KAVE DWELLERS

KAVE DWELLERS is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 23 at the Harbor-Que (2017). They are ranked #1276 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,276

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1581

peak 1584 · rated over 16 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest Aug 24, 2018 · 5.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#511

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

44% of 16 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

670.8916 / 720

Master · Grill Games

Perfect 180s

Current form

655.55 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 653.44 (+2.11)

Walk rate

94%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Pork · Grill Games

Consistency

±14.13

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 167.49 · weakest Chicken (161.31)

Road miles

1,044

across 16 mapped stops · furthest 103 mi

Schedule strength

20%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1528)

Master avg

653.44 / 720

16 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

94% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 15 of 16 contests

A top-10 category call in 94% of their 16 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

670.8916 career-best overall

93.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.8916 at Grill Games — 93.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 22, 2014

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 25%.

4 contests
3 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 25%

A tough matchup

9–1 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead in 90% of their meetings

THE SMOKE HUNTERS has come out ahead in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.2 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.18 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 69%.

Chicken avg 161.31
Brisket avg 167.49
3 calls in 16 entries

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of KEN'S BURNT ENDS in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Grill Games (Aug 25, 2017).

last seen Oct 23, 2015
back Aug 25, 2017

Show 3 more storylines

Brisket nemesis

7 of 10 shared brisket entries lost

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead 70% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE SMOKE HUNTERS has out-cooked them in 7 of 10 shared brisket entries.

An October team

Top 20% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 20% across 4 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.

4 October contests
top 35% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.96% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.96% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.8% of a perfect score
16 contests

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1246 (223 pts)	#1429 (198 pts)	#1992 (113 pts)	#1347 (223 pts)	#1345 (223 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#897 (360 pts)	#841 (430 pts)	#976 (355 pts)	#970 (360 pts)	#992 (335 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#709 (503 pts)	#854 (423 pts)	#814 (448 pts)	#799 (468 pts)	#534 (693 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#511 (611 pts)	#825 (391 pts)	#470 (691 pts)	#464 (706 pts)	#390 (806 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to KAVE DWELLERS, each with one reason worth a look.

47 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

PACS BBQ

#1,279 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1581

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

FIRE AND SMOKE SHAK

#1,274 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1581

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Nov 16, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

THE LOONEY PIT

#1,270 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1583

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 50% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jul 27, 2018

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FOUR CROWS BBQ

#1,283 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1581

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 3 years before KAVE DWELLERS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

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Dirt Bag Barbeque

#1,275 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1589

They turned up 9 years after KAVE DWELLERS did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Jun 13, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BM Grils & Smokers

#1,272 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1581

Level with KAVE DWELLERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SMOKE 2 PULL	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKE HUNTERS	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
KEN'S BURNT ENDS	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
Risky Brisket	9	6	3	67%	⚔ compare
MOOSE'S BARBECUE	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
Q-N WITH ATTITUDE	7	7	0	100%	⚔ compare
ROLL THE BONES BBQ	7	7	0	100%	⚔ compare
TOPPGATOR BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
FIREWISE BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
FOX RIVER BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
BRINGIN' THE HEAT	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	16	3	0	172.5484	150.2858	161.31	top 50%
Pork Ribs	16	5	2	170.8572	146.8570	161.88	top 41%
Pork	16	5	3	177.1428	150.2744	162.76	top 44%
Brisket	16	11	4	176.5828	157.6684	167.49	top 21%

“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)	4	0	top 47%
Large (40+)	12	0	top 30%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
WI	12	0	top 37%
IL	4	0	top 28%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Grill Games	5	6	top 35%	Aug 24, 2018
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	15	top 69%	Jul 11, 2014
The Masters in May	2	8	top 41%	May 2, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 5 contests

Contests a season 3.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in WI 12 of 16 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 10 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 306 finished ahead 476 times, behind 234

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs Oct 23, 2015 → Aug 25, 2017

