MONSTER-QUE

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

Power ranking

#380

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1704

peak 1725 · rated over 39 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-10

latest 2019-05-31

Best ToY finish

#125

Master 2013

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

23 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 40 contests

Avg finish

top 24%

overall standings

Best overall

699.4400 / 720

Master · Up In Smoke On The Square

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.52 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 673.89 (-7.37)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.8572

Brisket · Legacy BBQ Championship

Consistency

±12.30

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 169.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (166.61)

Road miles

5,714

mi across 40 mapped stops · furthest 274 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

673.89 / 720

40 Master contests · 3 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (19 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.

The heartbreaker

0.6060 points from the title

Came within 0.6060 points of the Grand Championship at 7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff (2014-07-11).

Among the elite

#380 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 6% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1704 puts them #380 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 6% of the field.

rating 1704
peak 1725
39 rated contests

Against the odds

21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Up In Smoke On The Square (2014-08-22) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 21-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ.

Giant slayer

50 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 50-team field at Up In Smoke On The Square.

2014-08-22

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Smoke on the Prairie is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 15%

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 Smoke on the River (2014-09-05).

Chicken 1st
Brisket 1st

They almost always walk

85% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 34 of 40 contests

A top-10 category call in 85% of their 40 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

699.4400 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 699.4400 at Up In Smoke On The Square — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-08-22

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

GILLY'S BBQ has finished one call ahead of MONSTER-QUE 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 2 Grand Championships

2015 was the year it came together: 15 contests, 2 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 22%.

15 contests
7 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 22%

A tough matchup

7–3 behind in the head-to-head

GREY STREET BBQ ahead in 70% of their meetings

GREY STREET BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 10 shared contests.

The drought

14 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! on 2015-07-17 — 14 contests and 11.1 years ago.

last GC 2015-07-17
11.1 years ago

A strong matchup

17–6 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 74% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of ALL IN QUE in 17 of their 23 shared contests.

Announced themselves early

4th at their very first contest

Finished 4 of 25 at their very first tracked contest, 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off (2013-05-10).

2013-05-10
25-team field

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Its 5 Oclock Somewhere has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An October team

Top 15% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 15% across 5 contests, versus top 24% the rest of the year.

5 October contests
top 24% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,714 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,714 miles across 40 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 274 miles to 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational.

40 mapped stops
furthest 274 mi

The metronome

±1.71% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.71% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.6% of a perfect score
40 contests

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up In Smoke on the Square every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 1st

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.

The BBQ Ranch

#381 of the rated field

1704 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 80%
Peak: 1715

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 51 contests to 40, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2025-10-18
on a 26-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD

#382 of the rated field

1704 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 71
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1721

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 71 contests, alongside a 45% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 71 contests
last seen 2019-10-04

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE THIS BBQ MO

#378 of the rated field

1705 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 208
GCs: 17
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1860

4–2 in 6 shared contests (67% to MONSTER-QUE)

These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — MONSTER-QUE ahead 4–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 187 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

Mad Hatter BBQ

#384 of the rated field

1703 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 68%
Peak: 1715

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 10 years after MONSTER-QUE did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 37 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

CROOKED PIGS

#383 of the rated field

1703 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 58
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1708

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2026-05-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Grandpa Val's BBQ

#379 of the rated field

1705 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 58%
Peak: 1717

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 59 contests to 40.

rated over 56 contests
last seen 2026-08-08

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
One2BBQ	26	9	17	35%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	24	16	8	67%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	23	17	6	74%	⚔ compare
QUAU	20	9	11	45%	⚔ compare
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ	17	13	4	76%	⚔ compare
FIDDLIN' FATBACK	16	16	0	100%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
BONEHEAD BBQ	14	12	2	86%	⚔ compare
JUGS BBQ	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
GILLY'S BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
RURAL ROUTE BBQ	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE	12	10	2	83%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
MEATSMACK	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
PITMASTERIQ BBQ	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	40	21	1	5	178.2972	154.7772	168.79	top 35%
Pork Ribs	40	17	1	6	177.1772	147.9544	166.61	top 37%
Pork	40	23	2	4	178.2972	156.5372	168.81	top 30%
Brisket	40	24	2	8	178.8572	153.7142	169.68	top 26%

“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
IL	26	2	top 22%
IN	7	1	top 26%
MO	6	0	top 19%
IA	1	0	top 76%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	1	top 11%
Medium (20–39)	22	0	top 31%
Large (40+)	16	2	top 15%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Up In Smoke on the Square	7	1	1	top 30%	2019-05-31
Central Illinois Bragging Rights	3	3	0	top 18%	2015-10-09
Knights of Columbus	3	2	0	top 13%	2015-06-19
Smoke on the Prairie	2	1	1	top 15%	2015-05-29
Smoke on the River	2	8	0	top 36%	2014-09-05

