SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE

SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2021. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Sertoma 48 BBQ (2018). They are ranked #631 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#631

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1655

peak 1671 · rated over 28 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 10, 2015

latest Apr 9, 2021 · 6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#184

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

14 podiums

Overall top-10s

30% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

696.0116 / 720

Master · Smoke On the Trails

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

668.24 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 671.69 (-3.45)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Smoke On the Trails

Consistency

±15.85

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 169.41 · weakest Pork (167.24)

Road miles

1,884

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 346 mi

Schedule strength

59%

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

Purse competed for

$60K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

671.69 / 720

30 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (15 found in their record)

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

Among the elite

#631 of 6,476 rated teams

In the top 10% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1655 puts them #631 of 6,476 rated teams — the top 10% of the field.

rating 1655
peak 1671
28 rated contests

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

26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sertoma 48 BBQ (May 4, 2018) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 26-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, 913 BBQ.

Giant slayer

41 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 41-team field at Sertoma 48 BBQ.

May 4, 2018

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 21 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

696.0116 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.0116 at Smoke On the Trails — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 29, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Boxer Q BBQ has finished one call ahead of SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Show 8 more storylines

A tough matchup

16–5 behind in the head-to-head

HIGH i QUE ahead in 76% of their meetings

HIGH i QUE has come out ahead in 16 of their 21 shared contests.

A strong matchup

11–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 85% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of INDIGO PIG in 11 of their 13 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Smoke in the Spring (Oct 30, 2020).

last seen Apr 12, 2019
back Oct 30, 2020

Pork Ribs nemesis

13 of 21 shared pork ribs entries lost

HIGH i QUE ahead 62% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, HIGH i QUE has out-cooked them in 13 of 21 shared pork ribs entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

777 BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 23% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 23% across 4 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.

4 May contests
top 35% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.20% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.20% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.3% of a perfect score
30 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke in the Spring every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 19th

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#636 (145 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1814 (80 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#1996 (65 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#1124 (235 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#636 (535 pts)	#712 (500 pts)	#687 (525 pts)	#823 (415 pts)	#589 (620 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#184 (1,562 pts)	#188 (1,452 pts)	#94 (1,837 pts)	#363 (1,027 pts)	#142 (1,637 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE, each with one reason worth a look.

SLAP YO' DADDY BBQ

#628 of the rated field

1655 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 39%
Peak: 1655

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 35 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 35 contests
last seen Jul 7, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

Up From The Pits BBQ

#630 of the rated field

1655 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1658

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 54 contests to 30.

rated over 49 contests
last seen Aug 22, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

WICKED SMOKE BBQ

#629 of the rated field

1655 power rating

Contests: 69
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1674

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 69 contests, alongside a 38% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 68 contests
last seen Sep 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

BnB BBQ

#626 of the rated field

1655 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1666

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE)

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

rated over 40 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Littles BBQ Co

#633 of the rated field

1653 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 65
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1673

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE)

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2015.

rated over 64 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2020

⚔ Head-to-head

AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW

#622 of the rated field

1656 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 107
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1697

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE)

Level with SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 104 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HIGH i QUE	21	5	16	24%	⚔ compare
777 BBQ	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BLUE BUCKET BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' SAUCED	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKING HILLS	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
BLACK EYE BBQ	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
Boxer Q BBQ	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
INDIGO PIG	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
ROCK N BLUES BBQ	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
B & C SMOKERS	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS	12	7	5	58%	⚔ compare
Lazy Butt BBQ	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	30	8	0	3	179.4400	151.9200	167.61	top 45%
Pork Ribs	30	11	5	5	178.8572	152.5488	169.41	top 33%
Pork	30	7	0	1	178.8572	151.9428	167.24	top 43%
Brisket	30	9	1	5	180 🔥	146.8232	167.43	top 36%

