QUBED

QUBED is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2016. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle (2013). They are ranked #1119 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,119

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1593

peak 1597 · rated over 24 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 4, 2013

latest Oct 14, 2016 · 3.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#190

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

36% of 25 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 36%

overall standings

Best overall

691.3944 / 720

Master · The River Grill before the Big Chill

Perfect 180s

Current form

660.94 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 664.40 (-3.45)

Walk rate

76%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff

Consistency

±17.96

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 167.68 · weakest Chicken (164.85)

Road miles

4,385

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 383 mi

Schedule strength

25%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1534)

Master avg

664.40 / 720

25 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

Giant slayer

42 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 42-team field at Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle.

Jun 22, 2013

They almost always walk

76% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 76% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

691.3944 career-best overall

96.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 691.3944 at The River Grill before the Big Chill — 96.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 10, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

RETIRED AND RUBBIN' IT has finished one call ahead of QUBED 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

11–2 behind in the head-to-head

YELLOW RIVER BBQ ahead in 85% of their meetings

YELLOW RIVER BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 13 shared contests.

The drought

22 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle on Jun 22, 2013 — 22 contests and 13.3 years ago.

last GC Jun 22, 2013
13.3 years ago

A strong matchup

10–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of HISTORIC BBQ in 10 of their 14 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

Brisket nemesis

9 of 13 shared brisket entries lost

WeQ4U ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WeQ4U has out-cooked them in 9 of 13 shared brisket entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

HUG HOGS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 18% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 18% across 3 contests, versus top 36% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 36% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,385 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,385 miles across 25 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 383 miles to Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle.

25 mapped stops
furthest 383 mi

The metronome

±2.49% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.49% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.3% of a perfect score
25 contests

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
2015 ↗	Master	#964 (325 pts)	#1275 (235 pts)	#1246 (245 pts)	#892 (405 pts)	#912 (385 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#431 (897 pts)	#501 (772 pts)	#491 (812 pts)	#380 (967 pts)	#413 (922 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#190 (1,433 pts)	#244 (1,143 pts)	#200 (1,323 pts)	#269 (1,078 pts)	#126 (1,678 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to QUBED, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Smokin Steve's BBQ

#1,123 of the rated field

1593 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1599

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

rated over 24 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

GONNA GET MESSY

#1,118 of the rated field

1593 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1602

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 23% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Apr 12, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

SLOW PORKIN

#1,125 of the rated field

1592 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1596

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

QSS SMOKIN

#1,121 of the rated field

1593 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1601

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Apr 12, 2019

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PHIL & LOU BBQ

#1,122 of the rated field

1593 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1593

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

rated over 16 contests
last seen Sep 13, 2019

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MOE CASON BBQ

#1,120 of the rated field

1593 power rating

Contests: 50
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1615

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 50 contests to 25.

rated over 49 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HISTORIC BBQ	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
Smitty's Real Pit BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
Velvet Smoke	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
BARK BROTHERS BBQ	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
Bluedog BBQ	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
HOOSIER FAVORITE BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
HOGAHOLICS	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' IN THE D	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	4	0	2	174.8572	143.4056	164.85	top 50%
Pork Ribs	25	6	0	2	178.2972	154.8344	165.20	top 45%
Pork	25	9	1	2	178.8572	149.6800	166.66	top 39%
Brisket	25	13	1	4	177.1428	141.6572	167.68	top 32%

“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)	13	0	top 42%
Large (40+)	12	1	top 31%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
OH	9	0	top 29%
IN	6	0	top 30%
KY	3	0	top 34%
MI	2	0	top 71%
IL	2	0	top 37%
DC	2	1	top 35%
TN	1	0	top 76%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
The River Grill before the Big Chill	2	6	top 24%	Oct 9, 2015
Buckeye State BBQ Championship	2	10	top 34%	May 15, 2015
Smokin' on the Water	2	11	top 36%	May 2, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 10 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 6.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in OH 9 of 25 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 22 3 of them more than once

First title Jun 22, 2013 Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle

Opponents faced 563 finished ahead 676 times, behind 372

Longest layoff 1 yrs Oct 9, 2015 → Oct 14, 2016

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

20162 milestones

Oct 14 25th tracked contest Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival
Oct 14 Most recent contest Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival

20151 milestone

May 15 Peak power rating (1597) Buckeye State BBQ Championship

20142 milestones

Jun 6 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff
Oct 10 Career-best overall score691.3944 The River Grill before the Big Chill

