NCOGNITO COOKERS

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

Power ranking

#548

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1667

peak 1667 · rated over 40 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-10-18

latest 2020-10-24

Best ToY finish

#424

Master 2018

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 41 contests

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2516 / 720

Master · Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1

Perfect 180s

Current form

681.75 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 669.78 (+11.98)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2

Consistency

±15.47

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.60 · weakest Brisket (165.03)

Road miles

7,658

mi across 41 mapped stops · furthest 547 mi

Schedule strength

75%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1595)

Purse competed for

$67K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

669.78 / 720

41 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (15 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.

Among the elite

#548 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1667 puts them #548 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1667
peak 1667
40 rated contests

Against the odds

19-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 81 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash (2016-09-23) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 19-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, FIRE DANCER BBQ.

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 28 of 41 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 41 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.2516 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2516 at Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-03-23

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

OKIEQ has finished one call ahead of NCOGNITO COOKERS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 1 Grand Championship

2016 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 13%.

5 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 13%

A tough matchup

18–5 behind in the head-to-head

BUFFALO'S BBQ ahead in 78% of their meetings

BUFFALO'S BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 23 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.57 points below their pork, and turns into a call 22% of the time against 46%.

Brisket avg 165.03
Pork avg 169.60
9 calls in 41 entries

The drought

23 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash on 2016-09-23 — 23 contests and 9.9 years ago.

last GC 2016-09-23
9.9 years ago

A strong matchup

11–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 79% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN DAN in 11 of their 14 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

15 of 19 shared pork entries lost

THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ ahead 79% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 19 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

DAD'S GRILLIN CREW has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 32% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 32% across 3 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

3 July contests
top 42% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,658 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,658 miles across 41 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 547 miles to 'Que at the View.

41 mapped stops
furthest 547 mi

The metronome

±2.15% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.15% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.0% of a perfect score
41 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.

SMOKERS WILD

#546 of the rated field

1667 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1709

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to NCOGNITO COOKERS)

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

rated over 56 contests
last seen 2023-01-27

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin' Bliss BBQ

#549 of the rated field

1667 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 48
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1675

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 48 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 45 contests
last seen 2026-07-18

⚔ Head-to-head

COW TIPPIN BBQ

#550 of the rated field

1666 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1693

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 52 contests, alongside a 35% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2022-01-14

⚔ Head-to-head

PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ

#551 of the rated field

1666 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 100
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1740

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1740 at their best, 74 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 99 contests
last seen 2022-11-04

⚔ Head-to-head

Risky Brisket

#547 of the rated field

1667 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 110
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1719

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 108 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES

#555 of the rated field

1665 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1665

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to NCOGNITO COOKERS)

5 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BUFFALO'S BBQ	23	5	18	22%	⚔ compare
Three Hog Night Smokers	21	13	8	62%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	19	8	11	42%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
BOOMERANG BBQ	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
LA PASADITA	16	8	8	50%	⚔ compare
FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DAN	14	11	3	79%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	41	8	1	2	176.5600	151.9772	167.13	top 51%
Pork Ribs	41	18	1	4	178.8572	149.6688	168.02	top 39%
Pork	41	19	0	2	177.7144	159.3944	169.60	top 37%
Brisket	41	9	0	2	175.4400	138.7772	165.03	top 46%

“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
OK	15	0	top 37%
TX	6	0	top 34%
KS	6	0	top 46%
AR	6	1	top 40%
LA	3	0	top 43%
NE	2	0	top 65%
MO	2	0	top 55%
MS	1	0	top 78%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	0	top 56%
Medium (20–39)	15	1	top 39%
Large (40+)	23	0	top 42%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	2	13	top 29%	2019-08-30
*Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown	2	11	top 34%	2018-02-16
38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	113	top 74%	2017-09-01
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	13	top 55%	2017-03-03

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 7 yrs 2013-10-18 → 2020-10-24

Busiest season 2017 10 contests

Contests a season 5.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in OK 15 of 41 contests · 8 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 37 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 41 entries · 1 win · 8 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 169.60 · weakest Brisket (165.03)

Walk rate 68% a top-10 call in 28 of 41 contests

Overall top-10 rate 29% 12 of 41 contests

Wins it all 2% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2016-09-23 Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 669.78 out of 720 · 41 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 1,664 1,744–1,595 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 7,658 41 mapped stops · furthest 547 mi

Schedule strength 1595 average field rating faced — tougher than 75% of rated contests

Purse competed for $67,000 listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 5 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs 2019-08-30 → 2020-09-18

