Sam's 2017?

Sam's Club local in Shreveport was our very first sanctioned competition, and we had a blast. I remember reading so many posts here, and learning so much from everyone here on the forums after I signed up. We were the only first time team at the competition, and immediately after the cooks meeting we had multiple teams come over and offer us any help they could give us. Funny thing is I expected them to say that, but not mean it. I was wrong. Two different teams showed us their entire box building technique since we had never done the green thing. We huddled in our popups all day because of the cold weather, but at the end of the day when they called our name for 4th place chicken we were hooked.

Now, other than the Royal, it might be the competition that we are looking forward to doing most next year. I know it's not perfect, but I don't think any BBQ contest is. That being said, I think the positive impact it has on our sport FAR outweighs any negative, and I'm happy to go and support it. The only downside to hearing that Sam's and Smithfield might team up to do it together is that it means that Smithfield won't be running a second series just like this one!

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That's the very first box I ever turned in a real competition.

Shout out to Sizzlin Bones BBQ, and Smokin After Dark for all their help that day. If it wasn't for them, we might not still be around doing all of this and meeting everyone else we've met!
 
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I personally am looking forward to Sam's this year and I do understand what is being said about the judges, AND I even slightly agree but much like many contest the judging can be questioned but yet the top teams still seem to do well. Just using the Des Moines Sams as an example 1) Porky Butts 2) Luckys Q 3)Big Tz 4) True Smoke 5) When Pigs Die 6) Oversize Load BBQ...Top 4 teams have all won GC's and I would say top 3 are Nationally known and number 5 and 6 finishers have won RGC's...i will admit team #6 got very lucky to finish 6th :grin: so while judging can be questioned at all the Sams events the top teams USUALLY seem to do well, even though occasionally a team like myself just flat gets lucky and a top team falls through the crack but isnt that what happens at all contests?
 
Fat Freddy said:
I personally am looking forward to Sam's this year and I do understand what is being said about the judges, AND I even slightly agree but much like many contest the judging can be questioned but yet the top teams still seem to do well. Just using the Des Moines Sams as an example 1) Porky Butts 2) Luckys Q 3)Big Tz 4) True Smoke 5) When Pigs Die 6) Oversize Load BBQ...Top 4 teams have all won GC's and I would say top 3 are Nationally known and number 5 and 6 finishers have won RGC's...i will admit team #6 got very lucky to finish 6th :grin: so while judging can be questioned at all the Sams events the top teams USUALLY seem to do well, even though occasionally a team like myself just flat gets lucky and a top team falls through the crack but isnt that what happens at all contests?
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Oh don't sell yourself so short Fred...you seem to do pretty well as a rule.
Ed
 
we did a sam's event last year and while it was great hanging out with some folks we consider friends, and got to make some new friends.....the event itself was probably our least favorite we have done. now keep in mind we've only done about 10 events in the last three years, averaging 3-4 events per year. so my sample is not as large as many of yours.

the atmosphere was just different at our event as compared to other events we have done. in addition, we had no running water at our site and for a team like ours, that created a great deal of additional problems and labor for us. that setup just doesnt fit our style and preferences very well.

as of now, I doubt we will do another sam's event.
 
Right on Q said:
So is the biggest concern the 5 table judging? I can see the concern with that but how can you beat a $250 entry fee with $10,000 payout?

I haven't been in this game very long so I'm always interested in what the more tenured teams have to say.
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It would be better if they paid top ten in each category instead of top five.. Sam's payout is extremely top heavy if a local contest paid the same for that high of an entry fee there would be an uproar. I love the format but it requires a lot of travel. I see more teams choosing not to move on.
 
It seems there is this thread every year.... I like the tournament format, prize pool, expediency of awards, and consistency. I intend to compete in it again this year.

When I judged the midwest regional here is how the sat the judges. They first sat the master judges, I believe there were at least 1 per table. Then they asked for 3 or less contests judged, all tables got 1 and there were nor more than 2 per table. Then under 10 contests, about 1 per table. Then they sat by sex, trying to balance the tables to as even male/female they could. Other than have the kcbs judging average data I don't think it could have been sat better.

I will also say that our table was in pretty close agreement in all 4 categories. We had great chicken entries, some great and ok rib entries, not very good pork, and mostly good brisket. After the first 2 categories we were all surprised on how mediocre the pork was. In the past I had expected every table in a contest of that size to be represented in the top 10. In this case, I don't believe any of those entries deserved to be. IMHO.
 
We skipped last year because we couldn't make the local qualifier. Hopefully we'll be able to this year.
 
I guess I'm in the minority, but I like the format and think they're some of the best organized comps that we do. No, we don't always fare well, but I know the awards will be on time, if not early. The only flaw that I see is the regional should be somewhat in the middle of the region, not at an extreme end of one. We look forward to doing Sam's Club in 2017.
 