20139 milestones

May 4 First tracked contest Smokin' on the Water
May 4 First call Smokin' on the Water
May 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.2860 Smokin' on the Water
Jun 22 First category win (Brisket) Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle
Jun 22 First overall top-10 Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle
Jun 22 First overall podium Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle
Jun 22 First Grand Championship Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle
Jun 22 Biggest field won (42 teams) Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle
Oct 25 10th tracked contest Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.9	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle	Jun 22, 2013
+12.3	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	Aug 21, 2015
+12.2	Ohio Veterans Barbeque Cook-off	Jul 12, 2013
+9.8	The River Grill before the Big Chill	Oct 10, 2014
+9.6	Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship	Apr 25, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 17, 2015
-7.4	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle	Jun 21, 2014
-4	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off	Sep 18, 2014
-3.4	Smokin on the Water 2	May 1, 2015
-3.2	7th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off	Jun 19, 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	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2016	1	0	0	0	100%	top 51%	92.4%	92.4%
2015	7	0	2	0	57%	top 45%	94.8%	92.4%
2014	7	0	3	1	71%	top 35%	96%	92.2%
2013	10	1	4	1	90%	top 30%	94.8%	92.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 14, 2016	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	19 / 37 (665.0516)	19 (168.5372)	32 (154.8344)	15 (166.2628)	2 (175.4172)
Oct 9, 2015	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	16 / 45 (677.6460)	23 (166.8228)	24 (162.8344)	5 (173.7144)	6 (174.2744)
Aug 21, 2015	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	7 / 64 (682.8688)	15 (171.9772)	12 (170.8572)	21 (170.3200)	16 (169.7144)
Jul 17, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Auburn Hills, MI	25 / 28 (627.2916)	18 (164.5372)	22 (158.8344)	18 (162.2628)	28 (141.6572)
Jun 19, 2015	7th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off Auburn Hills, MI	17 / 32 (651.8628)	32 (144.4916)	15 (166.8456)	3 (170.8456)	6 (169.6800)
May 15, 2015	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	10 / 36 (680)	23 (167.4516)	12 (169.1200)	19 (168.5484)	5 (174.8800)
May 2, 2015	Smokin' on the Water Liberty, IN	15 / 36 (677.0400)	16 (170.8228)	25 (162.2516)	5 (177.1428)	22 (166.8228)
May 1, 2015	Smokin on the Water 2 Liberty, IN	21 / 37 (658.7544)	31 (158.2400)	28 (161.1316)	11 (170.8228)	12 (168.5600)
Oct 10, 2014	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	6 / 49 (691.3944)	15 (171.4172)	3 (178.2972)	12 (172.5600)	14 (169.1200)
Sep 18, 2014	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL	33 / 57 (654.2400)	16 (170.2628)	41 (162.3200)	36 (162.2400)	42 (159.4172)
Sep 5, 2014	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	14 / 36 (672.4572)	6 (174.8572)	14 (166.8344)	21 (166.8228)	15 (163.9428)
Jul 11, 2014	8th Annual Ohio Veterans BBQ Cookoff Kettering, OH	9 / 42 (670.7544)	13 (168.5488)	9 (169.1200)	4 (172)	22 (161.0856)
Jun 21, 2014	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	28 / 41 (608.4800)	37 (143.4056)	27 (157.7028)	27 (155.9660)	29 (151.4056)
Jun 6, 2014	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff Bardstown, KY	11 / 34 (675.9656)	28 (162.8112)	25 (158.2972)	1 (178.8572)	4 (176)
Apr 25, 2014	Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship Mt. Carmel, IL	8 / 50 (671.4632)	20 (165.7372)	21 (164.0116)	19 (164.5716)	3 (177.1428)
Oct 25, 2013	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	74 / 97 (641.0288)	38 (167.4056)	54 (164.5372)	87 (149.6800)	63 (159.4060)
Oct 18, 2013	Ohio Smoke Meat Festival Nelsonville, OH	13 / 35 (666.3088)	19 (163.4516)	26 (160)	15 (166.2972)	2 (176.5600)
Oct 4, 2013	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	13 / 41 (675.9200)	30 (161.6800)	13 (170.2628)	10 (170.8572)	9 (173.1200)
Sep 27, 2013	Ohio Veteran Battle of the Barbecue Xenia, OH	8 / 35 (665.0972)	24 (163.4056)	16 (162.8572)	17 (165.7144)	4 (173.1200)
Aug 31, 2013	Thunder in the Park Connersville, IN	6 / 27 (671.9200)	7 (171.4056)	15 (163.9888)	5 (168.5600)	6 (167.9656)
Aug 16, 2013	Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues Madison, IN	13 / 60 (665.6228)	13 (169.1428)	10 (168.5256)	46 (154.8344)	5 (173.1200)
Jul 12, 2013	Ohio Veterans Barbeque Cook-off Kettering, OH	5 / 41 (667.3260)	28 (159.3828)	4 (169.7144)	17 (166.2400)	5 (171.9888)
Jun 22, 2013	Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	1 / 42 (682.8570)	3 (166.2856)	3 (174.2858)	9 (165.7142)	1 (176.5714)
May 17, 2013	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	14 / 35 (650.2854)	26 (155.9998)	4 (170.2856)	10 (163.4286)	15 (160.5714)
May 4, 2013	Smokin' on the Water Liberty, IN	11 / 37 (658.2860)	2 (173.1428)	15 (162.2858)	21 (162.2858)	18 (160.5716)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

QUBED

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

Master avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Giant slayer

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

Brisket nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

The long haul

The metronome

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)