GAME ON BBQ

GAME ON BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Black Dog Music and Que Festival (2015). They are ranked #1470 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,470

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1567

peak 1567 · rated over 26 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 14, 2013

latest Jun 15, 2018 · 5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#508

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

15% of 27 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5144 / 720

Master · Black Dog Music and Que Festival

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

664.71 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.15 (+7.56)

Walk rate

52%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Black Dog Music and Que Festival

Consistency

±16.72

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.46 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.88)

Road miles

5,617

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 993 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

657.15 / 720

27 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

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

Brisket ×1

Against the odds

12-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 88 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Black Dog Music and Que Festival (Aug 7, 2015) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 12-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, CHECKERED PIG.

High-water mark

696.5144 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5144 at Black Dog Music and Que Festival — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 7, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOKIN BIG DAWGS has finished one call ahead of GAME ON BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 1 Grand Championship

2015 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 41%.

5 contests
2 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 41%

A tough matchup

16–1 behind in the head-to-head

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ ahead in 94% of their meetings

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has come out ahead in 16 of their 17 shared contests.

The drought

17 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Black Dog Music and Que Festival on Aug 7, 2015 — 17 contests and 11.2 years ago.

last GC Aug 7, 2015
11.2 years ago

Show 6 more storylines

A strong matchup

6–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Marietta River City BBQ (Jun 12, 2015).

last seen Sep 20, 2013
back Jun 12, 2015

Chicken nemesis

15 of 17 shared chicken entries lost

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 17 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PORKY BUTTS BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

5,617 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,617 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 993 miles to Whiting 4th of July BBQ Cookoff.

27 mapped stops
furthest 993 mi

The metronome

±2.32% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.32% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% of a perfect score
27 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
2018 ↗	Master	#1894 (70 pts)	#1949 (70 pts)	#1827 (100 pts)	#1543 (130 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#663 (578 pts)	#594 (673 pts)	#778 (518 pts)	#808 (498 pts)	#446 (888 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#583 (674 pts)	#548 (739 pts)	#435 (924 pts)	#638 (629 pts)	#544 (744 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#508 (744 pts)	#633 (609 pts)	#698 (544 pts)	#594 (654 pts)	#494 (759 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to GAME ON BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BREW-B-Q

#1,468 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1567

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to GAME ON BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team GAME ON BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 2, 2016

⚔ Head-to-head

RED VALLEY BBQ

#1,466 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 50
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1623

2–4 in 6 shared contests (33% to GAME ON BBQ)

They've been 1623 at their best, 56 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 49 contests
last seen Jun 18, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

PIGTAILERS BBQ

#1,473 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1582

Careers of much the same size, 24 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 24 contests
last seen May 12, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Dirty Little Pigs BBQ

#1,464 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1571

32 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 22% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

309 BBQ

#1,467 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1613

They turned up 6 years after GAME ON BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SOUTHERN THUNDER BBQ

#1,472 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1574

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

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jun 16, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
270 SMOKERS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
Serial Griller	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED PIG	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
Smoke-A-Holics	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	27	9	0	2	176.5600	150.2056	166.46	top 47%
Pork Ribs	27	5	0	1	174.2744	145.7142	162.88	top 52%
Pork	27	5	0	2	175.4172	154.8228	164.76	top 51%
Brisket	27	7	2	3	180 🔥	137.6228	163.05	top 47%

“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
Small (<20 teams)	1	0	top 18%
Medium (20–39)	13	1	top 55%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 49%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
VA	9	1	top 44%
IA	6	0	top 67%
WV	4	0	top 44%
KS	2	0	top 42%
OH	2	0	top 37%
GA	1	0	top 59%
MD	1	0	top 54%
TN	1	0	top 75%
PA	1	0	top 52%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	6	top 25%	Jun 15, 2018
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	77	top 42%	Oct 29, 2016
Covington Cork & Pork Festival	2	14	top 65%	Jun 24, 2016
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	23	top 64%	Jun 17, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 9 contests

Contests a season 5.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in VA 9 of 27 contests · 9 states in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them more than once

First title Aug 7, 2015 Black Dog Music and Que Festival

Opponents faced 1,049 finished ahead 929 times, behind 806

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs Sep 20, 2013 → Jun 12, 2015

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

20182 milestones

Jun 15 Peak power rating (1567) Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Jun 15 Most recent contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

20171 milestone

Jun 16 25th tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

20158 milestones

Jun 12 First overall top-10 Marietta River City BBQ
Jun 12 First overall podium Marietta River City BBQ
Jun 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.6572 Marietta River City BBQ
Aug 7 First category win (Brisket) Black Dog Music and Que Festival
Aug 7 First Grand Championship Black Dog Music and Que Festival
Aug 7 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Black Dog Music and Que Festival
Aug 7 10th tracked contest Black Dog Music and Que Festival
Aug 7 Career-best overall score696.5144 Black Dog Music and Que Festival

