The heartbreaker
1.7028
points from the title
Came within 1.7028 points of the Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship (2015-10-09).
R&R BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1597
peak 1631 · rated over 23 contests ⓘ
Best runs
8
straight top-10s
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
2013-04-05
latest 2026-07-24
Best ToY finish
#541
Master 2015
Grand champs
2
1 reserve
Category wins
4
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
of 23 contests
Avg finish
top 39%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
590.09 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 648.44 (-58.35)
Walk rate
83%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
8
best run (overall)
Consistency
±69.79
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.89 · weakest Pork (162.71)
Road miles
11,688
mi across 23 mapped stops · furthest 1001 mi
Schedule strength
49%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)
Purse competed for
$16K
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
648.44 / 720
23 Master contests · 2 GCs
Storylines (18 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
21-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2015-04-10) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 21-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, PARROTHEAD SMOKERS.
Giant slayer
30
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.
- 2015-04-10
Happy hunting ground
2×
Grand Championships here
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 5 visits.
- 5 visits
- best finish 1st
- average top 20%
They almost always walk
83%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 19 of 23 contests
A top-10 category call in 83% of their 23 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
701.1316
career-best overall
97.4% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 701.1316 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship — 97.4% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2015-10-09
Their season
2015
1 Grand Championship
2015 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 3 category wins, at an average finish in the top 16%.
- 5 contests
- 5 overall top-10s
- 3 category wins
- average top 16%
A tough matchup
7–2
behind in the head-to-head
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ ahead in 78% of their meetings
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 9 shared contests.
The weak link
−5.2
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.18 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 27% of the time against 57%.
- Pork avg 162.71
- Chicken avg 167.89
- 6 calls in 22 entries
The drought
10
contests since the last title
Their last Grand Championship came at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on 2015-04-10 — 10 contests and 11.4 years ago.
- last GC 2015-04-10
- 11.4 years ago
A strong matchup
8–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of G AND L BBQ in 8 of their 8 shared contests.
The comeback
6.1 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 6.1 years, then back at Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Comp (OPEN FORMAT) (2026-07-24).
- last seen 2020-06-26
- back 2026-07-24
Announced themselves early
4th
at their very first contest
Finished 4 of 29 at their very first tracked contest, Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2013-04-05).
- 2013-04-05
- 29-team field
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE SMOKER has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±9.69%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±9.69% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 90.1% of a perfect score
- best 97.4%
The long haul
11,688
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,688 miles across 23 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,001 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship.
- 23 mapped stops
- furthest 1,001 mi
A standing appointment
5
years running at one contest
They've cooked Sam's Club National BBQ Tour every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.
- 5 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.
34 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1072 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 79%
- Peak
- 1596
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1076 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 54%
- Peak
- 1621
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before R&R BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1068 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 30%
- Peak
- 1597
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 20 contests to 23, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1074 of the rated field
- Contests
- 29
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 34%
- Peak
- 1596
No shared contest yet.
29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 34% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1075 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 48%
- Peak
- 1612
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 12 years after R&R BBQ did, first appearing in 2025.
⚔ Head-to-head#1071 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1598
No shared contest yet.
Level with R&R BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM AMERICA | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| Rhythm n QUE | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Rooftop BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| G AND L BBQ | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG JOHNSON'S BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Whistle Pig BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| HALF BAKED HIPPIES BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| SON OF SMOKE | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| PHIL & LOU BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| HD BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| CHICKEN BUTT BBQ UTAH | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Phil the Grill | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 154.2854 | 167.89 | top 43% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 174.8916 | 142.2288 | 166.86 | top 33% |
| Pork | 22 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 176.5600 | 146.9600 | 162.71 | top 54% |
| Brisket | 22 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 177.7028 | 153.6456 | 165.24 | top 40% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT | 9 | 2 | top 27% |
| NV | 7 | 0 | top 44% |
| CA | 3 | 0 | top 20% |
| KS | 1 | 0 | top 123% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
| AR | 1 | 0 | top 4% |
| NM | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 74% |
| Medium (20–39) | 14 | 2 | top 35% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 32% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 5 | 1 | 2 | top 20% | 2017-04-07 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 4 | 7 | 0 | top 53% | 2016-04-22 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 20% | 2016-03-25 |
The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
13.3 yrs
2013-04-05 → 2026-07-24
Busiest season
2013
6 contests
Contests a season
3.3
across 7 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