Power rating 1667 peak 1667 · #548 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Oct 18 First tracked contest Bikes Balloons & BBQ
Oct 18 First call Bikes Balloons & BBQ
Oct 18 First overall top-10 Bikes Balloons & BBQ
Oct 18 First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.7772 Bikes Balloons & BBQ
2015
Apr 3 10th tracked contest 'Que at the View
2016
Sep 23 First category win (Chicken) Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash
Sep 23 First overall podium Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash
Sep 23 First Grand Championship Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash
2017
Aug 31 25th tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL)
2018
Mar 23 Career-best overall score694.2516 Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1
2020
Oct 24 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2
Oct 24 Peak power rating (1667) Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2
Oct 24 Most recent contest Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.1	15th Annual Bordertown Bash	2016-07-08
+15.5	Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship	2016-06-10
+15.4	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1	2018-03-23
+14.6	Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash	2016-09-23
+12.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-03-07

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2014-09-19
-10	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
-9.6	The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 1	2020-09-18
-6.9	'Que at the View	2015-04-03
-5.5	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2	2017-08-05

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)
2020	4	0	1	0	50%	top 44%	96.4%	94.9%
2019	1	0	0	0	100%	top 41%	94%	94%
2018	7	0	2	0	71%	top 26%	96.4%	94.6%
2017	10	0	3	1	50%	top 52%	94.9%	92.2%
2016	5	1	3	1	80%	top 13%	95.6%	94.6%
2015	7	0	0	0	71%	top 62%	93.6%	91.5%
2014	5	0	1	0	80%	top 47%	94.3%	91.2%
2013	2	0	2	0	100%	top 34%	94.1%	93.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2020-10-24	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK	10 / 58 (694.2284)	41 (170.8112)	4 (178.8572)	31 (169.7144)	15 (174.8456)
2020-10-23	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	28 / 64 (684.5028)	44 (168.5828)	14 (173.1200)	33 (171.9772)	32 (170.8228)
2020-09-19	The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK	17 / 56 (686.1828)	19 (174.2628)	24 (169.6800)	2 (177.7144)	40 (164.5256)
2020-09-18	The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	47 / 56 (667.3372)	46 (164.5256)	20 (171.4172)	24 (170.8344)	49 (160.5600)
2019-08-30	Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival 🏅 Bedford, TX	24 / 58 (676.5144)	7 (176.5600)	50 (159.3828)	30 (168.5716)	12 (172.0000)
2018-08-31	*Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	13 / 74 (675.9312)	17 (171.9656)	40 (163.9772)	4 (175.4400)	35 (164.5484)
2018-05-04	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival Bixby, OK	9 / 68 (685.6340)	26 (168.5256)	13 (172.5600)	17 (173.1084)	8 (171.4400)
2018-03-24	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK	21 / 79 (687.9084)	11 (175.4056)	55 (167.3828)	24 (173.1200)	23 (172.0000)
2018-03-23	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK	6 / 84 (694.2516)	30 (171.9772)	27 (170.2744)	7 (176.5600)	8 (175.4400)
2018-03-03	*Kansas BBQ Shootout Day 2 Cheney, KS	13 / 42 (679.9316)	26 (167.4172)	4 (175.4172)	32 (165.0972)	12 (172.0000)
2018-03-02	*Kansas BBQ Shoot Out Day 1 Cheney, KS	27 / 47 (668.5260)	36 (165.1200)	15 (169.1544)	39 (162.8116)	12 (171.4400)
2018-02-16	*Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX	11 / 38 (675.3600)	4 (174.2744)	13 (170.2856)	22 (164.5372)	12 (166.2628)
2017-10-27	Smokin the Fort BBQ & Blue Grass Festival Fort Gibson, OK	9 / 32 (675.9084)	16 (164.5600)	6 (170.2628)	6 (173.1200)	10 (167.9656)
2017-10-14	*Bedouin Brew & Bar-B-Que(JUDGES FULL) (OKBS Qulifyer ) Muskogee, OK	5 / 18 (680.5256)	11 (166.2856)	10 (167.3944)	5 (171.4056)	2 (175.4400)
2017-09-29	*Smokin-in-Sapulpa 4th Annual BBQ Sapulpa, OK	9 / 30 (683.3140)	12 (169.6800)	5 (175.4056)	14 (170.2628)	13 (167.9656)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	246 / 407 (652.4688)	220 (165.6800)	189 (165.7144)	163 (167.9656)	330 (153.1088)
2017-08-31	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	113 / 129 (664.4112)	106 (164.5372)	82 (168.5372)	104 (166.2512)	102 (165.0856)
