On the rise
+88
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 88 points across 13 contests since Oct 3, 2025 — from 1539 up to 1627.
- 13 contests since Oct 3, 2025
- now 1627
Poppin Smoke BBQ
Poppin Smoke BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) (2026). They are ranked #812 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1627
peak 1631 · rated over 23 contests
Contests
28
in the data
First seen
Jul 12, 2024
latest Sep 11, 2026 · 2.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time
Category wins
3
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
50% of 28 contests
Best top-10 run
8
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 33%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
348.89 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 342.25 (+6.64)
Walk rate
68%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.53
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 170.34 · weakest Pork (161.10)
Road miles
2,176
across 28 mapped stops · furthest 198 mi
Schedule strength
65%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)
Purse competed for
$148K
listed at 27 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 16 state-championship entries
Master avg
664.03 / 720
4 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
342.25 / 360
18 Backyard contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #25 (1,089 pts) | #52 (813 pts) | #7 (1,260 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #568 (264 pts) | #514 (374 pts) | #141 (1,221 pts) | #680 (209 pts) | #616 (244 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #94 (623 pts) | #82 (693 pts) | #98 (623 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #137 (418 pts) | #164 (348 pts) | #125 (468 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1531 (53 pts) | #1512 (58 pts) | #970 (133 pts) | #1536 (53 pts) | #1480 (58 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Poppin Smoke BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#805 of the rated field
- Contests
- 46
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 39%
- Peak
- 1628
3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to Poppin Smoke BBQ)
These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Poppin Smoke BBQ ahead 3–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#813 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 75%
- Peak
- 1627
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 20 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#808 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1627
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Poppin Smoke BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#809 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1627
Fewer contests behind them than Poppin Smoke BBQ has cooked, 19 to 28, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#811 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1634
42 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 40% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#810 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1689
They were already cooking in 2013, 11 years before Poppin Smoke BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Dawg BBQ | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced BBQ | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Reds Backyard BBQ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SadieQ | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| HORMONAL ESCAPE COMPETITION BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Bushwood BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Ambition Que | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| 10 In The Pit BBQ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 7 | 4 | 2 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked By The Brooks | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke 'n Magic | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 22 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 175.4288 | 156.5256 | 169.74 | top 37% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 178.8572 | 146.8000 | 170.34 | top 32% |
| Pork | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.9772 | 147.3600 | 161.10 | top 72% |
| Brisket | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.8456 | 158.8344 | 166.11 | top 55% |
“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) | 4 | 0 | top 39% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 1 | top 34% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 27% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) | 5 | 1 | 1 | top 41% | Jul 10, 2026 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 13% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 24% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 44% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 27% | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 24% | Oct 26, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
16 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
9.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
20 of 28 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
14
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
26 entries · 3 wins · 18 calls
First title
Jul 10, 2026
Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
Opponents faced
520
finished ahead 705 times, behind 336
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20269 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest
- First Grand Championship Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
- First state championship Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
- Biggest field won (37 teams) Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1)
- 25th tracked contest Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2)
- Career-best overall score686.1944 East Central State BBQ Cookoff - Paola Roots Festival
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 East Central State BBQ Cookoff - Paola Roots Festival
- Peak power rating (1631) East Central State BBQ Cookoff - Paola Roots Festival
- Most recent contest Meat Inferno
20251 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (Backyard 2)
20245 milestones
- First tracked contest 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First call Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score348.5600 Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.3 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) | Jul 10, 2026 |
| +14.8 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 3, 2026 |
| +14.6 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 4, 2024 |
| +12.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 20, 2026 |
| +11.7 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | Jul 18, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.6 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off | Jul 12, 2024 |
| -6.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 21, 2025 |
| -5 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off | Mar 21, 2025 |
| -3.8 | Meat Inferno | Sep 11, 2026 |
| -2.2 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (Backyard 2) | Jul 11, 2025 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 81% | top 25% | 98.1% | 96% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 57% | top 45% | 95.4% | 93.4% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40% | top 40% | 96.8% | 92.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Meat Inferno 🏅 Edgerton, KS | 19 / 33 (681.0172) | 8 (174.2628) | 7 (174.2744) | 26 (163.9544) | 19 (168.5256) |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Meat Inferno (ONE MEAT RIBS) Edgerton, KS | — | — | 6 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | East Central State BBQ Cookoff - Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 13 / 31 (686.1944) | 7 (173.1316) | 1 (178.8572) | 18 (167.9772) | 17 (166.2284) |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 3 / 32 (347.9772) | 7 (172.5600) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 5 / 32 (345.0972) | 8 (170.8344) | 3 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) 🏅 Cameron, MO | 1 / 37 (353.1200) | 4 (174.2628) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (BACKYARD 2) Cameron, MO | 3 / 16 (348) | 5 (173.1200) | 2 (174.8800) | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cameron, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 26, 2026 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 62 / 157 (662.7656) | 129 (156.5256) | 48 (170.2744) | 80 (165.1200) | 32 (170.8456) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 6 / 36 (350.2744) | 9 (171.4172) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY) Kansas City, MO | 8 / 16 (341.6916) | 13 (166.2400) | 5 (175.4516) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Kansas City, MO | — | — | 12 (162.8572) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS Contest #2) Kansas City, MO | — | — | 3 (174.8572) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 4 / 42 (348.5488) | 8 (173.1316) | 4 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 6 / 26 (349.7032) | 6 (175.4288) | 7 (174.2744) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 5 / 33 (347.9656) | 11 (173.1084) | 3 (174.8572) | — | — |
| Oct 3, 2025 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO | 9 / 23 (343.3944) | 16 (166.2400) | 4 (177.1544) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 7 / 36 (337.6688) | 5 (171.9656) | 10 (165.7032) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (Backyard 2) Cameron, MO | 7 / 10 (333.1088) | 4 (169.6800) | 8 (163.4288) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 11 / 36 (333.6688) | 9 (168.5716) | 12 (165.0972) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 19 / 49 (337.6456) | 13 (171.4172) | 23 (166.2284) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 24 / 33 (329.0400) | 23 (165.0972) | 23 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 10 (169.1544) | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 26, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 12 / 56 (336.5600) | 12 (166.8572) | 9 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 14 / 53 (328.5144) | 12 (164.5600) | 13 (163.9544) | — | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO | 3 / 19 (348.5600) | 8 (169.7028) | 2 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 27 / 28 (626.1260) | 24 (166.2516) | 26 (153.6800) | 28 (147.3600) | 24 (158.8344) |
| Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Cameron, MO | — | — | 18 (146.8000) | — | — |