UT
9 of 23 contests · 7 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
15
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
23 entries · 1 win · 13 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 167.89 · weakest Pork (162.71)
Walk rate
83%
a top-10 call in 19 of 23 contests
Overall top-10 rate
61%
14 of 23 contests
Wins it all
9%
2 Grand Championships · 1 reserve
First title
2014-04-11
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Best top-10 run
8
straight contests
Master average
648.44
out of 720 · 23 contests · 2 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
485
525–290 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
11,688
23 mapped stops · furthest 1,001 mi
Schedule strength
1563
average field rating faced — tougher than 49% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$15,550
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 3 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
6.1 yrs
2020-06-26 → 2026-07-24
Power rating
1597
peak 1631 · #1069 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2852 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- 2014
- First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall podium Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- 10th tracked contest Smokin' On The Pecos
- 2015
- Biggest field won (30 teams) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First Reserve Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship
- Career-best overall score701.1316 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship
- 2016
- Peak power rating (1631) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
- 2026
- Most recent contest Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Comp (OPEN FORMAT)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +20.9 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | 2015-10-09 |
| +15 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2015-04-10 |
| +14.6 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2014-04-11 |
| +14.6 | Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons | 2013-08-16 |
| +13.8 | Wine Country Big Q | 2013-07-12 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -16.7 | Grillin and Chillin | 2020-06-26 |
| -11.4 | Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Comp (OPEN FORMAT) | 2026-07-24 |
| -11.4 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 2013-04-19 |
| -9 | Smokin' On The Pecos | 2014-06-27 |
| -4 | Red Rock BBQ | 2020-01-03 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 123% | 46.4% | 46.4% |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 83% | 93% | 89% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 91.8% | 91.8% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 93.7% | 93.4% |
| 2015 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 100% | top 16% | 97.4% | 94.2% |
| 2014 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 80% | top 39% | 95.2% | 91.7% |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 67% | top 32% | 94.2% | 91% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-24 | Dodge City Days Smokin' Saddles BBQ Comp (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Dodge City, KS | 16 / 13 (334.2056) | 17 (162.2284) | 6 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2020-06-26 | Grillin and Chillin 🏅 Chillicothe, MO | 34 / 34 (611.7600) | 34 (161.6800) | 34 (142.2288) | 34 (154.2056) | 33 (153.6456) |
| 2020-01-03 | Red Rock BBQ 🏅 Hurrican, UT | 10 / 15 (669.6344) | 8 (168.5600) | 9 (166.8228) | 12 (163.3944) | 6 (170.8572) |
| 2017-04-07 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 15 / 29 (661.0852) | 22 (163.3940) | 8 (168.5828) | 17 (167.9656) | 21 (161.1428) |
| 2016-04-22 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 16 / 30 (673.7604) | 16 (169.1544) | 9 (170.9144) | 25 (161.0972) | 7 (172.5944) |
| 2016-04-08 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 9 / 30 (667.9084) | 2 (173.7028) | 5 (169.7372) | 28 (150.7656) | 2 (173.7028) |
| 2016-03-25 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV | 5 / 29 (674.8572) | 7 (170.2628) | 10 (166.9028) | 11 (169.7144) | 7 (167.9772) |
| 2015-10-09 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 2 / 50 (701.1316) | 1 (180.0000) | 17 (174.8916) | 42 (168.5372) | 10 (177.7028) |
| 2015-06-19 | YCC - Real Men Can Cook BBQ Comp Ogden, UT | 6 / 23 (666.7884) | 16 (162.2628) | 1 (173.7256) | 14 (162.2400) | 4 (168.5600) |
| 2015-04-24 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 7 / 30 (686.3432) | 2 (178.3200) | 11 (170.8916) | 6 (176.5600) | 26 (160.5716) |
| 2015-04-10 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 1 / 30 (675.3824) | 11 (167.4056) | 1 (170.2856) | 4 (167.4284) | 5 (170.2628) |
| 2015-03-27 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV | 7 / 30 (659.8856) | 6 (170.8228) | 4 (170.2744) | 14 (162.2400) | 15 (156.5484) |
| 2014-07-24 | Days of 47 BBQ Showdown Holladay, UT | 4 / 31 (667.3828) | 17 (163.9656) | 4 (172.0228) | 22 (157.6800) | 2 (173.7144) |
| 2014-06-27 | Smokin' On The Pecos Artesia, NM | 44 / 60 (629.9088) | 38 (160.0344) | 22 (167.4516) | 55 (146.9600) | 39 (155.4628) |
| 2014-04-26 | Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV | 29 / 51 (650.7656) | 6 (173.1200) | 9 (169.1656) | 49 (150.1828) | 33 (158.2972) |
| 2014-04-25 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 14 / 30 (668.5484) | 5 (174.8456) | 23 (160.0000) | 4 (173.1772) | 26 (160.5256) |
| 2014-04-11 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 1 / 29 (685.1656) | 4 (172.0228) | 2 (171.4284) | 1 (170.2972) | 3 (171.4172) |
| 2013-10-04 | Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA | 42 / 99 (648.4912) | 50 (163.4056) | 44 (162.2628) | 27 (165.6800) | 63 (157.1428) |
| 2013-09-20 | Utah BBQ Festival Coalville, UT | 5 / 16 (650.3200) | 9 (158.2856) | 6 (160.5600) | 9 (158.9144) | 2 (172.5600) |
| 2013-08-16 | Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Huntington State Beach, CA | 4 / 63 (678.2512) | 4 (175.4056) | 2 (174.2972) | 7 (171.4400) | 26 (157.1084) |
| 2013-07-12 | Wine Country Big Q Santa Rosa, CA | 5 / 44 (662.7656) | 8 (167.9656) | 6 (165.6800) | 16 (160.5600) | 7 (168.5600) |
| 2013-04-19 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 26 / 30 (627.4280) | 27 (154.2854) | 28 (149.1428) | 12 (163.4284) | 14 (160.5714) |
| 2013-04-05 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 4 / 29 (662.2852) | 6 (170.2856) | 4 (168.5716) | 19 (157.1426) | 6 (166.2854) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #1079 (59 pts) | #1091 (59 pts) | #1103 (59 pts) | #1097 (59 pts) | #1083 (59 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1965 (104 pts) | #2234 (69 pts) | #1672 (149 pts) | #2080 (94 pts) | #2182 (74 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #846 (419 pts) | #769 (514 pts) | #865 (449 pts) | #1360 (234 pts) | #695 (574 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #541 (700 pts) | #587 (665 pts) | #748 (505 pts) | #836 (435 pts) | #932 (370 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #913 (356 pts) | #973 (361 pts) | #800 (456 pts) | #1369 (221 pts) | #849 (406 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #627 (504 pts) | #701 (469 pts) | #601 (554 pts) | #939 (339 pts) | #957 (319 pts) |