“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
Medium (20–39)	7	0	top 33%
Large (40+)	23	1	top 36%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
KS	25	1	top 36%
MO	4	0	top 19%
AR	1	0	top 78%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Spring	6	19	0	top 45%	Apr 9, 2021
Sertoma 48 BBQ	3	1	1	top 24%	May 4, 2018
Smoke On the Trails	2	4	0	top 24%	Sep 28, 2018
39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	78	0	top 34%	Sep 15, 2018
Jammin In JC Blues & BBQ Festival	2	9	0	top 39%	Sep 22, 2017
Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2	21	0	top 54%	Jul 14, 2017
Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest	2	13	0	top 42%	Aug 5, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 11 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 25 of 30 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 18 7 of them more than once

First title May 4, 2018 Sertoma 48 BBQ

Opponents faced 1,095 finished ahead 1,554 times, behind 817

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Apr 12, 2019 → Oct 30, 2020

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

20211 milestone

Apr 9 Most recent contest Smoke in the Spring

20201 milestone

Oct 30 Peak power rating (1671) Smoke in the Spring

20183 milestones

May 4 First Grand Championship Sertoma 48 BBQ
May 4 Biggest field won (41 teams) Sertoma 48 BBQ
Sep 15 25th tracked contest 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)

20174 milestones

May 5 First category win (Brisket) Sertoma 48 BBQ (JUDGESFULL)
Jun 16 First overall podium Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life (JUDGES FULL)
Sep 29 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Smoke On the Trails
Sep 29 Career-best overall score696.0116 Smoke On the Trails

20161 milestone

Sep 23 10th tracked contest Jammin' in JC BBQ Contest

20154 milestones

Apr 10 First tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
Jul 31 First call Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest
Jul 31 First overall past 90% of a perfect score670.1716 Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest
Sep 25 First overall top-10 Jammin in JC Blues & BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.7	Sertoma 48 BBQ (JUDGESFULL)	May 5, 2017
+13.4	Racing for the BBQ	Jul 28, 2017
+12.4	Sertoma 48 BBQ	May 4, 2018
+12.2	Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life (JUDGES FULL)	Jun 16, 2017
+12.1	Smoke On the Trails	Sep 29, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-16.6	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 9, 2021
-5.5	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jun 3, 2016
-4.7	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 10, 2015
-2.8	Sertoma 48 BBQ	May 6, 2016
-1	Smoke On the Trails	Sep 28, 2018

