JUST SMOKIN' AROUND

JUST SMOKIN' AROUND is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. Their best overall finish is 10th of 25 at the 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle (2014). They are ranked #2763 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,763

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1512

peak 1515 · rated over 16 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 25, 2013

latest Mar 31, 2017 · 3.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#633

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

13% of 16 contests

Avg finish

top 54%

overall standings

Best overall

652.0116 / 720

Master · Smoke in the Park

Perfect 180s

Current form

637.36 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 633.56 (+3.80)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.7372

Pork Ribs · Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest

Consistency

±16.00

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 159.29 · weakest Chicken (157.26)

Road miles

973

across 16 mapped stops · furthest 88 mi

Schedule strength

32%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1542)

Master avg

633.56 / 720

16 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

FAT MAXINE'S BBQ has finished one call ahead of JUST SMOKIN' AROUND 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

14–1 behind in the head-to-head

3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 93% of their meetings

3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 14 of their 15 shared contests.

A strong matchup

6–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Buddhist From Mecca BBQ in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

12 of 13 shared pork entries lost

CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ ahead 92% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 13 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BIG BLOCK BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 44% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 44% across 3 contests, versus top 54% the rest of the year.

3 May contests
top 54% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.22% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.22% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.0% 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	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1317 (210 pts)	#1200 (275 pts)	#1366 (225 pts)	#1564 (180 pts)	#1012 (345 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#862 (389 pts)	#1118 (284 pts)	#610 (639 pts)	#805 (459 pts)	#979 (344 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1130 (264 pts)	#1532 (180 pts)	#1392 (210 pts)	#1457 (200 pts)	#1255 (240 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#633 (496 pts)	#825 (391 pts)	#652 (511 pts)	#729 (456 pts)	#499 (641 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to JUST SMOKIN' AROUND, each with one reason worth a look.

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

3 RIVERS BBQ

#2,743 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1520

Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jul 10, 2025

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Smoke n' Things

#2,742 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1521

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Apr 26, 2019

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QUE THE SMOKE

#2,773 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1520

Level with JUST SMOKIN' AROUND on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Aug 25, 2017

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Wolf Valley BBQ

#2,768 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1533

They turned up 10 years after JUST SMOKIN' AROUND did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 14 contests
last seen May 15, 2026

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SERIAL GRILLAZ(NL)

#2,765 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1549

They've been 1549 at their best, 37 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 3, 2022

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MAGUIRE UNIVERSITY CULINARY INSTITUTE

#2,749 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1533

Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
3 EYZ BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BIG BLOCK BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
BONE TO BARK BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Buddhist From Mecca BBQ	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	16	0	0	167.4400	143.9200	157.26	top 63%
Pork Ribs	16	5	1	173.7372	138.7540	158.41	top 51%
Pork	16	2	0	165.7028	150.7772	159.29	top 51%
Brisket	16	5	1	172	146.7656	158.61	top 46%

“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)	10	0	top 51%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 58%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MD	10	top 51%
PA	3	top 55%
VA	2	top 52%
WV	1	top 81%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest	2	13	0	top 52%	Oct 14, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 5 contests

Contests a season 3.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MD 10 of 16 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 15 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 352 finished ahead 313 times, behind 363

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

20171 milestone

Mar 31 Most recent contest The Ironman

20154 milestones

Jul 31 10th tracked contest Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ
Sep 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.0116 Smoke in the Park
Sep 25 Career-best overall score652.0116 Smoke in the Park
Oct 16 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)173.7372 Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest

20134 milestones

May 25 First tracked contest The Memorial Day Pignic
May 25 First call The Memorial Day Pignic
May 25 First overall top-10 The Memorial Day Pignic
Jun 14 Peak power rating (1515) Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.4	The Memorial Day Pignic	May 25, 2013
+7.1	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest	Oct 16, 2015
+6.9	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival	Jun 14, 2013
+6.7	Smoke in the Park	Sep 25, 2015
+6.1	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle	Oct 10, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12	MD State BBQ Bash, Presented by Mars Super Markets	Aug 8, 2014
-9.4	Pickin' in the Panhandle	Sep 6, 2013
-5.5	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off	Sep 5, 2014
-4	12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash	Aug 9, 2013
-2.6	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest	Oct 14, 2016

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)
2017	1	0	0%	top 51%	88.2%	88.2%
2016	3	0	33%	top 60%	90%	88.1%
2015	4	0	75%	top 45%	90.6%	89.4%
2014	3	1	67%	top 68%	89.7%	86.1%
2013	5	1	60%	top 49%	89.8%	87.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Mar 31, 2017	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	30 / 59 (635.3716)	31 (159.4056)	29 (159.9772)	28 (158.8344)	34 (157.1544)
Oct 14, 2016	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA	26 / 38 (633.5544)	19 (164.5944)	16 (162.8000)	32 (154.2172)	31 (151.9428)
Jun 3, 2016	Beltway BBQ Showdown Fort Washington, MD	19 / 37 (647.8624)	12 (167.4400)	26 (155.9428)	32 (153.0740)	7 (171.4056)
May 6, 2016	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	31 / 51 (622.1372)	32 (157.6800)	44 (145.6800)	34 (154.8000)	13 (163.9772)
Oct 16, 2015	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA	13 / 37 (647.8628)	27 (157.6684)	2 (173.7372)	14 (162.8000)	24 (153.6572)
Sep 25, 2015	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	14 / 34 (652.0116)	21 (159.4516)	7 (166.8572)	8 (165.7028)	15 (160)
Jul 31, 2015	Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ Leonardtown, MD	30 / 54 (639.8628)	20 (166.2628)	31 (158.2744)	21 (163.9544)	37 (151.3712)
May 29, 2015	Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD	18 / 39 (633.5996)	36 (144.4912)	8 (166.2972)	15 (162.2628)	15 (160.5484)
Oct 10, 2014	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle Clarksburg, MD	10 / 25 (646.1712)	14 (161.1200)	9 (163.4172)	10 (161.1084)	6 (160.5256)
Sep 5, 2014	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off York, PA	29 / 39 (627.9084)	31 (153.6684)	33 (149.0972)	20 (162.2856)	9 (162.8572)
Aug 8, 2014	MD State BBQ Bash, Presented by Mars Super Markets Bel Air, MD	49 / 54 (586.5252)	47 (150.2284)	49 (138.7540)	42 (150.7772)	40 (146.7656)
Oct 11, 2013	3rd Annual High Point BBQ Clarksburg, MD	14 / 31 (638.1372)	14 (162.8228)	4 (167.3828)	14 (158.8460)	20 (149.0856)
Sep 6, 2013	Pickin' in the Panhandle Inwood, WV	30 / 37 (624.4344)	35 (143.9200)	28 (156.5716)	16 (164)	22 (159.9428)
Aug 9, 2013	12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	38 / 60 (612.9368)	37 (153.6800)	37 (152.5600)	27 (157.0856)	36 (149.6112)
Jun 14, 2013	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival Frederick, MD	18 / 63 (646.2856)	40 (156.5714)	29 (158.2858)	28 (159.4284)	3 (172)
May 25, 2013	The Memorial Day Pignic Fort Ritchie, MD	10 / 38 (642.2854)	24 (157.1426)	19 (158.8570)	20 (159.4286)	8 (166.8572)

JUST SMOKIN' AROUND

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (7 found in their record)

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A May 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)