Game #9
Kadokawa
Sakura Knights
Shibuya
Abemas
Konami Mahjong
Fight Club
Sega Sammy
Phoenix
Hori’s Hidden Hit
April 25, Game 1, E3-0
In E3-0, Hori is in 1st place, but only has a 7,400 lead. He starts out with a very good hand, holding a hand 2-shanten for pinfu with a 5p dora and a red 5s. On turn 2, Hori gets to iishanten with a very good chance at tanyao. On turn 3, Hori gets to tenpai by creating a kanchan for sanshoku and stays dama on a 5m kanchan. From there, Hori waits. In the middle of the 2nd row, Hori draws a 3m and decides that it’s time to go for a higher-acceptance wait, switching to a 25m ryanmen with the 2m giving iipeikou. At the end of the 2nd row, Uotani throws the red 5m and deals into Hori. Hori wins the hand with Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 8,000.
Chiitoi
April 25, Game 1, E4-0
In E4-0, Uotani is in 4th place after dealing Hori’s dama mangan. She starts the hand out well, being 2-shanten for chiitoi with two red 5’s and a pair of green dragons. On turn 3, she gets to iishanten after drawing her 5th pair. On turn 7, Uotani draws her 6th pair to get to tenpai and chooses to wait on a 6p tanki. On turn 8, she has a chance to switch to a dora tanki, but declines it in favour of the more likely 9,600 hand. Unfortunately, she ends up drawing the 7m the very next turn, missing out on the dealer haneman (baiman with a chance at sanbaiman if she called riichi). She ends up switching to an 8p at the end of the 2nd row. In the 3rd row, Hisato gets to tenpai and makes a kan, but Uotani is still able to beat him out when she draws the 8p on her second last draw. Uotani wins the hand with Tsumo/Chiitoi/Aka 2 for 4,000 all, moving her into 2nd place.
Three Tenpai
April 25, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-12_s30_p1071
In S2-0, Ooi is in 2nd place and the dealer, wanting to catch up to Hori who is 23,300 away. He starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a pair of souths and white dragons. Within the first four turns, Ooi calls pon on both of the and gets to iishanten. In the 2nd row, Ooi makes a chii to get to tenpai on an 8p tanki, which he later switches for a 2s tanki.
A few turns later, Hisato gets to tenpai and calls a riichi on a 69s ryanmen.
Breaking the ippatsu, Uotani calls pon on Hisato’s discarded red dragon and gets to tenpai on an 89m wait for mangan minimum.
With both Uotani and Ooi tenpai for mangan, as well as Hisato’s riichi, the result of this hand will be quite influential in the standings. In the middle of Ooi’s 3rd row, he draws his 2s and wins the hand. Ooi wins with South/White Dragon/Honitsu/Aka 1 for 4,000 all plus Hisato’s riichi stick to put him within 6,300 of Hori.
Yakuman Tenpai!!!
April 25, Game 1, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-12_s30_p1072
In S3-0, Uotani is in 4th place and 4,100 behind 3rd place. She starts out with an amazing starting hand, holding a pair of dora, pairs of easts, souths and norths, as well as a single west.
Even though she is technically 2-shanten for seven pairs, calling pon on the winds gives her a chance to win shousuushii or daisuushi, a valuable chance at yakuman. In the first few turns, Uotani calls pon on the south and the north to get to iishanten.
As Uotani waits at iishanten, Hisato to her left is working hard. At the start of the 2nd row, Hisato gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen with two red 5’s.
With a chance at a valuable hand and a player who can’t defend, Uotani keeps pushing. Near the end of the 2nd row, Uotani draws makes an ankou of the easts to get to tenpai for shousuushii, waiting on the west, the famous yakuman tile.
Before Uotani could draw another tile, Hisato ruined her day by drawing the 4p and winning the hand. Uotani wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 4,000 all.
Ura Ura
April 25, Game 1, S4-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-12_s30_p1073
In S4-1, Uotani is in 4th place and the dealer, sitting 7,800 behind 3rd place. She starts the hand out with good value, being 2-shanten with a dora 6m and two red 5’s. She hand advances very quickly, getting to iishanten on turn 3 and gets to tenpai on turn 4, calling riichi on a 6s kanchan while throwing the red 5p.
At the time of Uotani’s riichi, Hisato was 3-shanten, so he started folding. But as he folded, good tiles started coming. At the end of the 2nd row, Hisato is tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen.
Around three turns later, Uotani draws the 6s herself and wins the hand. Flipping two uradora, Uotani wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao/Aka 1/Ura 2 for 6,000+100 all. With Hisato’s riichi stick, Uotani comes within 700 of 2nd place.
Continue
April 25, Game 1, S4-2
In S4-2, Uotani is in 3rd place and just 700 behind Hori. He starts the hand off 4-shanten with two red 5’s. By the end of the 1st row, Uotani is 2-shanten with tanyao. Near the end of the 2nd row, she makes an ankou to get to iishanten. Within the go-around, Ooi calls pon on the 2p to get to tenpai on a 5p/6p shanpon. Soon after she switches to a 47p ryanmen. In the 3rd row, Uotani draws the 7p to win the hand. Uotani wins with Tanyao/Aka 2 for 2,000+200 all, putting her in 2nd place.
Closing
April 25, Game 1, S4-3
In S4-3, Ooi is in 1st place and concerned about Uotani’s rapid rise. If Ooi want’s Uotani’s dealership to end, we will have to win the hand. Before he even gets his first draw, he calls pon on the south to get to iishanten. Before the end of the row, Ooi gets to tenpai on a 4s kanchan. Within a go-around, Uotani, who is iishanten at this point, draws and discards the 4s and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with South only for 1,000+900, finishing the game in 1st.
Final Scores
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-12_s1_p214
Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_league_jikkyo/status/1518571005416984577
Standings
With Ooi’s 1st place, he finally breaks his post-season drought and brings his team closer to the top two. With Uotani’s sudden rise in South 4, she saved her team from a big drop and remains in 1st place. With Hori never dealing in and still getting 3rd, it’s a painful drop, but small. As for the Konami Mahjong Fight Club, the struggles continue.
M-League Watch 