Highlights
Fearless Dora Throw
January 18, Game 2, E1-0
In E1-0, dealer Uchikawa and Sasaki both start out with a 3-shanten hand, with Uchikawa holding dora and a pair of red dragons, while Sasaki holds a dora and an east ankou. The first row is generous to both of them, with Uchikawa and Sasaki getting to iishanten. Near the start of the 2nd row, Uchikawa makes his red dragon pair into an ankou and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen wait for 7,700 minimum. Immediately after, Sasaki has a chance to get to tenpai, but would need to throw the dora in order to achieve it. Without hesitation, Sasaki throws it and calls riichi on a 2p/South shanpon. Two turns later, Sasaki draws the south himself to win the hand. Sasaki wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Iipeikou/East/South for 2,000/4,000, plus Uchikawa’s riichi stick.
From Last to First
January 19, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-7_s30_p297
In S4-0, Aki is in 4th place after dealing into Kobayashi while in riichi last hand. Being 10,200 away from first place dealer Kobayashi, she would need a 3/40 direct hit, a haneman indirect hit or a mangan tsumo to take 1st place. Aki starts out with a 4-shanten hand and lacks any value. In her first fer turns, she increases he hand value by drawing a red dora and gets closer to tenpai, getting to 2-shanten by turn 3. Her hand stalls a bit, but in the middle of the 2nd row, she fills in a kanchan to get to a perfect iishanten shape. Two turns later, Aki gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen wait. Her hand, which only has 2,600 points confirmed, is a bit of a gamble. She needs to find one other han besides tsumo, whether ippatsu or the dora 4s or uradora, to get her to 1st. If she doesn’t it’s not enough to get her out of 4th. However, luck came her way and she drew the dora 4s on her ippatsu turn. Revealing one uradora, Aki wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000 to win the game. With Kobayashi only 2,800 points ahead of 2nd place Uotani at the start of the round, the dealer penalty caused him to drop down to 3rd, missing 2nd place by 200 points.
Rinshan
January 19, Game 2, S3-0
In S3-0, Asakura is in 3rd place after dealing into two dama hands from Sonoda. He starts out with a 3-shanten with little value. He hand develops into a tanyao in the first row, with Asakura breaking up a terminal block by turn 5 to get to 2-shanten. With 4th place Aki already making two calls by the end of the 1st row, Asakura notices that he needs to speed up his hand. In the middle of the 2nd row, Asakura calls pon on the 3s to get to a 58m ryanmen wait for tanyao only. On his very next turn, he draws the 3s and calls kan. Drawing the red 5m as his replacement tile, Asakura calls tsumo to win the hand. Asakura wins with Rinshan/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 1,300/2,600. The kan brought his lowly 1,000 point hand to 5,200 for him to take the lead going into S4-0.
Shortcut to Haneman With Jigoku Tanki
January 21, Game 1, E1-0
In E1-0, Kurosawa starts out with a hand with 3 pairs and an ankou. With the pairs being near the middle, it’s natural for her hand to lean more to chiitoi than to toitoi. On turn 2, she makes a pair of her 1p dora to put her iishanten for chiitoi. Through the next few turns, she holds onto her ankou in the off case that another ankou forms. Near the start of the 2nd row, Kurosawa draw another pair to get to tenpai. She calls riichi and waits on the white dragon, a very trick wait since there are already two of them out on the board. When Murakami draws the white dragon two turns later, he instantly discards it and deals into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Riichi/Chiitoi/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 12,000.
Honitsu vs. Honitsu
January 21, Game 1, E3-1
In E3-1, dealer Kurosawa starts out with a 3-shanten hand, while Hinata starts out with a 4-shanten hand with a dora white dragon pair. In the first few draws, Kurosawa drew pinzu and honours, while Hinata drew souzu and honours. Nearing the end of the 1st row, Hinata calls pon on the 5s to be honitsu 2-shanten. By the end of the 1st row, Kurosawa is 2-shanten for honitsu and Hinata is iishanten for honitsu. The first of the two to get to tenpai is Kurosawa, who does so in the middle of the 2nd row with a 58p ryanmen wait. It took a while for Hinata to catch up to Kurosawa, but Hinata eventually gets to tenpai in the middle of the 3rd row with a White Dragon/8s shanpon wait. A turn later, Hinata draws the 5s and calls kan. She misses the rinshan but she has an opportunity to kan again the very next turn. With the fourth green dragon just drawn, Hinata decides to call kan again and misses the rinshan again. With the Kurosawa’s last draw, Kurosawa draws the white dragon and is forced to break her tenpai. The hand ends with Hinata the only one in tenpai.
