104 (649.0972) | 35 (170.8572) | 103 (145.0972) | 82 (160.5600) | 27 (172.5828) |
| Oct 12, 2018 | 15th Annual Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest Desoto, KS | 44 / 69 (664.5484) | 26 (170.2628) | 44 (164.5600) | 37 (168.6172) | 52 (161.1084) |
| Oct 6, 2018 | Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS | 34 / 37 (621.5432) | 32 (158.2744) | 30 (158.8228) | 33 (149.6228) | 29 (154.8232) |
| Jul 6, 2018 | Johnson County BBQ Challenge (JUDGES FULL) Warrensburg, MO | 39 / 47 (633.5196) | 45 (151.3140) | 38 (158.2744) | 43 (154.7884) | 11 (169.1428) |
| Apr 6, 2018 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 73 / 103 (645.0516) | 78 (160.5716) | 72 (161.0856) | 59 (163.4172) | 65 (159.9772) |
| Oct 13, 2017 | 14th Annual Cookin on the Kaw Desoto, KS | 52 / 55 (627.3372) | 40 (166.8572) | 38 (164.5828) | 55 (135.3600) | 45 (160.5372) |
| Jul 7, 2017 | Johnson County Fair BBQ Challenge Warrensburg, MO | 34 / 35 (615.8400) | 21 (165.7144) | 28 (154.2284) | 35 (150.2628) | 34 (145.6344) |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS | 82 / 100 (625.6112) | 75 (161.6684) | 93 (146.2744) | 34 (169.1428) | 90 (148.5256) |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Cookin on the Kaw DeSoto, KS | 34 / 56 (656.1144) | 12 (172.6172) | 35 (163.4400) | 8 (173.7600) | 52 (146.2972) |