The heartbreaker
Came within 0.5600 points of the Grand Championship at The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) (2014-02-21).
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
Came within 0.5600 points of the Grand Championship at The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) (2014-02-21).
In the top 5% of every rated team in the data
A power rating of 1714 puts them #336 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 5% of the field.
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Smokin' on the Prairie (2015-08-07) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 26-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, QUAU.
Boats, Bands, & BBQ is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.
They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival (2015-08-14).
A call in 45 of 56 contests
A top-10 category call in 80% of their 56 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
97.9% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 704.6060 at Smokin' on the Prairie — 97.9% of a perfect 720.
TEAM AMERICA has finished one call ahead of GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
2015 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 3 Grand Championships and 6 category wins, at an average finish in the top 28%.
BIG POPPA SMOKERS ahead in 80% of their meetings
BIG POPPA SMOKERS has come out ahead in 20 of their 25 shared contests.
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.20 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 36% of the time against 45%.
Ahead in 89% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of G AND L BBQ in 17 of their 19 shared contests.
BIG POPPA SMOKERS ahead 68% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, BIG POPPA SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 17 of 25 shared chicken entries.
4 LEGS UP BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Something about June: average finish in the top 14% across 3 contests, versus top 33% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 29,455 miles across 56 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,564 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).
They've cooked Sam's Club National BBQ Tour every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.
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.
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 76 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headA longer road to the same neighbourhood — 133 contests to 56.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir rating is built on 11 Grand Championships in 91 contests, alongside a 54% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-headBoth teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headLevel with GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop BBQ | 25 | 7 | 18 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 25 | 5 | 20 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Backdraft BBQ | 21 | 11 | 10 | 52% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM AMERICA | 20 | 9 | 11 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| G AND L BBQ | 19 | 17 | 2 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| JO-BAWB'S BBQ | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| HALF BAKED HIPPIES BBQ | 18 | 15 | 3 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ | 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Rhythm n QUE | 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 17 | 1 | 16 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| LUCKY'S Q | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| DJS SMOKIN' BBQ | 15 | 14 | 1 | 93% | ⚔ compare |
| Burnin and Lootin | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 56 | 25 | 5 | 11 | 180.0000 🔥 | 155.9996 | 169.77 | top 35% |
| Pork Ribs | 56 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 178.8572 | 148.5714 | 168.49 | top 32% |
| Pork | 56 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 179.4400 | 20.0000 | 164.57 | top 42% |
