Is there skill or strategy when turning in your box?

[Atlasman]

First off.......would you rather have excellent food at your table or bad?

I have heard it argued both ways. Great food elevates yours as the judges are in the zone with good scores and that carries over maybe even giving good food a great score. On the flip side if they are cringing at each bite before yours they may hear angels sing when they finally taste your entry and possibly even consider it amazing if only compared to the bad que they already ate.

I can't decide.......I was on Tuffy's table for pork at last years Royal and we took 2nd at our table with a solid score in 170's but Tuffy killed it with a perfect 180. Now would our score have been better if his pork wasn't there or did his pork have the judges in a good mood when they tasted mine??

I am interested to hear guys thoughts as my personal opinion is "good is good" and I doubt (hope) nothing else matters but I know lots of people don't think that way.

Long winded lead up to the question..........I see people hanging out at the entry line and clearly thinking they are giving themselves an advantage by choosing when to jump in line. I don't really get this as you can't guarantee you will be on the same table as the guy ahead or behind you right??

So what gives with all the "strategy" at turn ins of major contests?? Over thinking or something to it?? I know at home we all just get in line when your food is done and all I care about is that damn clock isn't flipped over LOL

 

[masque13]

i don't think i really care........because to me the most important thing is simply hitting our time marks. we've had the misfortune of missing one at a contest that led to a fall while running in ribs and me on crutches for two weeks afterwards....AND, that happened at a contest where we got TWO calls! so, the mistake was huge for us.

in a perfect world, i suppose i could say that there are always teams I see that you think to yourself, "man I hope Im at their table"....lol...but i don't really know if it matters or not in th end.

of course, there may be teams walking by our camp and thinking "man I hope I get their table".....lol....so i honestly don't sweat it a great deal, but it is on my mind a little at comps.

 

[Pappy Q]

If I had a choice, I'd want to be on the same table as the best cooks there. As Ric Flair says "to be the man, you got to beat the man"

 

[virginia lawyer]

If I had a choice, I'd want to be on the same table as the best cooks there. As Ric Flair says "to be the man, you got to beat the man"

This ^^^^^ :clap2:

Plus, on a table with bad cooks, you risk someone else's entry polluting the judges' palates before they get to your entry. The effects of too much cayenne, for example, will carry over, likely getting the judges to feel that th next entry is also too spicy.

 

[Jason TQ]

Overthinking it. It is fun to think about, but you can't totally control it (yes you can wait to turn in before or right after other teams though that goes out the window after chicken) so even wondering what happens if your food hits good or bad competitor tables you can only ponder the possible outcomes vs being able to take action. Put this thinking into other ways to improve :-D

 

[ModelMaker]

Not worth even considering it in my opinion. First off the sorting table is holding or loading boxes so as not to have repeat entry's at any table so your or the next guys box is pry not going to be on the same tray anyway.
A properly trained CBJ never compares one entry to another so being next to a "star" will make no difference on your score. The only problem is one entry blowing out the judges palate with heat or an off putting flavor, but there's nothing to be done about that.
Ed

 

[Shiz-Nit]

when I first started competing I ALWAYS tried to land on the best teams tables. My thinking this was to see where my food stacked up against the best.
Now I know I can get calls no matter what field shows up. I don't get rattled or nervous because top teams show up as when I first started.
Now days I just cook my cook and get everything turned in on time. But if I had my choice I want to land on all the top teams tables every time.

 

[BruceB]

I have two strategies regarding turn-in:

1. Don't drop the box.
2. I don't like to turn in to an empty tray....would rather place the box on a tray that's going to be moving inside to the judges soon rather than sitting there waiting for 5 other entries.

 

[Scottie]

Not worth even considering it in my opinion. First off the sorting table is holding or loading boxes so as not to have repeat entry's at any table so your or the next guys box is pry not going to be on the same tray anyway.
A properly trained CBJ never compares one entry to another so being next to a "star" will make no difference on your score. The only problem is one entry blowing out the judges palate with heat or an off putting flavor, but there's nothing to be done about that.
Ed

They don't sort at major contests, like the Royal. And we won't even comment on "properly trained CBJ" and their ability to not compare.......