20132 milestones

Jun 14 First tracked contest State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
Jun 14 First call State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.1	Black Dog Music and Que Festival	Aug 7, 2015
+15.8	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	Jun 16, 2017
+14.6	Marietta River City BBQ	Jun 12, 2015
+12.5	BBQ Gives Back	Mar 24, 2017
+8.4	12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship	Sep 9, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.5	Whiting 4th of July BBQ Cookoff	Jul 3, 2013
-5.4	Iowa State BBQ Championship	Jun 21, 2013
-4.6	Covington Cork & Pork Festival	Jun 24, 2016
-4.1	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	Jul 26, 2013
-2.9	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	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)
2018	1	0	0	0	0%	top 39%	91.8%	91.8%
2017	6	0	1	1	67%	top 42%	95.1%	92.3%
2016	9	0	1	0	44%	top 52%	94.4%	91.5%
2015	5	1	2	1	60%	top 41%	96.7%	93.1%
2013	6	0	0	0	50%	top 67%	89.4%	88.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 15, 2018	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	23 / 59 (661.0856)	23 (166.8228)	17 (165.7144)	11 (170.2856)	42 (158.2628)
Jul 14, 2017	The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig Cummings, GA	24 / 41 (668.4116)	26 (167.3944)	21 (167.3944)	28 (165.0856)	15 (168.5372)
Jun 16, 2017	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	6 / 57 (685.0516)	10 (171.9772)	22 (166.8344)	22 (169.6800)	1 (176.5600)
Jun 2, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	15 / 28 (655.3828)	16 (164.5372)	8 (163.4172)	21 (157.1428)	7 (170.2856)
May 12, 2017	BBQ Jamboree- Day 2 (JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	26 / 43 (653.6920)	42 (156.5372)	18 (165.1200)	24 (162.3432)	13 (169.6916)
May 12, 2017	BBQ Jamboree-Day 1 (JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	26 / 54 (653.6228)	43 (158.2744)	28 (163.4056)	7 (170.2628)	25 (161.6800)
Mar 24, 2017	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	14 / 64 (669.6224)	2 (176)	28 (164.5140)	44 (158.2284)	8 (170.8800)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	226 / 557 (661.7488)	176 (168.0116)	256 (165.7028)	350 (161.7600)	189 (166.2744)
Oct 28, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	77 / 180 (679.4172)	86 (171.4172)	143 (162.8344)	45 (172.0228)	44 (173.1428)
Oct 21, 2016	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	72 / 96 (659.4168)	86 (159.4400)	21 (173.7600)	85 (159.3940)	57 (166.8228)
Sep 9, 2016	12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA	8 / 25 (669.7256)	7 (169.7372)	2 (173.1200)	20 (162.3084)	9 (164.5600)
Aug 12, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Richmond, VA	16 / 28 (655.9200)	10 (169.1084)	18 (162.8460)	8 (168.5600)	21 (155.4056)
Jun 24, 2016	Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	20 / 27 (645.0284)	25 (150.2056)	5 (170.8572)	25 (154.8228)	5 (169.1428)
Jun 17, 2016	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	23 / 42 (660.9944)	32 (163.9772)	12 (170.2628)	22 (165.0972)	25 (161.6572)
Jun 10, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	15 / 29 (648.9824)	10 (165.1200)	15 (158.8456)	16 (162.7884)	12 (162.2284)
May 13, 2016	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	29 / 72 (647.3032)	18 (169.6800)	45 (159.3828)	30 (162.2860)	43 (155.9544)
Oct 16, 2015	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	20 / 36 (667.2916)	16 (169.6800)	25 (161.6572)	25 (165.0856)	13 (170.8688)
Aug 7, 2015	Black Dog Music and Que Festival Floyd, VA	1 / 27 (696.5144)	5 (173.7144)	5 (174.2744)	16 (168.5256)	1 (180)
Jun 26, 2015	Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	14 / 25 (645.6572)	8 (170.2972)	17 (157.0972)	5 (171.9656)	23 (146.2972)
Jun 19, 2015	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	30 / 41 (654.7776)	22 (169.1772)	32 (162.8116)	16 (167.4172)	33 (155.3716)
Jun 12, 2015	Marietta River City BBQ Marietta, OH	3 / 17 (685.6572)	12 (163.9772)	6 (166.8228)	3 (175.4172)	2 (179.4400)
Sep 20, 2013	Kings of BBQ 2013 Des Moines, IA	23 / 35 (636.9940)	3 (176.5600)	22 (159.3828)	17 (163.4284)	34 (137.6228)
Jul 26, 2013	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	45 / 66 (642.1828)	11 (170.8456)	42 (159.9888)	58 (155.3828)	48 (155.9656)
Jul 19, 2013	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	22 / 35 (626.6512)	22 (157.6684)	23 (158.2516)	23 (157.6456)	20 (153.0856)
Jul 3, 2013	Whiting 4th of July BBQ Cookoff Whiting, IA	19 / 25 (630.2858)	18 (160.0002)	22 (149.7144)	11 (163.4284)	16 (157.1428)
Jun 21, 2013	Iowa State BBQ Championship Marshalltown, IA	20 / 28 (643.9996)	6 (172)	26 (147.9998)	16 (165.1428)	19 (158.8570)
Jun 14, 2013	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	17 / 28 (637.7138)	15 (162.2856)	24 (145.7142)	2 (173.1428)	18 (156.5712)

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

GAME ON BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

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)