WINK'S BARBEQUE

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

Power ranking

#491

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1680

peak 1734 · rated over 42 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-02-28

latest 2019-07-12

Best ToY finish

#230

Master 2015

Grand champs

4 reserve

Category wins

19 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 44 contests

Avg finish

top 36%

overall standings

Best overall

699.3828 / 720

Master · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

661.57 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 674.09 (-12.53)

Walk rate

66%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)

Consistency

±27.07

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.01 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.81)

Road miles

12,711

mi across 44 mapped stops · furthest 668 mi

Schedule strength

86%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1616)

Purse competed for

$92K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

674.09 / 720

44 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (19 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.

The heartbreaker

0.6056 points from the title

Came within 0.6056 points of the Grand Championship at Flames on the Flint (2015-03-13).

Among the elite

#491 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 8% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1680 puts them #491 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.

rating 1680
peak 1734
42 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Pork Ribs ×1
Pork ×1

Against the odds

18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at *Downtown BBQ Showdown (2018-08-17) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 18-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Organizer Portal.

Giant slayer

30 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at *Downtown BBQ Showdown.

2018-08-17

Happy hunting ground

Top 12% average finish here

Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is their spot: an average finish in the top 12% across 4 visits.

4 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 12%

They almost always walk

66% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 29 of 44 contests

A top-10 category call in 66% of their 44 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

699.3828 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 699.3828 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-06-30

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY has finished one call ahead of WINK'S BARBEQUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

12–5 behind in the head-to-head

The Specialists ahead in 71% of their meetings

The Specialists has come out ahead in 12 of their 17 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PIGGIN' OUT in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

Announced themselves early

3rd at their very first contest

Finished 3 of 28 at their very first tracked contest, Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2014-02-28).

2014-02-28
28-team field

Always the bridesmaid

4 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 4 times against 1 Grand Championship — close enough to touch it, over and over.

1 Grand Championship
44 contests

They cook the hard rooms

1616 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 86% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1616 power rating — a tougher draw than 86% of every rated contest in the data.

42 rated contests

Going the wrong way

-49 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 49 points across 7 contests since 2018-08-17 — from 1729 down to 1680.

7 contests since 2018-08-17
now 1680

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

JIGGY PIGGY has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A May team

Top 23% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 23% across 4 contests, versus top 36% the rest of the year.

4 May contests
top 36% the rest of the year

The long haul

12,711 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 12,711 miles across 44 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 668 miles to 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational.

44 mapped stops
furthest 668 mi

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smokin In the Square every year from 2015 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 6th

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.

THE SMOKEHOUSE BANDITS!!!

#490 of the rated field

1680 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1682

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to WINK'S BARBEQUE)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team WINK'S BARBEQUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2018-10-12

⚔ Head-to-head

BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ

#493 of the rated field

1678 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1701

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to WINK'S BARBEQUE)

Careers of much the same size, 53 contests to 44, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2018-04-20

⚔ Head-to-head

Knockstone BBQ Team Austria

#489 of the rated field

1680 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 45
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 78%
Peak: 1692

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 5 Grand Championships in 45 contests, alongside a 78% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 45 contests
last seen 2024-10-19
on a 6-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Chingon BBQ

#487 of the rated field

1680 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1692

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 5 years after WINK'S BARBEQUE did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 36 contests
last seen 2025-11-21

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN FOOLZ

#486 of the rated field

1681 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1681

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 52 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2019-10-04
on a 4-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

BBQ Maestros

#488 of the rated field

1680 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1681

No shared contest yet.