| Brisket | 56 | 23 | 3 | 9 | 178.8572 | 151.3828 | 166.39 | 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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| NV | 14 | 0 | top 42% |
| UT | 9 | 1 | top 23% |
| CO | 7 | 1 | top 19% |
| CA | 5 | 0 | top 41% |
| WY | 4 | 1 | top 21% |
| MO | 4 | 0 | top 44% |
| TN | 3 | 0 | top 49% |
| AZ | 3 | 0 | top 54% |
| ID | 2 | 2 | top 4% |
| MT | 2 | 1 | top 9% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 14% |
| AR | 1 | 0 | top 66% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 1 | top 15% |
| Medium (20–39) | 30 | 5 | top 28% |
| Large (40+) | 24 | 0 | top 39% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 5 | 2 | 0 | top 26% | 2017-04-07 |
| Wild West BBQ Shoot Out | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 29% | 2019-08-23 |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) | 3 | 29 | 0 | top 49% | 2018-10-26 |
| Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 26% | 2017-08-18 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 3 | 9 | 0 | top 59% | 2017-04-21 |
| Boats, Bands, & BBQ | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 10% | 2017-05-19 |
| Wild West BBQ Shoot Out | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 40% | 2017-08-25 |
| 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) | 2 | 36 | 0 | top 14% | 2016-10-29 |
| Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 13% | 2015-09-11 |
| Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 52% | 2015-05-02 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.6 | The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) | 2014-02-21 |
| +14.5 | Boats, Bands & BBQ | 2014-06-06 |
| +14.2 | Smokin' on the Prairie | 2015-08-07 |
| +12.9 | Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo | 2015-07-24 |
| +12.7 | Montana State BBQ Championship at Montana Fair | 2015-08-11 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -17.2 | Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship | 2014-05-16 |
| -13.5 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 2014-04-25 |
| -11.2 | Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship | 2015-05-02 |
| -9.6 | Outwest Food Fest BBQ Competiton | 2017-01-27 |
| -6.6 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) | 2018-10-26 |
| 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 38% | 94.5% | 94.5% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 67% | top 34% | 96% | 93.7% |
| 2017 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 82% | top 35% | 96.7% | 94.6% |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 88% | top 27% | 97.8% | 94.3% |
| 2015 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 80% | top 28% | 97.9% | 93.8% |
| 2014 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 85% | top 37% | 95.6% | 90.9% |
| 2013 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 70% | top 33% | 93.7% | 91.4% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out 🏅 Wendover, NV | 14 / 37 (680.4572) | 5 (176.0000) | 29 (163.9544) | 14 (170.8112) | 19 (169.6916) |
| 2018-10-26 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN | 65 / 102 (662.1600) | 42 (169.6800) | 40 (170.8228) | 29 (170.2744) | 94 (151.3828) |
| 2018-08-24 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 5 / 46 (691.3600) | 19 (170.2628) | 13 (173.1084) | 11 (173.1316) | 5 (174.8572) |
| 2018-07-13 | Happy Grillmore BBQ Competition Draper, UT | 6 / 21 (670.7312) | 13 (162.2628) | 1 (178.8572) | 14 (165.0972) | 13 (164.5140) |
| 2017-10-27 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 50 / 95 (675.9544) | 39 (172.0000) | 20 (173.7144) | 43 (169.1200) | 78 (161.1200) |
| 2017-10-06 | National Pro BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 33 / 50 (685.0516) | 47 (168.5256) | 27 (171.4172) | 6 (177.7144) | 36 (167.3944) |
| 2017-09-15 | *Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Boise, ID | 1 / 28 (696.0000) | 3 (174.8572) | 1 (175.4400) | 7 (169.7028) | 4 (176.0000) |
| 2017-08-25 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out West Wendover, NV | 15 / 37 (685.7032) | 13 (174.8916) | 10 (174.2744) | 17 (170.2744) | 23 (166.2628) |
