The heartbreaker
Came within 1.1888 points of the Grand Championship at 9th Annual WildBlue BBQ (Jul 19, 2013).
BLUE BUCKET BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 51 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 40 at the 9th Annual WildBlue BBQ (2013), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #772 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #442 (413 pts) | #446 (438 pts) | #535 (368 pts) | #409 (463 pts) | #476 (403 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #670 (479 pts) | #590 (584 pts) | #471 (734 pts) | #686 (489 pts) | #720 (464 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #770 (425 pts) | #842 (395 pts) | #776 (460 pts) | #775 (455 pts) | #865 (385 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #656 (585 pts) | #408 (925 pts) | #867 (450 pts) | #907 (420 pts) | #811 (475 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #688 (554 pts) | #689 (584 pts) | #830 (474 pts) | #740 (534 pts) | #766 (499 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #397 (943 pts) | #343 (1,063 pts) | #539 (723 pts) | #387 (953 pts) | #440 (858 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #313 (1,140 pts) | #315 (1,105 pts) | #342 (1,060 pts) | #393 (940 pts) | #382 (980 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #251 (1,197 pts) | #248 (1,137 pts) | #170 (1,407 pts) | #228 (1,182 pts) | #301 (1,012 pts) |
The teams rated closest to BLUE BUCKET BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
25 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BLUE BUCKET BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 58 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careersFewer contests behind them than BLUE BUCKET BBQ has cooked, 35 to 51, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers30 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 50% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersTheir last contest in the data was back in 2016, 5 years before BLUE BUCKET BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersBoth teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 777 BBQ | 32 | 13 | 19 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 30 | 6 | 24 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 28 | 14 | 14 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 27 | 13 | 14 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 27 | 3 | 24 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| INDIGO PIG | 23 | 21 | 2 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
| Four Men and A Pig | 22 | 10 | 12 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| SILVER FOX BBQ | 18 | 18 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Lazy Butt BBQ | 18 | 10 | 8 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Theslabs.com | 18 | 9 | 9 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 18 | 7 | 11 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD STYLE BBQ | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Boxer Q BBQ | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| RIBS N BIBS | 16 | 12 | 4 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| R BUTTS R SMOKIN | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 51 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 177.1772 | 151.9996 | 168.71 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 51 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 147.9544 | 166.46 | top 40% |
| Pork | 51 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 176 | 154.8228 | 167.06 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 51 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 173.1200 | 155.3712 | 164.89 | top 39% |
“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.
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 17 | 0 | top 38% |
| Large (40+) | 34 | 0 | top 33% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke in the Spring | 7 | 5 | 0 | top 40% | Apr 9, 2021 |
| Sertoma 48 BBQ | 4 | 9 | 0 | top 34% | Apr 26, 2019 |
| 2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 36% | Jun 5, 2015 |
| Smoke on the Water | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 35% | Oct 15, 2021 |
| Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 43% | Aug 5, 2016 |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 5% | Jun 24, 2016 |
| Flint Hills Beef Fest BBQ | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 44% | Aug 21, 2015 |
| Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 24% | Aug 1, 2014 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.2 | 9th Annual WildBlue BBQ | Jul 19, 2013 |