Level with WINK'S BARBEQUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 65 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HOT WACHULA'S	24	9	15	38%	⚔ compare
MIDNIGHT BURN	23	11	12	48%	⚔ compare
BOOTYQUE	22	8	14	36%	⚔ compare
FAT, DRUNK & STUPID	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	18	6	12	33%	⚔ compare
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N	17	8	9	47%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
HAULIN' BUTT BBQ	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	15	10	5	67%	⚔ compare
Uncle Kenny's Take-Away	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
THE BLUE BLOODS	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
South Pork	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	44	10	1	3	178.8572	156.5028	170.01	top 43%
Pork Ribs	44	12	2	5	180.0000 🔥	155.9428	168.81	top 43%
Pork	44	13	4	7	180.0000 🔥	158.2512	169.01	top 42%
Brisket	44	15	1	4	177.7144	151.3484	169.92	top 38%

“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
AL	13	0	top 32%
GA	10	0	top 30%
FL	6	0	top 40%
MS	4	1	top 23%
SC	3	0	top 45%
AR	3	0	top 78%
LA	2	0	top 42%
MO	2	0	top 28%
TN	1	0	top 10%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	21	1	top 34%
Large (40+)	23	0	top 37%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin In the Square	5	6	top 41%	2019-03-15
Flames on the Flint	4	2	top 27%	2018-03-09
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	4	2	top 12%	2017-02-24
SC Festival of Discovery	3	32	top 45%	2019-07-12
*Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival	3	2	top 17%	2018-05-25
Hammond BBQ	2	7	top 42%	2019-03-22
*Christmas on the River	2	5	top 49%	2018-11-30
Porktober Que	2	6	top 35%	2015-09-25
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2	4	top 33%	2015-09-18

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

On the trail 5.4 yrs 2014-02-28 → 2019-07-12

Busiest season 2015 11 contests

Contests a season 7.3 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AL 13 of 44 contests · 9 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 26 9 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 44 entries · 1 win · 10 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 170.01 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.81)

Walk rate 66% a top-10 call in 29 of 44 contests

Overall top-10 rate 41% 18 of 44 contests

Wins it all 2% 1 Grand Championship · 4 reserve

First title 2018-08-17 *Downtown BBQ Showdown

Best top-10 run 5 straight contests

Master average 674.09 out of 720 · 44 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 2 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,389 1,951–894 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 12,711 44 mapped stops · furthest 668 mi

Schedule strength 1616 average field rating faced — tougher than 86% of rated contests

Purse competed for $92,300 listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 5 state-championship entries

Power rating 1680 peak 1734 · #491 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Feb 28 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 28 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 28 First category win (Brisket) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 28 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 28 First overall podium Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score681.0744 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2015
Mar 13 First Reserve Championship Flames on the Flint
Mar 27 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Fire Ant Festival BBQ Bash
Sep 25 10th tracked contest Porktober Que
2017
Feb 24 25th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 30 Career-best overall score699.3828 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
2018
Aug 17 First Grand Championship *Downtown BBQ Showdown
Aug 17 Biggest field won (30 teams) *Downtown BBQ Showdown
Sep 14 Peak power rating (1734) *Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival
2019
Jul 12 Most recent contest SC Festival of Discovery

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	Flames on the Flint	2015-03-13
+16.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-02-28
+16.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2015-09-18
+15.5	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2017-06-30
+14.7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-02-24

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-17.1	Smokin In the Square	2019-03-15
-12.9	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off	2019-02-22
-12.2	Hammond BBQ	2019-03-22
-12	*Christmas on the River	2018-11-30
-8	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2016-07-01