| 2017-08-18 | Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 9 / 28 (671.2912) | 5 (171.9772) | 13 (162.2628) | 3 (176.5716) | 13 (160.4796) |
| 2017-06-24 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off ABSAROKEE, MT | 5 / 35 (690.7884) | 4 (174.2628) | 5 (173.1428) | 14 (169.1200) | 6 (174.2628) |
| 2017-05-19 | Boats, Bands, & BBQ Pueblo, CO | 6 / 36 (676.4572) | 3 (176.0116) | 10 (168.5372) | 21 (163.3712) | 13 (168.5372) |
| 2017-04-21 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 9 / 30 (691.4172) | 6 (175.4172) | 2 (177.7372) | 12 (172.5828) | 21 (165.6800) |
| 2017-04-07 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 2 / 29 (688.5028) | 1 (177.1544) | 12 (166.8228) | 12 (170.8228) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2017-02-17 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig Indio, CA | 22 / 49 (671.8972) | 4 (175.4056) | 4 (176.0116) | 39 (161.0972) | 38 (159.3828) |
| 2017-01-27 | Outwest Food Fest BBQ Competiton Quartzsite, AZ | 27 / 34 (659.8628) | 14 (171.4172) | 24 (165.6684) | 30 (160.5256) | 27 (162.2516) |
| 2016-10-29 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 36 / 557 (685.6572) | 101 (170.8572) | 189 (167.9772) | 2 (178.8572) | 156 (167.9656) |
| 2016-10-28 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 40 / 180 (688.5372) | 60 (173.7144) | 68 (170.8572) | 57 (171.4172) | 55 (172.5484) |
| 2016-09-16 | Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Nampa, ID | 1 / 25 (704.0116) | 11 (170.2628) | 3 (175.4516) | 2 (179.4400) | 1 (178.8572) |
| 2016-09-09 | Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO | 15 / 49 (667.8744) | 1 (176.5600) | 28 (163.9888) | 35 (158.8000) | 11 (168.5256) |
| 2016-08-26 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 14 / 37 (670.8344) | 18 (165.1200) | 18 (164.5716) | 8 (173.1428) | 15 (168.0000) |
| 2016-08-19 | Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 10 / 26 (673.6460) | 12 (167.9888) | 1 (177.1772) | 8 (169.6800) | 16 (158.8000) |
| 2016-04-22 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 17 / 30 (673.0860) | 18 (168.5256) | 1 (176.5944) | 24 (161.1088) | 17 (166.8572) |
| 2016-04-08 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 6 / 30 (670.3084) | 6 (172.5484) | 9 (168.0572) | 6 (169.7028) | 21 (160.0000) |
| 2015-10-23 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 29 / 93 (677.0968) | 17 (174.3200) | 3 (176.0000) | 63 (164.5484) | 65 (162.2284) |
| 2015-09-11 | Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO | 2 / 32 (690.2056) | 1 (180.0000) | 7 (169.6800) | 10 (169.1200) | 4 (171.4056) |
| 2015-08-14 | Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 2 / 26 (689.0744) | 1 (180.0000) | 8 (167.3944) | 12 (165.6800) | 1 (176.0000) |
| 2015-08-11 | Montana State BBQ Championship at Montana Fair Billings, MT | 1 / 25 (702.3088) | 1 (178.8572) | 5 (173.1544) | 6 (173.1544) | 2 (177.1428) |
| 2015-08-07 | Smokin' on the Prairie Gillette, WY | 1 / 26 (704.6060) | 2 (178.2972) | 1 (178.8572) | 10 (170.8572) | 1 (176.5944) |
| 2015-07-24 | Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo Salt Lake City, UT | 1 / 17 (681.0972) | 3 (174.2972) | 5 (169.1544) | 12 (164.5256) | 2 (173.1200) |
| 2015-05-02 | Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV | 34 / 41 (636.4460) | 29 (164.5372) | 36 (153.7260) | 25 (163.4056) | 35 (154.7772) |
| 2015-04-10 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 15 / 30 (643.2456) | 22 (157.6456) | 14 (162.8344) | 20 (158.2400) | 9 (164.5256) |
| 2015-03-20 | 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 37 / 100 (675.3716) | 48 (168.5372) | 40 (167.9772) | 25 (171.4400) | 44 (167.4172) |
| 2015-02-27 | 6th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ | 38 / 82 (654.7196) | 53 (161.1084) | 55 (156.5372) | 48 (162.2284) | 3 (174.8456) |
| 2014-10-30 | USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV | 25 / 79 (678.2400) | 5 (176.5600) | 13 (173.7028) | 65 (159.3944) | 31 (168.5828) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 221 / 552 (660.5256) | 340 (162.2972) | 19 (176.0000) | 253 (165.1084) | 362 (157.1200) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 117 / 165 (661.0056) | 130 (162.8112) | 129 (161.6572) | 5 (177.7144) | 143 (158.8228) |
