BEAN BANDITS

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#690

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1643

peak 1651 · rated over 46 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-03-08

latest 2019-05-03

Best ToY finish

#184

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 46 contests

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

696.4912 / 720

Master · Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

678.85 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 674.68 (+4.17)

Walk rate

63%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Hog Wild BBQ Festival

Consistency

±11.83

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.51 · weakest Pork (166.02)

Road miles

4,630

mi across 46 mapped stops · furthest 261 mi

Schedule strength

35%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1547)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

674.68 / 720

46 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

Against the odds

25-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 75 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash (2014-07-25) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 25-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N.

Giant slayer

49 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 49-team field at Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash.

2014-07-25

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 5%

A multi-meat day

1 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Hog Wild BBQ Festival (2015-10-01).

Chicken 1st
Pork 1st

They almost always walk

63% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 29 of 46 contests

A top-10 category call in 63% of their 46 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

696.4912 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.4912 at Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-07-25

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SWIGGIN PIG has finished one call ahead of BEAN BANDITS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

30–7 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 81% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 30 of their 37 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.5 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.49 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 17% of the time against 43%.

Pork avg 166.02
Chicken avg 171.51
8 calls in 46 entries

The drought

25 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash on 2014-07-25 — 25 contests and 12.1 years ago.

last GC 2014-07-25
12.1 years ago

A strong matchup

18–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKE OF THE SHOALS in 18 of their 21 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

KILLER HOGS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 21% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 21% across 5 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.

5 September contests
top 35% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,630 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,630 miles across 46 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 261 miles to BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival.

46 mapped stops
furthest 261 mi

The metronome

±1.64% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.64% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.7% of a perfect score
46 contests

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ every year from 2014 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 5th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

HOTTY TOTTY BBQ CREW

#691 of the rated field

1643 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1654

6–7 in 13 shared contests (46% to BEAN BANDITS)

These two have cooked 13 of the same contests — HOTTY TOTTY BBQ CREW ahead 7–6 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 53 contests
last seen 2019-06-14

⚔ Head-to-head

BUTLER'S BACKDRAFT BBQ

#688 of the rated field

1643 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 45
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1678

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1678 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 43 contests
last seen 2021-05-15

⚔ Head-to-head

GREAT PLAINS BBQ

#686 of the rated field

1643 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 52 contests to 46, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2018-10-19

⚔ Head-to-head

Q-JITSU

#689 of the rated field

1643 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1668

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 57 contests, alongside a 32% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 53 contests
last seen 2026-08-16

⚔ Head-to-head

SLINGIN MEATS

#687 of the rated field

1643 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1643

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 9 years after BEAN BANDITS did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 30 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW

#692 of the rated field

1643 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 106
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1696

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 103 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Organizer Portal	37	7	30	19%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	35	11	24	31%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	35	7	28	20%	⚔ compare
BIG BLUE QUE	29	10	19	34%	⚔ compare
South Pork	29	8	21	28%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	24	15	9	63%	⚔ compare
SMOKE OF THE SHOALS	21	18	3	86%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HAWG	21	6	15	29%	⚔ compare
TEAM HOGWEISER	19	18	1	95%	⚔ compare
1709 BBQ	19	14	5	74%	⚔ compare
HOUSE OF Q	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
FAT, DRUNK & STUPID	18	7	11	39%	⚔ compare
WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	46	20	3	4	180.0000 🔥	160.5712	171.51	top 30%
Pork Ribs	46	12	3	4	178.8572	155.9428	167.93	top 40%
Pork	46	8	1	3	177.7028	147.4284	166.02	top 50%
Brisket	46	10	0	2	178.8572	159.3828	169.22	top 36%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
AL	17	0	top 32%
TN	14	1	top 36%
MS	12	0	top 33%
GA	3	0	top 50%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	14	0	top 40%
Large (40+)	32	1	top 32%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	6	5	0	top 25%	2019-05-03
High on the Hog Festival	6	11	0	top 52%	2018-04-20
Stand by Your Grill	4	7	0	top 30%	2016-08-19
Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff	3	4	0	top 39%	2016-05-27
Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	2	1	1	top 5%	2014-07-25
Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1	2	25	0	top 46%	2017-03-17
Hog Wild BBQ Festival	2	3	0	top 26%	2016-09-29

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.2 yrs 2013-03-08 → 2019-05-03

Busiest season 2013 13 contests

Contests a season 6.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AL 17 of 46 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 28 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 46 entries · 3 wins · 20 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 171.51 · weakest Pork (166.02)

Walk rate 63% a top-10 call in 29 of 46 contests

Overall top-10 rate 30% 14 of 46 contests

Wins it all 2% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2014-07-25 Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 674.68 out of 720 · 46 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 982 1,758–773 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,630 46 mapped stops · furthest 261 mi