2017-08-05	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2 Omaha, NE	39 / 50 (657.6000)	48 (161.6800)	31 (166.2744)	43 (159.3944)	19 (170.2512)
2017-08-04	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 Omaha, NE	28 / 54 (663.3256)	43 (158.8228)	19 (168.5256)	25 (167.3828)	14 (168.5944)
2017-06-02	Boots and BBQ Festival Claremore, OK	16 / 28 (662.1256)	24 (154.2172)	1 (178.2972)	6 (173.1084)	20 (156.5028)
2017-03-03	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	13 / 29 (668.4572)	10 (171.4172)	3 (171.9772)	9 (168.5600)	23 (156.5028)
2017-02-03	*Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) Humble, TX	69 / 136 (632.4912)	69 (157.7028)	32 (167.4628)	27 (168.5484)	126 (138.7772)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	123 / 557 (672.4916)	299 (163.9656)	178 (168.0116)	58 (173.1200)	166 (167.3944)
2016-09-23	Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR	1 / 25 (683.9772)	1 (175.4172)	4 (173.7600)	7 (167.9772)	8 (166.8228)
2016-07-08	15th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	4 / 39 (687.4172)	4 (174.8572)	2 (174.8572)	15 (166.8572)	5 (170.8456)
2016-06-10	Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship Okmulgee, OK	4 / 41 (688.5600)	8 (173.7028)	10 (171.4400)	2 (175.4172)	12 (168.0000)
2016-06-03	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	11 / 55 (673.0400)	33 (163.9544)	14 (168.5600)	4 (176.0000)	23 (164.5256)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	474 / 606 (625.6000)	532 (151.9772)	392 (160.5372)	405 (160.0000)	459 (153.0856)
2015-08-22	Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 2 Hot Springs, AR	13 / 18 (672.5032)	11 (171.4172)	9 (170.2628)	11 (166.2976)	15 (164.5256)
2015-08-21	Bass & BBQ at the Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 Hot Springs, AR	13 / 19 (666.6968)	18 (159.9428)	16 (160.5256)	7 (170.8228)	4 (175.4056)
2015-07-31	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO	12 / 38 (674.1944)	30 (163.9428)	4 (173.1544)	5 (173.7144)	28 (163.3828)
2015-04-03	'Que at the View Gulfport, MS	31 / 40 (652.9140)	26 (166.2284)	38 (150.1828)	19 (168.5256)	16 (167.9772)
2015-03-06	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA	19 / 29 (660.5144)	10 (169.7028)	7 (170.8228)	9 (170.2972)	27 (149.6916)
2015-02-26	Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown Huntsville, TX	24 / 61 (657.0860)	21 (165.7144)	9 (171.4172)	15 (168.0000)	47 (151.9544)
2014-09-19	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Midwest City, OK	28 / 29 (650.1376)	16 (169.7260)	27 (158.8116)	10 (170.2628)	28 (151.3372)
2014-07-11	13th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	19 / 35 (649.5204)	21 (164.5372)	28 (153.6576)	14 (166.2400)	14 (165.0856)
2014-06-06	Okfuskee Firefighters Wildfire Cookoff Okemah, OK	14 / 33 (660.4572)	22 (162.2628)	10 (165.6800)	10 (173.7028)	16 (158.8116)
2014-04-04	Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off (Teams Full) Cedar Park, TX	13 / 50 (645.5888)	15 (161.1200)	40 (149.6688)	7 (169.1200)	11 (165.6800)
2014-03-07	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Baton Rouge, LA	4 / 23 (678.7656)	3 (174.2628)	10 (166.8572)	10 (168.5256)	5 (169.1200)
2013-10-19	13th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR	7 / 25 (677.6228)	12 (167.9772)	3 (172.5600)	7 (171.4172)	11 (165.6684)
2013-10-18	Bikes Balloons & BBQ Poteau, OK	8 / 20 (666.7772)	11 (167.4172)	7 (166.8228)	10 (161.6800)	3 (170.8572)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1920 (65 pts)	#1374 (165 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#1516 (125 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#424 (830 pts)	#550 (680 pts)	#501 (740 pts)	#498 (735 pts)	#445 (815 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#737 (512 pts)	#812 (487 pts)	#468 (837 pts)	#683 (607 pts)	#746 (527 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#450 (885 pts)	#538 (760 pts)	#542 (770 pts)	#511 (795 pts)	#682 (585 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#607 (601 pts)	#660 (581 pts)	#445 (851 pts)	#463 (846 pts)	#603 (626 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#630 (590 pts)	#631 (600 pts)	#821 (445 pts)	#581 (680 pts)	#626 (590 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#979 (295 pts)	#1220 (230 pts)	#854 (375 pts)	#1102 (275 pts)	#906 (340 pts)