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

On the trail 6.1 yrs 2013-05-10 → 2019-05-31

Busiest season 2015 15 contests · 2 GCs

Contests a season 5.7 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 26 of 40 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 28 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 40 entries · 1 win · 21 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 169.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (166.61)

Walk rate 85% a top-10 call in 34 of 40 contests

Overall top-10 rate 68% 27 of 40 contests

Wins it all 8% 3 Grand Championships · 2 reserve

First title 2014-08-22 Up In Smoke On The Square

Best top-10 run 8 straight contests

Master average 673.89 out of 720 · 40 contests · 3 GCs

Opponents faced 1,122 1,741–381 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,714 40 mapped stops · furthest 274 mi

Schedule strength 1555 average field rating faced — tougher than 42% of rated contests

Purse competed for $9,525 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Power rating 1704 peak 1725 · #380 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 10 First tracked contest 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 10 First call 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 10 First overall top-10 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 10 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.7140 2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off
May 17 First overall podium Randolph County Pig Party
Jun 27 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8572 Legacy BBQ Championship
2014
Jun 13 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Prairie
Jun 20 First category win (Pork) Knights of Columbus
Jun 20 First Reserve Championship Knights of Columbus
Aug 22 First Grand Championship Up In Smoke On The Square
Aug 22 Biggest field won (50 teams) Up In Smoke On The Square
Aug 22 Career-best overall score699.4400 Up In Smoke On The Square
Sep 5 First multi-meat day Smoke on the River
2015
Jul 10 25th tracked contest 8th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff
2016
Aug 19 Peak power rating (1725) Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval
2019
May 31 Most recent contest Up In Smoke on the Square

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.4	Randolph County Pig Party	2013-05-17
+12.9	Up In Smoke On The Square	2014-08-22
+12.8	Knights of Columbus	2013-06-21
+12.8	Legacy BBQ Championship	2013-06-27
+12.6	2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off	2013-05-10

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.8	Up In Smoke on the Square	2019-05-31
-10.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-07-25
-8.4	Balloons, Blues & BBQ	2015-09-12
-3.6	*Up In smoke on the Square( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES)	2018-06-01
-1.6	Up In smoke on the Square	2017-06-02