Schedule strength 1547 average field rating faced — tougher than 35% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Power rating 1643 peak 1651 · #690 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Mar 8 First tracked contest BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival
Mar 8 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2854 BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival
Mar 15 First call Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
Apr 12 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Falls
Apr 19 First category win (Pork Ribs) High on the Hog Festival
Aug 2 10th tracked contest Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier)
2014
Jul 25 First overall podium Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
Jul 25 First Grand Championship Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
Jul 25 Biggest field won (49 teams) Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
Jul 25 Career-best overall score696.4912 Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
2015
Apr 10 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Falls
Oct 1 First multi-meat day Hog Wild BBQ Festival
Oct 1 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Hog Wild BBQ Festival
2016
Mar 18 Peak power rating (1651) Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1
2019
May 3 Most recent contest The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.7	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	2014-07-25
+13.3	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	2013-07-26
+11.9	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off	2013-05-24
+11.3	Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest	2017-09-15
+10.7	Stand By Your Grill	2013-08-16

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.7	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest	2016-04-08
-8.5	High on the Hog Festival	2015-04-17
-8.4	Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)	2013-06-07
-6.2	High on the Hog Festival	2017-04-21
-5.5	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1	2017-03-17

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0	1	0	100%	top 9%	95.5%	95.5%
2018	3	0	0	0	33%	top 46%	94.7%	93.3%
2017	4	0	1	0	25%	top 46%	96.1%	93.3%
2016	7	0	0	0	43%	top 46%	95%	93.3%
2015	8	0	4	3	88%	top 30%	96.6%	94.7%
2014	10	1	3	1	70%	top 33%	96.7%	93.8%
2013	13	0	5	3	69%	top 29%	95.5%	93.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-05-03	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	5 / 54 (687.8972)	10 (173.1200)	6 (174.2744)	20 (168.5256)	9 (171.9772)
2018-05-04	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	15 / 61 (682.1484)	26 (171.9656)	34 (166.2400)	21 (169.6800)	9 (174.2628)
2018-04-20	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	22 / 42 (676.4572)	23 (169.1200)	14 (170.8344)	26 (165.6800)	16 (170.8228)
2018-03-16	*Hog Wild BBQ Contest Corinth, MS	22 / 36 (655.8284)	20 (166.2628)	24 (160.5028)	33 (159.3828)	12 (169.6800)
2017-09-15	Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest Decatur, AL	4 / 39 (691.9312)	4 (178.8572)	7 (174.8800)	16 (168.5140)	13 (169.6800)
2017-05-05	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	31 / 69 (665.5424)	37 (164.5256)	46 (163.3828)	29 (168.5256)	25 (169.1084)
2017-04-21	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	27 / 41 (670.1712)	26 (168.5256)	30 (162.8572)	18 (170.8228)	26 (167.9656)
2017-03-17	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	44 / 68 (660.4568)	15 (172.5828)	36 (166.2400)	66 (150.8112)	27 (170.8228)
2016-09-29	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS	11 / 28 (683.8968)	7 (173.1200)	5 (173.1084)	20 (164.5256)	8 (173.1428)
2016-08-19	Stand by Your Grill Fulton, MS	19 / 40 (668.4228)	6 (174.8456)	16 (169.1316)	32 (161.6456)	30 (162.8000)
2016-05-27	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN	14 / 31 (677.6340)	18 (170.2628)	15 (169.7028)	17 (167.4056)	11 (170.2628)
2016-05-06	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	17 / 67 (673.6116)	18 (170.8228)	24 (166.8344)	38 (163.9772)	11 (171.9772)
2016-04-15	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	29 / 56 (672.4456)	45 (163.9772)	33 (166.2400)	23 (170.8228)	21 (171.4056)
2016-04-08	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest Gadsden, AL	22 / 25 (650.7656)	20 (162.2400)	17 (163.3828)	16 (163.4628)	21 (161.6800)
2016-03-18	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	25 / 95 (676.5140)	6 (176.5600)	51 (164.0000)	48 (166.2856)	31 (169.6684)
2015-10-01	Hog Wild BBQ Festival Corinth, MS	3 / 25 (690.7656)	1 (180.0000)	10 (170.2744)	1 (177.7028)	17 (162.7884)
2015-09-11	Decatur Jaycee's 21st Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	5 / 55 (693.6344)	10 (173.1316)	6 (175.4172)	14 (170.8228)	8 (174.2628)
2015-08-14	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	29 / 57 (670.7312)	19 (171.4056)	28 (166.2400)	54 (156.4912)	6 (176.5944)