| +14.6 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open | Oct 3, 2013 |
| +12.9 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest | Aug 2, 2013 |
| +12.7 | Smoke In The Spring | Apr 11, 2014 |
| +11 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | Jun 26, 2015 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.9 | VFW Post 846 6th Annual BBQ Challenge (10 TEAM SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE) | Apr 25, 2014 |
| -7.9 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest | Aug 5, 2016 |
| -7.1 | Smoke In the Springs | Apr 12, 2019 |
| -6.9 | Smoke in the Spring | Apr 9, 2021 |
| -6.2 | Smoke on the Water | Oct 15, 2021 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 47% | 93.6% | 92.3% |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 45% | 94.5% | 92.6% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 40% | 93% | 92.3% |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 80% | top 34% | 94.4% | 92.9% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17% | top 36% | 94.8% | 92.9% |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 75% | top 25% | 94.8% | 93.2% |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 75% | top 32% | 94.8% | 91.8% |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 75% | top 27% | 96.3% | 92.8% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2021 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS | 15 / 25 (666.1256) | 12 (169.6800) | 12 (170.2628) | 17 (165.6684) | 17 (160.5144) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 103 / 467 (481.6000) | 51 (174.2628) | 234 (166.2744) | 250 (164.5372) | 248 (163.4056) |
| Aug 20, 2021 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 19 / 46 (670.7428) | 16 (170.8344) | 22 (165.1200) | 18 (170.8228) | 22 (163.9656) |
| Jun 4, 2021 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 15 / 28 (670.7884) | 16 (167.4056) | 24 (163.4172) | 7 (170.8456) | 12 (169.1200) |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 59 / 105 (674.2288) | 75 (166.2400) | 58 (167.4516) | 43 (170.8344) | 45 (169.7028) |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 DeSoto, KS | 24 / 51 (672.4568) | 28 (167.9772) | 29 (167.3828) | 15 (169.6912) | 21 (167.4056) |
| Sep 20, 2019 | Little Apple Classic Car & BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Manhattan, KS | 8 / 24 (680.4572) | 5 (173.1316) | 9 (169.6800) | 9 (170.2628) | 8 (167.3828) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 51 / 183 (655.9772) | 32 (168.5716) | 94 (159.9772) | 94 (161.7256) | 52 (165.7028) |
| May 10, 2019 | Grasshopper '19 🏅 DeSoto, KS | 25 / 53 (674.7428) | 14 (174.8572) | 4 (177.1544) | 43 (161.6456) | 41 (161.0856) |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Sertoma 48 BBQ 🏅 Lawrence, KS | 19 / 38 (659.2688) | 19 (166.2400) | 4 (175.4288) | 24 (161.0972) | 25 (156.5028) |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS | 68 / 104 (655.8512) | 20 (173.1772) | 84 (159.3600) | 68 (164.5256) | 73 (158.7884) |
| Oct 6, 2018 | Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS | 18 / 37 (667.3600) | 27 (162.2628) | 23 (163.9772) | 11 (171.4400) | 18 (169.6800) |
| Sep 28, 2018 | Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS | 30 / 68 (669.6000) | 16 (172.5828) | 34 (167.3944) | 34 (166.2400) | 37 (163.3828) |
| Jun 22, 2018 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle Lenexa, KS | 15 / 185 (669.6112) | 15 (169.1428) | 54 (165.1200) | 14 (172.5600) | 60 (162.7884) |
| May 4, 2018 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 17 / 41 (658.2516) | 33 (155.3944) | 4 (173.7372) | 20 (163.9772) | 15 (165.1428) |
| Apr 6, 2018 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 60 / 103 (656.9828) | 60 (165.1200) | 61 (165.0856) | 24 (170.8344) | 80 (155.9428) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Jammin In JC Blues & BBQ Festival Junction City, KS | 12 / 35 (679.9544) | 4 (177.1772) | 7 (172.5600) | 13 (168.5488) | 22 (161.6684) |
| Aug 18, 2017 | Smokin on Oak Bonner Springs, KS | 14 / 28 (663.8512) | 9 (168.5828) | 14 (163.9428) | 15 (166.2400) | 14 (165.0856) |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 7 / 184 (669.6800) | 3 (176.0228) | 35 (166.8572) | 77 (162.2628) | 48 (164.5372) |
| Jun 2, 2017 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 26th Anniversary (JUDGES FULL) McLouth, KS | 11 / 32 (665.6344) | 1 (177.1772) | 25 (158.2632) | 21 (158.2284) | 6 (171.9656) |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS | 46 / 100 (663.9200) | 60 (165.1200) | 38 (168.5600) | 54 (165.0856) | 41 (165.1544) |