| 2014-09-12 | Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO | 9 / 47 (677.6228) | 3 (177.1428) | 3 (172.5600) | 15 (169.6800) | 34 (158.2400) |
| 2014-08-22 | Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV | 12 / 31 (656.4340) | 4 (174.8456) | 13 (165.0972) | 30 (147.3484) | 7 (169.1428) |
| 2014-08-01 | The SLV Beat the Heat BBQ, Brews and Chili Competition Alamosa, CO | 9 / 31 (668.4916) | 8 (170.8344) | 6 (169.1316) | 16 (162.2400) | 10 (166.2856) |
| 2014-07-24 | Days of 47 BBQ Showdown Holladay, UT | 6 / 31 (661.6688) | 9 (168.0000) | 6 (170.8572) | 16 (160.5488) | 10 (162.2628) |
| 2014-06-06 | Boats, Bands & BBQ Pueblo, CO | 1 / 29 (687.9888) | 5 (173.7028) | 5 (170.3088) | 6 (171.9772) | 3 (172.0000) |
| 2014-05-16 | Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA | 55 / 56 (499.3600) | 33 (160.0116) | 20 (159.9428) | 56 (20.0000) | 23 (159.4056) |
| 2014-04-26 | Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV | 11 / 51 (673.6456) | 5 (173.1544) | 18 (166.2628) | 24 (164.5484) | 9 (169.6800) |
| 2014-04-25 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 27 / 30 (649.5772) | 18 (164.5600) | 9 (169.1200) | 28 (157.0972) | 27 (158.8000) |
| 2014-04-11 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 3 / 29 (665.5884) | 5 (171.4056) | 5 (170.8572) | 17 (158.2056) | 6 (165.1200) |
| 2014-02-21 | The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) Indio, CA | 2 / 48 (667.9772) | 30 (160.0116) | 2 (171.4400) | 6 (168.5600) | 8 (167.9656) |
| 2013-12-13 | Downtown Throw Down Barbecue Championship Las Vegas, NV | 13 / 25 (665.0400) | 15 (167.3828) | 21 (153.0972) | 5 (171.4400) | 2 (173.1200) |
| 2013-10-31 | Riverside Resort Casino USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV | 14 / 85 (674.7772) | 70 (158.8000) | 4 (177.1544) | 4 (176.5600) | 39 (162.2628) |
| 2013-10-03 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 154 / 535 (653.6344) | 81 (169.6916) | 413 (151.3944) | 142 (166.2856) | 110 (166.2628) |
| 2013-10-03 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 60 / 174 (669.0396) | 71 (167.9656) | 32 (170.8456) | 75 (166.2628) | 97 (163.9656) |
| 2013-09-20 | Utah BBQ Festival Coalville, UT | 4 / 16 (653.1660) | 2 (163.4400) | 4 (164.5716) | 5 (164.5828) | 8 (160.5716) |
| 2013-08-31 | Smokin in Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV | 24 / 54 (645.5768) | 30 (159.9656) | 18 (160.5256) | 15 (165.1084) | 27 (159.9772) |
| 2013-06-07 | Boats, Bands and BBQ Pueblo, CO | 10 / 39 (662.8566) | 30 (155.9996) | 6 (170.8572) | 6 (167.9998) | 7 (168.0000) |
| 2013-04-27 | 7th Stagecoach BBQ Fest Indio, CA | 6 / 30 (662.2858) | 16 (162.8572) | 3 (173.7144) | 7 (166.2858) | 12 (159.4284) |
| 2013-04-05 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT | 12 / 29 (644.0000) | 16 (160.5714) | 25 (148.5714) | 5 (169.1428) | 7 (165.7144) |
| 2013-01-25 | 5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ | 32 / 86 (652.0000) | 9 (172.0000) | 61 (156.0000) | 66 (154.2860) | 12 (169.7140) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1617 (115 pts) | #1276 (185 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #1689 (115 pts) | #1805 (90 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #880 (346 pts) | #1277 (196 pts) | #875 (391 pts) | #1199 (231 pts) | #1024 (291 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #201 (1474 pts) | #99 (1804 pts) | #164 (1554 pts) | #277 (1214 pts) | #310 (1164 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #382 (1011 pts) | #387 (996 pts) | #292 (1196 pts) | #307 (1161 pts) | #446 (901 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #178 (1611 pts) | #165 (1551 pts) | #277 (1216 pts) | #412 (906 pts) | #132 (1746 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #211 (1468 pts) | #142 (1668 pts) | #174 (1553 pts) | #323 (1092 pts) | #267 (1291 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #277 (1089 pts) | #297 (989 pts) | #238 (1209 pts) | #183 (1359 pts) | #235 (1199 pts) |