Before I started competing I judged the Sam in Fort Worth for two years and back then they didn't try to get a good mix of judging talent at each table. Matter of fact my last year I was a Table Captain and I can remember in the discussion at our table there was one judge who only gave out sixes, when everybody else was giving higher scores. I brought it up to the reps and they talked with him, but it didn't seem to change how he scored things.

The last two years, I've competed in the Sams instead of judging. My first ever KCBS competition was the Sams in Shreveport back in 2015. And last year we got into the Sams in Fort Worth. Other then having no running water, I couldn't say there was any issues and we saw our scores increase between the two events which I expected after having a few more competitions under my belt, we even got our first call in pulled pork. I plan on going this year as well and hopefully we'll see a bump in our scores and make it to the next round. As far as the organizers and everybody running the event, I couldn't ask for nicer bunch of folks.
 
I like the Sams series overall. If I could change one thing, it would be reducing the field down to 24 (or 25) teams at each local and regional so that every team hit every table. Having 5 tables of judges opens the door for TOA and TOD and I've seen it happen first hand.

I've competed at a couple and judged one last year. Definitely learned something about judges and how they can range in scoring. That's the game were in. That's not a Sams issue but something KCBS should look at....but that's a different topic and I don't want to hijack.
 
There are several comments on this thread about TODs and TOAs. The Sam's contests are the perfect place to take advantage of the KCBS Judging Scoring system.

Every judge has to sign up through KCBS. Every judge has a KCBS membership number at the time of sign up. All KCBS has to do is take the membership numbers of each judge, at each contest and create tables with equally weighted scoring averages using the data in their Judge Scoring system. The table list of names can then be sent to the respective contest reps. prior to seating and after each judge has confirmed their attendance. Sure there needs to be standby judges in case of no-shows but for the most part, all tables will be equally weighted.

KCBS controls all registration for these events. Come on BOD, do something to give the teams some confidence in the judging system. I would have emailed the BOD with this suggestion but I did that back in June. Still waiting for answers from the respective committees my email was forwarded to.
 
Pots BBQ will cook it again next year. Took this year off. But I know one thing when we go to cook at Sams I'll have a generator with me.
 
Well as most know I am a HUGE fan of the Sam's Club series. The format is great for me, and I appreciate how the events are ran. I have had a couple conversations with Michael McDearman about the judging and hopefully that is something he can address. But in the end EVERY contest has these judging problems it isn't a Sam's Club series problem.

If I could do 20 of these events a year I would!
 
I agree and disagree. Not EVERY contest has these problems with judges. However, this issue is not unique to Sam's. In my limited experience I've been to a few contests (happened to be organized by a cook) that go through an almost painful vetting process to seat judges so that tables are as balanced as possible by experience, gender, separating spouses, mixing local and out-of-state judges, etc. I don't think it's coincidence that there has historically been almost no existence of a TOA and a TOD at these events (or the variance is much smaller to the point I'd say it was an unavoidable occurrence that is just going to happen sometimes).

I can be kind of a numbers dork, but food for thought:
The GC from our local Sam's this year won with a 677 (one of only two contests they placed in top ten - not trying to take away from them, they're great people and cooks). Over the last five years the GC at our local Sam's has averaged a 683. In those same five years the average GC score for all contests in MN were 694, 692, 694, 688, and 692 (692 avg. for all contests in last 5 years). Now, the GC score is certainly not the only indicator of how "well" the judging process went for a contest, but I think it's relevant to see that there is definitely a trend for our local Sam's that indicates two things. One, the scoring is notably "harsher" than the average contest here. Maybe indicating that tables aren't balanced enough to eliminate that low score. Two, that trend hasn't changed in the last five years, so I'm not holding my breath for 2017.

All that said, I'll still probably compete this year if I can manage to squeeze into the registration before it crashes. Just need to have lower expectations.
Rant over.
 
Damn, you had to bring that up..... I wish I knew where the pictures were of those top 10 turnins.... That beat me... Hey, I redeemed myself and took the RGC a couple of years later. It allowed Rich to go on and win the whole thing. He still owes me for that....
 
Scottie said:
Damn, you had to bring that up..... I wish I knew where the pictures were of those top 10 turnins.... That beat me... Hey, I redeemed myself and took the RGC a couple of years later. It allowed Rich to go on and win the whole thing. He still owes me for that....
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Thanks Scottie! 8th place at the local got me about $65k :eusa_clap
 
Fat Freddy said:
Does anyone know if Sams will be happening again and if so when will registration open? I know when I did a Sams event Michael McDearman said it will be back, but I have not heard much since. Since entry was early January last year I figured we would have heard something by now. We were lucky enough to qualify to advance from Des Moines but had to turn it down because something came up. Looking forward to doing our best to go further next year. I am one that likes to start planning my schedule early and want to work around Sams.
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To answer the OP's question ...

KCBS BoD meeting agenda lists discussion for logistics regarding 2017 Sams Club Tour on the docket.

Last year, the schedule was released on December 23rd.
Registration opened January 6th.


http://www.kcbs.us/news.php?id=905
 
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