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)
2021	1	0	0	0	0%	top 90%	88.9%	88.9%
2020	1	0	0	0	100%	top 37%	94.4%	94.4%
2019	2	0	0	0	50%	top 49%	95%	93.7%
2018	5	1	1	1	40%	top 27%	96.4%	94.6%
2017	11	0	6	5	91%	top 20%	96.7%	94.8%
2016	5	0	0	0	80%	top 53%	92.5%	91.5%
2015	5	0	2	0	60%	top 42%	93.1%	91%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Apr 9, 2021	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	94 / 105 (640.3996)	99 (155.9772)	75 (165.0856)	100 (151.9428)	61 (167.3940)
Oct 30, 2020	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	34 / 93 (679.3600)	25 (173.1200)	39 (169.1428)	9 (175.4400)	71 (161.6572)
Apr 12, 2019	Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS	21 / 104 (683.9544)	54 (166.8344)	24 (170.8228)	40 (167.9772)	3 (178.3200)
Feb 8, 2019	KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR	72 / 92 (665.5312)	90 (162.7884)	25 (170.2744)	73 (163.9428)	47 (168.5256)
Sep 28, 2018	Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS	28 / 68 (671.9656)	35 (167.9656)	51 (161.7144)	16 (170.8456)	10 (171.4400)
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	78 / 467 (681.6916)	177 (168.5716)	102 (171.4172)	218 (165.1428)	11 (176.5600)
Sep 14, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	84 / 164 (681.0744)	148 (162.8344)	35 (174.2628)	29 (174.8572)	95 (169.1200)
May 4, 2018	Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS	1 / 41 (694.3432)	2 (177.7144)	1 (176.5944)	11 (167.4516)	5 (172.5828)
Apr 6, 2018	Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	23 / 103 (678.1940)	26 (172.5600)	57 (166.2400)	48 (166.8112)	15 (172.5828)
Sep 29, 2017	Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS	4 / 64 (696.0116)	16 (171.4172)	1 (178.2972)	32 (166.2972)	3 (180)
Sep 22, 2017	Jammin In JC Blues & BBQ Festival Junction City, KS	15 / 35 (672.4916)	10 (171.9656)	4 (173.1316)	27 (161.1316)	16 (166.2628)
Aug 18, 2017	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	16 / 65 (677.6344)	4 (176.5600)	25 (167.3944)	42 (161.7144)	11 (171.9656)
Jul 28, 2017	Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	4 / 54 (692.5140)	27 (168.5484)	1 (178.8572)	9 (173.7028)	13 (171.4056)
Jul 14, 2017	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	21 / 58 (674.2288)	34 (166.8344)	9 (173.7144)	43 (162.8228)	13 (170.8572)
Jun 16, 2017	Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life (JUDGES FULL) Kansas City, KS	3 / 34 (683.9544)	8 (167.3944)	1 (178.2972)	9 (168.5372)	6 (169.7256)
Jun 10, 2017	Tonganoxie Days BBQ Blowout Tonganoxie, KS	8 / 28 (679.9312)	2 (179.4400)	1 (178.8572)	15 (165.1084)	19 (156.5256)
May 19, 2017	22nd Annual Platte City BBQ Cook Off at Basswood Resort Platte City, MO	10 / 59 (682.1940)	2 (178.8572)	52 (157.6340)	25 (168)	2 (177.7028)
May 5, 2017	Sertoma 48 BBQ (JUDGESFULL) Lawrence, KS	4 / 44 (690.7656)	9 (173.1200)	11 (170.8228)	14 (170.2628)	1 (176.5600)
Apr 7, 2017	Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS	19 / 100 (683.3368)	23 (171.9656)	26 (171.4172)	7 (175.4400)	47 (164.5140)
Mar 31, 2017	Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Pleasant Hill, MO	15 / 59 (673.0628)	31 (165.1772)	17 (168.5372)	14 (170.8228)	12 (168.5256)
Sep 23, 2016	Jammin' in JC BBQ Contest Junction City, KS	18 / 39 (661.0172)	31 (158.8228)	11 (170.8228)	2 (178.8572)	32 (152.5144)
Aug 5, 2016	Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS	16 / 29 (665.0400)	16 (167.4172)	9 (169.6800)	23 (161.6800)	13 (166.2628)
Jun 3, 2016	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	40 / 55 (646.1024)	37 (162.2400)	39 (159.4056)	16 (170.2512)	43 (154.2056)
May 6, 2016	Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS	26 / 42 (655.3260)	28 (165.1200)	37 (152.5488)	25 (166.2400)	7 (171.4172)
Apr 8, 2016	Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	34 / 109 (666.1944)	17 (171.4056)	6 (175.4172)	65 (162.8344)	70 (156.5372)
Oct 9, 2015	Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS	5 / 33 (670.1828)	7 (168.5484)	5 (168.5716)	10 (166.2400)	11 (166.8228)
Sep 25, 2015	Jammin in JC Blues & BBQ Festival Junction City, KS	9 / 25 (658.7428)	20 (154.2056)	5 (172)	7 (169.1200)	12 (163.4172)
Jul 31, 2015	Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS	13 / 46 (670.1716)	23 (164.5372)	19 (167.3828)	28 (163.3944)	2 (174.8572)
Jun 5, 2015	2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	36 / 64 (643.3600)	34 (164.5256)	36 (161.1316)	41 (159.9656)	37 (157.7372)
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	70 / 97 (631.8860)	89 (151.9200)	46 (162.8456)	19 (170.2972)	89 (146.8232)

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

SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Among the elite

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

Giant slayer

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A May team

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)