| Aug 5, 2016 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 19 / 29 (658.7884) | 17 (167.4056) | 19 (160.5600) | 15 (168.5256) | 17 (162.2972) |
| Jul 15, 2016 | Wolf Creek Wildblue BBQ Burlington, KS | 22 / 46 (666.7428) | 23 (166.8228) | 21 (167.9656) | 31 (163.9772) | 19 (167.9772) |
| Jun 24, 2016 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 11 / 183 (674.1828) | 31 (167.9772) | 25 (170.2744) | 12 (173.1084) | 62 (162.8228) |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 27 / 55 (659.8512) | 19 (168.5256) | 21 (165.1200) | 47 (161.0856) | 20 (165.1200) |
| May 6, 2016 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 9 / 42 (682.2172) | 4 (174.8456) | 15 (169.6916) | 12 (170.8228) | 15 (166.8572) |
| Apr 8, 2016 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 29 / 109 (670.1712) | 26 (170.2512) | 33 (166.8572) | 34 (168.5256) | 40 (164.5372) |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS | 3 / 33 (675.9200) | 11 (166.2744) | 9 (164.5600) | 5 (171.9656) | 3 (173.1200) |
| Oct 3, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 47 / 606 (682.7656) | 222 (166.8228) | 161 (169.1200) | 55 (173.7028) | 57 (173.1200) |
| Aug 21, 2015 | Flint Hills Beef Fest BBQ Emporia, KS | 17 / 36 (664.4800) | 2 (177.1428) | 22 (163.9428) | 33 (154.8228) | 12 (168.5716) |
| Jul 31, 2015 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 9 / 46 (674.7200) | 8 (171.9772) | 14 (169.1200) | 23 (165.0972) | 11 (168.5256) |
| Jul 17, 2015 | 11th Annual WildBlue BBQ Burlington, KS | 21 / 48 (669.6456) | 26 (165.1544) | 24 (165.7028) | 18 (167.9656) | 13 (170.8228) |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 6 / 183 (681.6572) | 44 (166.2744) | 9 (173.1200) | 7 (172.5828) | 23 (169.6800) |
| Jun 5, 2015 | 2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 19 / 64 (661.6228) | 6 (173.1544) | 46 (157.0972) | 2 (176) | 41 (155.3712) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 42 / 97 (654.6624) | 7 (171.9884) | 60 (161.0856) | 47 (163.3828) | 55 (158.2056) |
| Oct 10, 2014 | Smoke on the Water at Lake Shawnee Topeka, KS | 4 / 37 (682.8344) | 5 (172.5600) | 8 (169.7144) | 3 (174.2628) | 6 (166.2972) |
| Aug 22, 2014 | Flint Hills Beef Fest BBQ Emporia, KS | 10 / 25 (655.8744) | 21 (155.3828) | 3 (170.8344) | 12 (164.5372) | 9 (165.1200) |
| Aug 1, 2014 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 13 / 37 (652.4112) | 27 (160.5484) | 13 (162.7884) | 12 (168.5372) | 15 (160.5372) |
| Jul 18, 2014 | 10th Annual WildBlue BBQ Burlington, KS | 14 / 41 (663.3600) | 6 (170.2628) | 30 (157.1544) | 15 (169.1200) | 9 (166.8228) |
| Jun 6, 2014 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 11 / 54 (669.5884) | 8 (173.1428) | 7 (171.9656) | 36 (162.2400) | 27 (162.2400) |
| May 9, 2014 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 12 / 54 (665.6000) | 5 (173.1200) | 18 (166.2972) | 35 (159.9428) | 21 (166.2400) |
| Apr 25, 2014 | VFW Post 846 6th Annual BBQ Challenge (10 TEAM SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE) Overland Park, KS | 54 / 65 (622.6516) | 57 (153.0972) | 58 (147.9544) | 44 (161.0972) | 31 (160.5028) |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Smoke In The Spring Osage City, KS | 5 / 73 (677.0400) | 9 (171.4056) | 15 (169.1200) | 16 (167.3944) | 9 (169.1200) |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS | 12 / 43 (657.6112) | 8 (168.5256) | 4 (169.1200) | 27 (157.0856) | 13 (162.8800) |
| Oct 3, 2013 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 10 / 535 (682.2172) | 91 (169.1200) | 1 (180) | 115 (167.4172) | 119 (165.6800) |
| Aug 23, 2013 | Flinthills Beef Fest BBQ Emporia, KS | 6 / 26 (682.2172) | 2 (176.5600) | 1 (174.2856) | 2 (175.4172) | 20 (155.9544) |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 3 / 25 (666.2284) | 4 (173.1428) | 16 (159.3828) | 1 (170.8572) | 5 (162.8456) |
| Jul 19, 2013 | 9th Annual WildBlue BBQ Burlington, KS | 2 / 40 (693.1084) | 3 (175.4400) | 4 (173.7028) | 5 (172.5484) | 7 (171.4172) |
| Jun 14, 2013 | Sunflower Barbecue Topeka, KS | 15 / 34 (657.1420) | 29 (151.9996) | 18 (163.9998) | 6 (171.9998) | 4 (169.1428) |
| Jun 7, 2013 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 41 / 69 (643.4282) | 30 (162.8570) | 59 (152.5716) | 35 (162.8570) | 19 (165.1426) |
| Apr 12, 2013 | Smoke In The Spring Osage City, KS | 28 / 71 (660.5714) | 38 (161.7140) | 13 (169.1430) | 28 (166.2856) | 30 (163.4288) |