 

[ModelMaker]

They don't sort at major contests, like the Royal. And we won't even comment on "properly trained CBJ" and their ability to not compare.......

Agree the Royal and their ilk are a contest unto themselves which have special circumstances, and I believe the vast majority of fellow judges follow the rules and procedures like myself..
Ed

 

[J&B'sBBQ]

I would rather be up against the "top" teams because I know they are less likely to leave a sour taste in the judges mouth that can carry into my entry.

I do have a turn in strategy that I follow religiously for turn ins...

1) turn in early, so I have room for mishaps
2) don't miss a turn in

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

Yep! I use "secret" strategy....nuff said.:doh:

 

[GreenDrake]

Fill the box, don't trip on the way to the table, chunk the deuce and roll the dice.

 

[DawgPhan]

Good teams, who cares. Dont want to turn in with the team that was up drinking all night, the ones with too much smoke pouring out of their smoker the whole time, and other people that are going to turn in food that could sink your chances.

 

[sfisch]

I have two strategies regarding turn-in:

1. Don't drop the box.
2. I don't like to turn in to an empty tray....would rather place the box on a tray that's going to be moving inside to the judges soon rather than sitting there waiting for 5 other entries.

I agree with Bruce and the others who said judge my entry with whoever lands on that table.

 

[JD McGee]

We turn our boxes in when they are ready...could care less what other teams they go up against.

 

[rolfejr]

After chicken, it doesn't matter. Cracks me up every time to see the " Stealth Bombers" standing in the shadows plotting their turn in's.
Put me on the table with the best in the contest. That's the measure of a man (and his wife of course).

 

[masque13]

I understand that thought process. I think we all want to know or believe our stuff stacks up well against the best out there. Otherwise, why compete?

However, I think that natural human nature cannot be tossed aside or igonored when considering this stuff. Here is what I mean; even though judges are supposed to judge each entry on its own merits and not make direct comparisons, I think it is highly unlikely that a judge would be willing to provide all 9's to five or six entries at the same table. I think human nature would lead them to believe that they have to believe one of them is the best and one of them is the worst. Or best case scenario they would think a coupe of them are wonderful and a few others not quite as wonderful etc.

I think it's expecting a lot to have potentially the top three or four or six pork boxes to be judged that way at the same table.

We've been lucky to get five calls in in four contests and each time we got a call we finished 1st at our table.

Like you guys, I truly want to beat the best to be the best but the I think having all the best at one table would lead to skewing in a negative way more times than it would help.

But who knows, the judging of this kind of stuff is so subjective it's hard to know for sure. When you watch down thing like pit wars on tv they may finish in the top five one week and 55th the next. Did they suddenly forget how to cook? Of course not, it's just the nature of this business. There is no doubt a ton of skill is required to be a top team but when you finish first one week and in the bottom third the next week then you have to acknowledge their is at least an element of good fortune that shows up from time to time as well.

So at the end of the day I think you just walk up and hand your box in and let things be what they are going to be.

 

[tduffy]

I would rather be on Tuffy's table than a table with 5 boxes that came from newbies whos cookers blew dirty white smoke all night.

My turn in strategy is to turn the box in as soon as i get to the turn in table. I don't play games. I set the box down and walk away.

 

[Jorge]

I think you are safer on a table with Tuffy than you are the guy drinking a case of beer, with a dirty fire using mesquite. I had some of that brisket judging HLS&R. There are some things that don't go away easily no matter how many crackers you eat. After that I did the best I could to be as fair as possible with the following entries.

I can live with being beaten by a better entry. Having a knucklehead kill a table, which you never know about, is harder to take. Unfortunately the only category you can control cooking KCBS is chicken.