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)
2019	5	0	0	0	40%	top 69%	92.7%	91.9%
2018	8	1	3	0	63%	top 35%	95.6%	94.4%
2017	7	0	4	2	86%	top 28%	97.1%	95.1%
2016	10	0	4	2	50%	top 34%	96.5%	93.9%
2015	11	0	5	3	73%	top 30%	96.7%	92.7%
2014	3	0	2	1	100%	top 28%	94.6%	94.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-07-12	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	32 / 83 (667.3024)	28 (168.5256)	41 (163.9656)	62 (158.2512)	5 (176.5600)
2019-03-22	Hammond BBQ 🏅 Hammond, LA	33 / 48 (662.6856)	36 (163.9544)	16 (169.1200)	39 (162.2400)	33 (167.3712)
2019-03-15	Smokin In the Square 🏅 Pensacola, FL	29 / 35 (651.2684)	8 (171.9772)	29 (162.2628)	22 (165.6800)	32 (151.3484)
2019-02-22	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off 🏅 Montgomery, AL	18 / 27 (665.5772)	19 (165.6800)	12 (168.5372)	20 (162.2400)	15 (169.1200)
2019-02-08	KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR	81 / 92 (661.0060)	71 (166.2632)	60 (165.6800)	65 (165.0972)	76 (163.9656)
2018-11-30	*Christmas on the River Demoplis, AL	24 / 29 (662.7080)	28 (158.2168)	11 (170.8228)	26 (161.6912)	12 (171.9772)
2018-09-14	*Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival Decatur, AL	6 / 32 (684.4800)	13 (169.6800)	5 (174.8572)	30 (162.2400)	2 (177.7028)
2018-08-17	*Downtown BBQ Showdown Hattiesburg, MS	1 / 30 (688.4912)	6 (172.5484)	3 (173.7028)	13 (167.9772)	4 (174.2628)
2018-05-25	*Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival Evans, GA	24 / 72 (679.9088)	27 (171.9656)	34 (167.9888)	20 (169.6800)	24 (170.2744)
2018-04-13	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	22 / 38 (675.8972)	34 (162.2284)	3 (177.1544)	28 (163.4060)	11 (173.1084)
2018-03-23	Hammond BBQ Hammond, LA	7 / 48 (685.6340)	23 (168.5256)	12 (172.0000)	14 (168.5256)	2 (176.5828)
2018-03-16	Smokin In the Square Pensacola, FL	13 / 49 (686.1944)	24 (171.9772)	19 (169.1316)	4 (176.5600)	26 (168.5256)
2018-03-09	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	19 / 42 (676.4228)	15 (171.9656)	33 (165.0972)	11 (170.8344)	26 (168.5256)
2017-10-06	National Pro BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	35 / 50 (683.3716)	7 (178.8572)	18 (172.5600)	49 (161.1200)	26 (170.8344)
2017-07-06	SC Festival of Discovery(PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Greenwood, SC	35 / 89 (669.0400)	24 (169.7028)	45 (164.5372)	50 (162.8228)	12 (171.9772)
2017-06-30	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Bartlett, TN	3 / 30 (699.3828)	15 (174.8572)	12 (172.5600)	1 (180.0000)	18 (171.9656)
2017-05-26	*Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival (GBC Qualifier) Evans, GA	9 / 67 (690.1828)	10 (175.4172)	14 (173.1200)	22 (169.6800)	14 (171.9656)
2017-03-17	Smokin in the Square Pensacola, FL	9 / 38 (684.4684)	11 (174.8456)	6 (174.2628)	20 (167.3944)	15 (167.9656)
2017-03-10	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	20 / 67 (676.4456)	20 (171.9772)	40 (163.9656)	9 (174.2628)	40 (166.2400)
2017-02-24	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	2 / 28 (689.0628)	15 (168.5372)	5 (174.8456)	1 (176.5600)	6 (169.1200)
2016-12-02	*Christmas on the River Demopolis, AL	5 / 34 (689.0400)	11 (170.8344)	2 (177.7028)	16 (168.5256)	11 (171.9772)
2016-11-11	World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL	12 / 89 (688.5256)	17 (173.1200)	36 (169.1084)	19 (171.4172)	13 (174.8800)
2016-10-07	Downtown BBQ Throwdown Hattiesburg, MS	6 / 26 (669.5652)	16 (161.6568)	10 (163.9312)	5 (171.4172)	3 (172.5600)
2016-09-23	*Porktober Que Dothan, AL	17 / 36 (669.0056)	13 (170.8112)	19 (165.6916)	13 (170.2744)	24 (162.2284)
