We've done 3 PC pork entries this year and had a bit of luck with it. Two 1st place's and a 2nd place (runner up to some team Plowboy on Wheels or something - heard they can cook) - each time had between 15-45 entries. In each of these, we took our pork up to a specific place at a specific time and it was blind judging. If it's at your own site or non-blind I wouldn't bother either unless you're the one bringing all your friends and family and dogs and preacher to vote ... twice.
As far as sauce vs non-sauce for people's choice? Well, go to one of your local BBQ restaurants and see if people put sauce on their pork or not, they are the one's voting. It ain't about your pork, it's about getting them to vote for your pork.
Good suggestion (restaurants). Yes, unfortunately around here BBQ is the
stuff underneath the sauce... The problem is that we're in an area that's
a complete mixtures of sauces. Some like the Carolina mustards (not
many, but some). Some like the vinegars. Most like the tomato based,
but then there's not spicy, slightly spicy, and hot, and of course sweet or
not...
If its going to come down to a crap shoot with sauce, I'll skip it. You may
be right... We have a great sauce that complements the meat nicely,
but it's not heavy and lets the wonderful pork taste come through. To
sit there and mix a ton of sauce in it, then the sauce to be too hot or
too sweet for someone, or not hot enough or not sweet enough, or not
enough mustard for someone... Well, that's a sauce contest, and I dont
care for them (sauce contests, I mean)....