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

20181 milestone

Aug 24 Most recent contest Grill Games

20172 milestones

Oct 6 First overall podium Harbor-Que
Oct 6 Peak power rating (1584) Harbor-Que

20151 milestone

May 1 10th tracked contest The Masters In May

20142 milestones

Aug 22 Career-best overall score670.8916 Grill Games
Aug 22 Career-best single call (Pork)177.1428 Grill Games

20134 milestones

May 3 First tracked contest The Masters in May
May 3 First call The Masters in May
May 3 First overall top-10 The Masters in May
May 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.4284 The Masters in May

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.4	Grill Games	Aug 22, 2014
+12.2	The Masters In May - The Classic	May 2, 2015
+12.2	Grill Games	Aug 23, 2013
+11.3	Harbor-Que	Oct 6, 2017
+11.3	The Masters in May	May 3, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 5, 2013
-4	The Masters in May	May 2, 2014
-3.1	Grill Games	Aug 24, 2018
-2.8	Grill Games	Aug 28, 2015

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	100%	top 57%	90.1%	90.1%
2017	2	1	100%	top 24%	93.1%	91.6%
2015	4	3	100%	top 25%	92.7%	91.6%
2014	4	1	100%	top 39%	93.2%	90.6%
2013	5	2	80%	top 38%	93.1%	90%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 24, 2018	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	24 / 42 (648.9712)	37 (153.6684)	19 (163.9428)	22 (162.2400)	9 (169.1200)
Oct 6, 2017	Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL	3 / 23 (670.2060)	4 (166.8344)	12 (161.6572)	3 (171.9772)	3 (169.7372)
Aug 25, 2017	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	14 / 39 (648.9708)	27 (157.6800)	22 (161.6912)	23 (158.7884)	3 (170.8112)
Oct 23, 2015	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook off Union Grove, WI	7 / 44 (667.4172)	12 (168)	3 (170.8572)	18 (164.5600)	9 (164)
Aug 28, 2015	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	26 / 49 (642.1828)	5 (172)	37 (151.9544)	21 (160.5600)	28 (157.6684)
May 2, 2015	The Masters In May - The Classic Appleton, WI	7 / 47 (664.5256)	13 (167.4400)	19 (162.2628)	25 (161.6456)	5 (173.1772)
May 1, 2015	The Masters In May Appleton, WI	10 / 57 (663.3712)	13 (166.2856)	25 (159.4056)	5 (169.1200)	11 (168.5600)
Oct 17, 2014	9th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	11 / 42 (662.7196)	5 (172.5484)	12 (167.4172)	25 (158.7884)	16 (163.9656)
Aug 22, 2014	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	6 / 47 (670.8916)	32 (158.2972)	26 (158.8688)	2 (177.1428)	2 (176.5828)
Jul 11, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Madison, WI	15 / 29 (648.4916)	19 (160.5600)	6 (169.6800)	27 (150.2744)	7 (167.9772)
May 2, 2014	The Masters in May Fremont, WI	40 / 62 (626.8460)	47 (153.6800)	43 (153.7488)	55 (150.2744)	10 (169.1428)
Oct 18, 2013	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	14 / 54 (645.0624)	31 (156.5484)	9 (166.8456)	23 (157.0856)	7 (164.5828)
Aug 23, 2013	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	6 / 43 (670.2172)	27 (158.8228)	3 (170.2744)	2 (176.5944)	11 (164.5256)
Jul 5, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Madison, WI	26 / 30 (624.5708)	16 (161.1428)	26 (146.8570)	26 (153.1426)	9 (163.4284)
May 24, 2013	Westmont Red, White & BBQ Westmont, IL	33 / 70 (649.1428)	50 (157.1428)	27 (161.7144)	29 (164.5714)	20 (165.7142)
May 3, 2013	The Masters in May Fremont, WI	8 / 48 (651.4284)	35 (150.2858)	9 (162.8570)	4 (167.4284)	3 (170.8572)

KAVE DWELLERS

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

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Brisket nemesis

An October team

The metronome

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 — 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)