2016-07-07	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	46 / 82 (645.5200)	67 (156.5144)	22 (167.4172)	47 (161.0972)	44 (160.4912)
2016-07-01	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Marietta, GA	25 / 30 (674.7316)	17 (170.8344)	17 (169.6916)	10 (171.9772)	29 (162.2284)
2016-05-27	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival (GBC Qualifier) Evans, GA	2 / 66 (694.7884)	5 (176.5600)	38 (164.5256)	1 (177.7028)	5 (176.0000)
2016-03-18	Smokin In The Square Pensacola, FL	26 / 43 (669.0056)	20 (170.8228)	17 (168.5600)	32 (163.3944)	26 (166.2284)
2016-03-11	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) Bainbridge, GA	26 / 89 (670.7656)	41 (167.3828)	50 (165.0972)	24 (168.5600)	18 (169.7256)
2016-02-26	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	2 / 30 (687.9084)	14 (170.2512)	1 (174.2628)	2 (175.4172)	14 (167.9772)
2015-11-03	World Food Championships Kissimmee, FL	21 / 58 (679.3600)	20 (171.9656)	53 (160.5488)	11 (174.2856)	10 (172.5600)
2015-10-09	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	38 / 50 (684.4688)	19 (173.1316)	42 (168.5488)	23 (173.1200)	35 (169.6684)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	12 / 606 (513.1428)	316 (163.4400)	58 (173.1316)	137 (169.1428)	409 (156.4912)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	102 / 187 (673.6228)	82 (170.2744)	116 (166.2400)	150 (162.8456)	34 (174.2628)
2015-09-25	Porktober Que Dothan, AL	13 / 26 (664.4112)	24 (156.5028)	12 (165.6800)	9 (171.4056)	6 (170.8228)
2015-09-18	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Southaven, MS	4 / 30 (693.0740)	28 (168.5140)	21 (168.5600)	2 (178.2972)	4 (177.7028)
2015-05-22	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que (GBC Qualifier) Evans, GA	28 / 65 (667.8168)	28 (169.6684)	57 (158.2172)	1 (177.7028)	49 (162.2284)
2015-03-27	Fire Ant Festival BBQ Bash Ashburn, GA	4 / 28 (691.9200)	2 (177.1544)	1 (180.0000)	20 (160.5028)	5 (174.2628)
2015-03-13	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	2 / 72 (696.5144)	26 (172.5484)	5 (175.4288)	13 (173.1200)	9 (175.4172)
2015-03-06	Smokin In The Square Pensacola, FL	6 / 48 (689.0400)	10 (175.4056)	21 (167.3944)	13 (170.8228)	6 (175.4172)
2015-02-27	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	7 / 30 (686.7884)	1 (177.7028)	4 (175.4516)	16 (168.5256)	19 (165.1084)
2014-09-26	Porktober Que Dothan, AL	6 / 29 (673.0860)	14 (165.6800)	10 (166.8344)	4 (171.4172)	5 (169.1544)
2014-09-05	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Southaven, MS	16 / 30 (679.3028)	3 (177.7144)	28 (163.3944)	28 (166.2284)	11 (171.9656)
2014-02-28	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	3 / 28 (681.0744)	4 (174.2628)	25 (155.9428)	2 (173.1544)	1 (177.7144)

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	#981 (267 pts)	#866 (357 pts)	#902 (342 pts)	#1023 (272 pts)	#791 (407 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#330 (1026 pts)	#519 (706 pts)	#282 (1106 pts)	#439 (826 pts)	#273 (1156 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#373 (978 pts)	#497 (788 pts)	#488 (803 pts)	#391 (983 pts)	#544 (728 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#249 (1325 pts)	#365 (1040 pts)	#289 (1205 pts)	#232 (1345 pts)	#336 (1105 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#230 (1374 pts)	#311 (1139 pts)	#289 (1179 pts)	#212 (1354 pts)	#260 (1269 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#966 (328 pts)	#832 (433 pts)	#1984 (108 pts)	#1073 (308 pts)	#856 (403 pts)