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	0	0	100%	top 72%	91.1%	91.1%
2018	1	0	0	0	100%	top 45%	89.6%	89.6%
2017	1	0	0	0	100%	top 38%	93.1%	93.1%
2016	4	0	4	0	75%	top 21%	95.7%	94.1%
2015	15	2	7	2	67%	top 22%	96.8%	94%
2014	9	1	8	4	100%	top 23%	97.1%	94.2%
2013	9	0	8	0	100%	top 18%	94.3%	92.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-05-31	Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL	26 / 36 (655.8856)	25 (164.5600)	30 (157.0972)	7 (170.8228)	23 (163.4056)
2018-06-01	*Up In smoke on the Square( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES) Lincoln, IL	18 / 40 (644.9712)	34 (154.7772)	6 (168.5828)	27 (158.2284)	12 (163.3828)
2017-06-02	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	12 / 32 (670.1824)	18 (165.7256)	14 (165.6800)	14 (166.8112)	4 (171.9656)
2016-08-19	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	9 / 63 (689.0400)	20 (170.8344)	14 (173.1200)	13 (171.9656)	15 (173.1200)
2016-07-08	9th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	10 / 26 (672.5140)	11 (170.8228)	11 (164.5600)	8 (171.4056)	15 (165.7256)
2016-06-17	*Hog Capital Challenge - JUDGES FULL Kewanee, IL	5 / 23 (671.2912)	18 (159.3600)	8 (166.8228)	7 (170.8456)	3 (174.2628)
2016-06-03	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	5 / 52 (677.6112)	20 (169.1200)	29 (160.5372)	5 (172.5484)	4 (175.4056)
2015-10-09	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	13 / 48 (671.3256)	13 (168.5256)	14 (167.9772)	21 (165.7028)	11 (169.1200)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	39 / 606 (683.9312)	49 (174.8456)	160 (169.1200)	193 (167.4056)	65 (172.5600)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	23 / 187 (688.5256)	32 (175.4056)	105 (167.3944)	86 (169.1428)	12 (176.5828)
2015-09-18	Marshall County Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass Plymouth, IN	7 / 27 (682.8340)	9 (172.5484)	5 (172.0000)	10 (171.9656)	18 (166.3200)
2015-09-12	Balloons, Blues & BBQ Bloomington, IN	14 / 23 (651.2340)	21 (158.2056)	14 (165.6800)	11 (164.5256)	14 (162.8228)
2015-08-21	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	8 / 64 (682.7540)	6 (174.2856)	18 (169.6800)	24 (169.6684)	17 (169.1200)
2015-07-24	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	10 / 47 (669.0740)	8 (169.6800)	9 (168.0116)	26 (162.2396)	10 (169.1428)
2015-07-17	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	1 / 44 (697.1428)	20 (169.1200)	2 (177.1772)	5 (177.1428)	10 (173.7028)
2015-07-10	8th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	11 / 31 (672.5028)	7 (173.7028)	27 (154.8116)	4 (172.5484)	7 (171.4400)
2015-06-19	Knights of Columbus Quincy, IL	6 / 28 (674.7312)	22 (162.2284)	14 (166.2400)	1 (178.2972)	10 (167.9656)
2015-06-05	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	4 / 40 (677.0624)	20 (164.5256)	10 (169.1084)	7 (170.8456)	5 (172.5828)
2015-05-29	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	1 / 18 (678.7884)	8 (165.6800)	1 (176.0000)	4 (168.5256)	3 (168.5828)
2015-05-02	Smokin' on the Water Liberty, IN	13 / 36 (677.0860)	32 (160.5600)	17 (166.2632)	3 (177.7028)	7 (172.5600)
2015-05-01	Smokin on the Water 2 Liberty, IN	11 / 37 (679.3712)	7 (172.5600)	7 (171.9772)	15 (170.2628)	19 (164.5712)
2015-04-24	Wabash Ribber Fest Mt. Carmel, IL	13 / 46 (669.5768)	23 (165.6684)	15 (168.0000)	12 (169.6800)	19 (166.2284)
2014-10-10	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	8 / 37 (666.7656)	4 (172.0000)	16 (161.6916)	15 (161.6684)	5 (171.4056)
2014-09-18	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL	5 / 57 (690.2400)	5 (173.7028)	8 (173.7144)	16 (169.7028)	9 (173.1200)
2014-09-05	Smoke on the River Quincy, IL	9 / 21 (662.7656)	1 (176.5600)	19 (150.2744)	16 (159.3712)	1 (176.5600)
2014-08-22	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	1 / 50 (699.4400)	2 (178.2972)	6 (172.0000)	6 (172.0000)	1 (177.1428)
2014-07-25	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Des Moines, IA	22 / 29 (657.6344)	9 (171.4056)	22 (161.7144)	12 (164.5600)	20 (159.9544)
2014-07-11	7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	2 / 41 (696.5024)	14 (172.5484)	2 (175.4056)	5 (174.2628)	4 (174.2856)
2014-06-26	Legacy State BBQ Championship Cook-Off Effingham, IL	3 / 18 (681.0856)	5 (173.1084)	11 (167.4172)	5 (168.0000)	3 (172.5600)
2014-06-20	Knights of Columbus Quincy, IL	2 / 25 (686.3200)	7 (171.4516)	2 (174.8456)	1 (175.4400)	11 (164.5828)
2014-06-13	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	7 / 28 (665.1316)	19 (163.4172)	4 (170.2972)	12 (165.1200)	11 (166.2972)
2013-10-11	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	3 / 53 (676.5144)	6 (173.7028)	27 (161.0972)	7 (170.2744)	7 (171.4400)
2013-09-27	Taste of Downtown Danville BBQ Competition Danville, IL	4 / 25 (675.9428)	2 (175.4056)	2 (176.0000)	19 (156.5372)	6 (168.0000)
2013-09-13	Q the Lou Litchfield, IL	7 / 25 (663.3600)	14 (159.9772)	7 (166.8344)	10 (164.5484)	3 (172.0000)
2013-09-06	Smoke On The River Quincy, IL	8 / 28 (663.4400)	6 (167.4400)	19 (160.0000)	9 (168.0116)	6 (167.9884)
2013-08-23	Up In Smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	16 / 46 (669.6800)	4 (174.8572)	41 (147.9544)	6 (173.7028)	5 (173.1656)
2013-06-27	Legacy BBQ Championship Effingham, IL	3 / 28 (678.8572)	3 (172.0000)	11 (162.8572)	10 (165.1428)	2 (178.8572)
2013-06-21	Knights of Columbus Quincy, IL	3 / 32 (654.8570)	9 (160.5714)	2 (170.8572)	5 (169.7142)	18 (153.7142)
2013-05-17	Randolph County Pig Party Steeleville, IL	3 / 25 (667.9998)	10 (162.8570)	4 (166.8570)	6 (165.1430)	2 (173.1428)
2013-05-10	2013 Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off Florissant, MO	4 / 25 (661.7140)	2 (169.7142)	15 (158.8572)	3 (170.8570)	10 (162.2856)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1716 (122 pts)	#2083 (92 pts)	#1997 (112 pts)	#1970 (112 pts)	#1384 (207 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#621 (629 pts)	#966 (374 pts)	#879 (439 pts)	#667 (604 pts)	#623 (644 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#147 (1754 pts)	#244 (1291 pts)	#158 (1586 pts)	#114 (1742 pts)	#202 (1485 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#148 (1749 pts)	#149 (1624 pts)	#204 (1444 pts)	#209 (1384 pts)	#146 (1674 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#125 (1754 pts)	#109 (1679 pts)	#202 (1314 pts)	#169 (1409 pts)	#129 (1654 pts)