GAME ON BBQ

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

Power ranking

#1472

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1566

peak 1566 · rated over 26 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-14

latest 2018-06-15

Best ToY finish

#508

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

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

664.72 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.15 (+7.57)

Walk rate

52%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Brisket · Black Dog Music and Que Festival

Consistency

±16.72

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.46 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.88)

Road miles

5,617

mi across 27 mapped stops · furthest 993 mi

Schedule strength

58%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1574)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.15 / 720

27 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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 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 (2015-08-07) 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
2015-08-07

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 wins
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 2015-08-07 — 17 contests and 11.1 years ago.

last GC 2015-08-07
11.1 years ago

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 (2015-06-12).

last seen 2013-09-20
back 2015-06-12

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

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.

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

Chokin "N" tha Smoke

#1474 of the rated field

1566 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1590

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% 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 54 contests
last seen 2025-05-16

⚔ Head-to-head

PORKY'S PIT CREW

#1473 of the rated field

1566 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1571

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 38 contests to 27.

rated over 37 contests
last seen 2023-06-16

⚔ Head-to-head

COMING IN HOT STL

#1471 of the rated field

1566 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1583

No shared contest yet.

23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 35% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2024-09-14

⚔ Head-to-head

HOGTOWN BARBECUE

#1475 of the rated field

1566 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1566

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 43 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 43 contests
last seen 2020-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

MUNCHEE'S SMOKEHOUSE

#1470 of the rated field

1567 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1567

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2017-05-12

⚔ Head-to-head

All Q'ued" Up!

#1476 of the rated field

1566 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1566

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2017-07-28

⚔ Head-to-head

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	180.0000 🔥	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 state / province

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%

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%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	6	top 25%	2018-06-15
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)	2	77	top 42%	2016-10-29
Covington Cork & Pork Festival	2	14	top 65%	2016-06-24
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	23	top 64%	2016-06-17

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

On the trail 5 yrs 2013-06-14 → 2018-06-15

Busiest season 2016 9 contests

Contests a season 5.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in VA 9 of 27 contests · 9 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 27 entries · 0 wins · 9 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 166.46 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.88)

Walk rate 52% a top-10 call in 14 of 27 contests

Overall top-10 rate 15% 4 of 27 contests

Wins it all 4% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2015-08-07 Black Dog Music and Que Festival

Master average 657.15 out of 720 · 27 contests · 1 GC

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

Opponents faced 1,057 930–806 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,617 27 mapped stops · furthest 993 mi

Schedule strength 1574 average field rating faced — tougher than 58% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs 2013-09-20 → 2015-06-12

Power rating 1566 peak 1566 · #1472 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 14 First tracked contest State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
Jun 14 First call State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
2015
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
2017
Jun 16 25th tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
2018
Jun 15 Peak power rating (1566) Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Jun 15 Most recent contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.1	Black Dog Music and Que Festival	2015-08-07
+15.8	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2017-06-16
+14.6	Marietta River City BBQ	2015-06-12
+12.5	BBQ Gives Back	2017-03-24
+8.4	12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship	2016-09-09

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.5	Whiting 4th of July BBQ Cookoff	2013-07-03
-5.4	Iowa State BBQ Championship	2013-06-21
-4.6	Covington Cork & Pork Festival	2016-06-24
-4.1	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	2013-07-26
-3.2	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)	2016-10-21

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)
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
2018-06-15	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	23 / 59 (661.0856)	23 (166.8228)	17 (165.7144)	11 (170.2856)	42 (158.2628)
2017-07-14	The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig Cummings, GA	24 / 41 (668.4116)	26 (167.3944)	21 (167.3944)	28 (165.0856)	15 (168.5372)
2017-06-16	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	6 / 57 (685.0516)	10 (171.9772)	22 (166.8344)	22 (169.6800)	1 (176.5600)
2017-06-02	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	15 / 28 (655.3828)	16 (164.5372)	8 (163.4172)	21 (157.1428)	7 (170.2856)
2017-05-12	*BBQ Jamboree-Day 1(JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	26 / 54 (653.6228)	43 (158.2744)	28 (163.4056)	7 (170.2628)	25 (161.6800)
2017-05-12	*BBQ Jamboree- Day 2(JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	26 / 43 (653.6920)	42 (156.5372)	18 (165.1200)	24 (162.3432)	13 (169.6916)
2017-03-24	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	14 / 64 (669.6224)	2 (176.0000)	28 (164.5140)	44 (158.2284)	8 (170.8800)
2016-10-29	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)
2016-10-28	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)
2016-10-21	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)
2016-09-09	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)
2016-08-12	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Richmond, VA	16 / 28 (655.9200)	10 (169.1084)	18 (162.8460)	8 (168.5600)	21 (155.4056)
2016-06-24	Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	20 / 27 (645.0284)	25 (150.2056)	5 (170.8572)	25 (154.8228)	5 (169.1428)
2016-06-17	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	23 / 42 (660.9944)	32 (163.9772)	12 (170.2628)	22 (165.0972)	25 (161.6572)
2016-06-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	15 / 29 (648.9824)	10 (165.1200)	15 (158.8456)	16 (162.7884)	12 (162.2284)
2016-05-13	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	29 / 72 (647.3032)	18 (169.6800)	45 (159.3828)	30 (162.2860)	43 (155.9544)
2015-10-16	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	20 / 36 (667.2916)	16 (169.6800)	25 (161.6572)	25 (165.0856)	13 (170.8688)
2015-08-07	Black Dog Music and Que Festival Floyd, VA	1 / 27 (696.5144)	5 (173.7144)	5 (174.2744)	16 (168.5256)	1 (180.0000)
2015-06-26	Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	14 / 25 (645.6572)	8 (170.2972)	17 (157.0972)	5 (171.9656)	23 (146.2972)
2015-06-19	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	30 / 41 (654.7776)	22 (169.1772)	32 (162.8116)	16 (167.4172)	33 (155.3716)
2015-06-12	Marietta River City BBQ Marietta, OH	3 / 17 (685.6572)	12 (163.9772)	6 (166.8228)	3 (175.4172)	2 (179.4400)
2013-09-20	Kings of BBQ 2013 Des Moines, IA	23 / 35 (636.9940)	3 (176.5600)	22 (159.3828)	17 (163.4284)	34 (137.6228)
2013-07-26	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	45 / 66 (642.1828)	11 (170.8456)	42 (159.9888)	58 (155.3828)	48 (155.9656)
2013-07-19	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	22 / 35 (626.6512)	22 (157.6684)	23 (158.2516)	23 (157.6456)	20 (153.0856)
2013-07-03	Whiting 4th of July BBQ Cookoff Whiting, IA	19 / 25 (630.2858)	18 (160.0002)	22 (149.7144)	11 (163.4284)	16 (157.1428)
2013-06-21	Iowa State BBQ Championship Marshalltown, IA	20 / 28 (643.9996)	6 (172.0000)	26 (147.9998)	16 (165.1428)	19 (158.8570)
2013-06-14	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)

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	#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)