Riichi Battle
January 21, Game 2, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-7_s30_p303
In E1-0, Hagiwara has the best starting hand, being iishanten with a dora. As with many iishanten hands, Hagiwara’s hand stalls while Takizawa and Ooi start to catch up. By turn 5, Ooi is iishanten as well with a wide wait to tenpai. On turn 6, Takizawa also gets to iishanten. Immediately after Takizawa gets to iishanten, Ooi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25m nobetan wait. Near the start of the 2nd row, Hagiwara also gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 6m kanchan. Two turns later, Takizawa calls the 3rd riichi and waits with a 14s ryanmen wait. With Sonoda bailing to the best of his ability, it became a tsumogiri battle between the three riichi players. At the start of the 3rd row, Takizawa draws and discards the 5m and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Riichi/Tanyao/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 8,000, also taking Hagiwara’s and Takizawa’s riichi stick.
Riichi Battle (Again!?)
january 22, Game 1, E1-0
In E1-0, Kobayashi starts out with the closest hand at 2-shanten. Through the first row, all the players had their hands improve, with everyone except for Kayamori getting to iishanten by the end of the 1st row. The first of them to get to tenpai is Takamiya, who does so after calling a kan and waits on a 2p kanchan wait. Two turns later, Kobayashi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on an East/1s shanpon wait. Two turns after that, dealer Kayamori calls the 3rd riichi and waits on a 3p dora penchan wait. Immediately after, Takamiya discards the east and deals into Kobayashi. Kobayashi wins the hand with Riichi/East for 2,600 and taking the two other riichi sticks on the table.
The Final Push
January 22, Game 1, S4-0
In S4-0, the scores are close. 4th place Takamiya is 5,400 away from 3rd place dealer Kobayashi, who is 1,600 away from 2nd place Kayamori, who is 9,800 away from 1st place Hori. Both Kobayashi and Kayamori are withing a mangan tsumo of 1st, while Takamiya is a mangan away from 2nd. Kayamori starts out with a very valuable starting hand, being iishanten with a double south ankou and a pair of white dragons. Both Kobayashi and Takamiya have poor but manageable hands. On turn 3, Kayamori breaks her iishanten to aim for honitsu, making a mangan guaranteed. Soon after, Kayamori calls chii to put her back to iishanten and calls pon to get to tenpai on an east tanki wait. By the end of the 1st row, Takamiya is 2-shanten for junchan and a possible iipeikou is she keeps her hand closed. Seeing the rush with Kayamori’s hand, Kobayashi tries to rush his own hand by calling chii to get him to iishanten. In the middle of the 2nd row, Kobayashi gets to tenpai on a 14s ryanmen wait, but the 1s won’t give him a yaku. Right after, Kayamori calls kan on the white dragon for another chance to draw. She misses and gives Kobayashi another dora with the kan. A turn later, Kobayashi draws a souzu tile. With Kayamori appearing to have a souzu honitsu, Kobayashi discards his 2p pair to keep safe. Near the start of the 3rd row, Takamiya draws the east.
Seeing no east on the board and an obvious honitsu, she breaks one of her blocks and goes back a shanten in order to not throw the east.
The very next turn, she draws another east to get to tenpai and calls riichi on an 8p kanchan for mangan minimum.
With the danger of 4th place, both Hori and Kobayashi fold. When Kayamori draws the 8p, she is forced to fold as well.
With two tiles left in the wall, Hori does a very fine play and calls kan. By calling kan, he shifts the haitei away from his closest rival, Kayamori, and reduces the chance of losing his 1st. Afterwards, both Hori and Kobayashi discard safe tiles to end the hand.
The hand ends with Takamiya the only one tenpai.
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