2015-05-22	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	4 / 28 (695.3828)	6 (176.5600)	10 (171.4172)	12 (169.7028)	4 (177.7028)
2015-05-01	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	18 / 63 (678.1368)	33 (165.6684)	11 (173.1200)	6 (173.1200)	24 (166.2284)
2015-04-17	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	39 / 59 (668.4796)	4 (176.5600)	37 (166.2628)	52 (159.4168)	38 (166.2400)
2015-04-10	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	9 / 34 (686.7884)	9 (173.1428)	1 (178.8572)	25 (163.9540)	15 (170.8344)
2015-03-13	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	28 / 94 (673.0284)	12 (174.2628)	76 (155.9428)	36 (167.4056)	11 (175.4172)
2014-09-19	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL	10 / 75 (688.5256)	1 (177.7372)	24 (169.6800)	7 (173.7372)	32 (167.3712)
2014-08-15	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	8 / 65 (685.6228)	27 (169.6800)	19 (170.8344)	8 (174.2856)	21 (170.8228)
2014-07-25	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	1 / 49 (696.4912)	11 (173.1084)	3 (174.8572)	3 (173.1200)	4 (175.4056)
2014-05-24	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	24 / 41 (670.1484)	9 (174.2628)	13 (172.0000)	38 (159.3600)	26 (164.5256)
2014-05-16	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	22 / 56 (670.1596)	13 (172.5600)	23 (165.7028)	38 (164.5140)	22 (167.3828)
2014-05-02	The WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (JUDGES SIGN UP STARTS DECEMBER 2, 2013) Huntsville, AL	12 / 62 (681.0284)	22 (168.5484)	25 (167.3828)	17 (167.3828)	2 (177.7144)
2014-04-18	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	36 / 62 (666.7196)	6 (174.8456)	46 (161.0972)	57 (157.6340)	12 (173.1428)
2014-04-11	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest Gadsden, AL	15 / 34 (670.7428)	11 (170.8228)	25 (161.6800)	12 (170.2628)	16 (167.9772)
2014-04-03	Smokin on the River (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier) Summerville, GA	16 / 30 (652.9940)	16 (166.2628)	8 (166.2628)	17 (160.5256)	16 (159.9428)
2014-03-14	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre Tupelo, MS	24 / 95 (673.5656)	12 (173.1200)	51 (161.0856)	18 (170.8344)	29 (168.5256)
2013-10-11	Cullman Oktoberfest BBQ Challenge Cullman, AL	18 / 32 (663.8740)	10 (173.7028)	17 (165.6800)	19 (165.1084)	26 (159.3828)
2013-09-13	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	27 / 80 (659.2572)	33 (166.8344)	32 (163.9544)	52 (161.6456)	23 (166.8228)
2013-08-16	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	7 / 62 (686.2628)	5 (175.4400)	7 (173.1428)	28 (165.7028)	16 (171.9772)
2013-08-02	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier) Dillard, GA	16 / 61 (679.8856)	11 (173.1200)	33 (163.9656)	45 (163.9428)	2 (178.8572)
2013-07-26	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	4 / 54 (687.4056)	9 (170.8456)	23 (167.4172)	3 (176.0000)	9 (173.1428)
2013-06-07	Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier) Euharlee, GA	28 / 39 (646.2852)	20 (166.8570)	22 (162.2856)	38 (147.4284)	11 (169.7142)
2013-05-24	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off Lewisburg, TN	4 / 36 (674.8566)	1 (174.2856)	20 (161.7140)	6 (172.5714)	13 (166.2856)
2013-05-17	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	8 / 47 (684.5710)	2 (177.1428)	1 (178.2858)	33 (163.9998)	22 (165.1426)
2013-05-03	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	24 / 62 (666.2854)	17 (169.7142)	13 (169.7144)	36 (163.4284)	28 (163.4284)
2013-04-19	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	11 / 60 (676.5712)	8 (174.2856)	1 (177.7144)	36 (161.1428)	30 (163.4284)
2013-04-12	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	10 / 34 (669.7140)	7 (172.0000)	11 (167.4286)	22 (161.7142)	11 (168.5712)
2013-03-15	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	20 / 100 (671.4280)	70 (160.5712)	13 (171.9998)	9 (173.7142)	46 (165.1428)
2013-03-08	BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival Mobile, AL	21 / 56 (662.2854)	30 (166.2854)	35 (161.7142)	11 (170.2858)	22 (164.0000)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018 ↗	Master	#1041 (260 pts)	#1230 (215 pts)	#1173 (240 pts)	#1273 (200 pts)	#877 (375 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#904 (390 pts)	#883 (440 pts)	#1042 (345 pts)	#1093 (320 pts)	#1103 (300 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#635 (609 pts)	#488 (829 pts)	#614 (664 pts)	#758 (519 pts)	#599 (674 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#364 (1032 pts)	#284 (1207 pts)	#355 (1022 pts)	#402 (922 pts)	#375 (987 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#261 (1284 pts)	#193 (1454 pts)	#329 (1079 pts)	#255 (1259 pts)	#278 (1244 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#184 (1469 pts)	#103 (1733 pts)	#143 (1523 pts)	#227 (1193 pts)	#219 (1276 pts)