A few questions..

So i enjoy using my smoker and have dabbled in the thought of doing a competition so obviously I have few questions:
-Does the box appearance really come in to play with spots of sauce on the side, the lettuce not looking perfect etc...I thought it was a presentation of the BBQ not the side stuff
-i know you never see the judges scoring your box and they don't know who you are but do you get your scorecards with comments afterwards so you can make improvements?
-and last one for now. I see it on TV and many of he pros say they wouldn't even eat a plate of their competition Q because it is made to be the best flavor in one bite and an entire plate would be too much, is this true?

Anyways, just curious everyone's thoughts on the matter as I am debating on giving the competition thing a go...

Different sanctioning bodies are different. KCBS states that you judge the meat and not the garnish. With that said, the garnish can effectively make the meat look better. I have often heard the analogy of a the way a picture will always look better framed.

In a KCBS contest you do get your scores as well as those that were scored by the same table as you. Comment cards csn be given by the judge but not required.

I'm speaking for KCBS as well.

A good looking box is a good looking box. We're not supposed to judge garnish, but if it makes your box look poor, it will bring down the score. The best advice I can give on boxes is that the presentation is supposed to make me want to devour your entry. The more it makes me do that, the better the score. There are other tips and tricks, but it all boils down to that.

You do get your scores and any comments provided. We don't generally fill out comment cards unless something is really wrong, though.

I think that comment by cooks about not eating competition que is, for the most part, bunk. There are certainly entries where, on one or two bites, the flavors really pop and eating too much of it would probably be hard. But I find the majority of entries are pretty well balanced and some are so damn good I could eat them every day. Expecially brisket. When someone gets that right ... damn!