Game #16
EX Furinkazan
Team Raiden
Konami Mahjong
Fight Club
Shibuya
Abemas
Before the games started, M-League posted on Twitter the requires for each team to move up in the standings. With the stage set, the final game began!
Fighting For Money
May 19, Game 2, E1-0
In E1-0, Katsumata is the starting dealer for the final game of the 2022-23 season. The EX Furinkazan are close needing to be 1st or at least two ranks above Kurosawa to move into 3rd place overall.
Katsumata starts out the by filling a kanchan to get to 3-shanten. With two ryanmens, Katsumata will have a slightly easier time to advance. In the first row, he fills in these ryanmens as wells as a penchan to be iishanten at the end of the row. On turn 7, he gets to tenpai and waits on an 8s tanki. A turn after that, he adds pinfu and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen. On his next draw, he finds the 6p and wins the hand. Katsumata wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu for 2,600 all, taking the early lead and giving his team a chance at the money.
Aggressive Abemas
May 19, Game 2, E1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-14_s50_p755
In E1-1, Ooi just needs to make sure that he doesn’t go deep into the negatives and his team will win the championships. However, the longing for more points is strong.
Ooi starts out the hand 3-shanten with two ryanmens, three red 5s and the ability to accept the 4s dora. In the first row, Ooi draws the perfect manzu tiles to build an ittsuu. After starting with only five different types with his first thirteen, he has all nine on turn 5. Being tenpai with a guaranteed ittsuu and a good wait, Ooi takes the risk to get more points and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen.
However, his biggest threat has a plan brewing. To his right is the Konami Mahjong Fight Club’s Hisato. From the start, Hisato already had three 4s dora and the makings of an expensive hand. During the ippatsu round, Hisato makes the easts an ankou to get to iishanten. At the end of the second row, Hisato gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen. If Ooi throws the 6p, it will be a haneman direct hit.
Counting tiles, Hisato has four tiles to wait on while Ooi has the single 4s. 4 vs. 1 in favour of Hisato. It looked like a recipe for disaster for Ooi. However, luck was on Ooi’s side. Near the end of the third row, Hisato draws the 4s. Because the 4s in his hand is part of a sequence, he can’t call a closed kan. Hisato is forced to discard it and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Riichi/Ittsuu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 12,000, pushing Hisato into 4th and Ooi into 1st, Ooi’s dream placement.
Kurosawa Counter
May 19, Game 2
In E2-0, Kurosawa is the dealer and 10,400 behind 2nd place Katsumata. If the game were to end now, Team Raiden would fall into 4th. Therefore, Kurosawa needs to take advantage of her dealership and defend her team’s placement.
Kurosawa starts the hand 3-shanten with two ryanmens, the ability to accept the 5p dora and multiple options for a good wait. In the first row, Kurosawa creates even more multi-sided wait options and gets to 2-shanten. In the second row, Kurosawa drops her double east pair to go for the tanyao guaranteed iishanten. As Kurosawa waits, Ooi gets to tenpai on a 58m ryanmen for mangan.
Soon after, Kurosawa makes a call to get to tenpai on a 58s ryanmen. In the third row, Katsumata gets to tenpai on a yakuless 8s/9s shanpon. Hisato tries to be the fourth player tenpai by making a call, but throws the 8s as he gets there, dealing into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 1 for 2,900.
In E2-1, Kurosawa starts out 4-shanten with a dora 4m and a 58s ryanmen as the only good shape in her hand. In the first, row, Kurosawa is able to secure the 4m, but progress is slow. Across from her is her rival Katsumata, who calls twice to get to tenpai first on a 3m kanchan.
At this point, Kurosawa is 2-shanten. Even though Katsumata looks tenpai, she can’t stop now. In the middle of the second row, she guarantees tanyao. A turn later, she gets to iishanten. Kurosawa keeps waiting and more action is on the table. Katsumata makes a closed kan to try to gain more value and Ooi gets to tenpai on an 8s tanki, staying dama.
Right after, Kurosawa gets to tenpai. She has a choice between a 47p ryanmen and a 2m/8p shanpon. Because she sees three 4p and two 7p, she chooses the shanpon and calls riichi for mangan minimum.
After her, Hisato gets to tenpai on a 3p kanchan.
With four players tenpai, someone was going to win. During the ippatsu round, Katsumata has a choice between throwing the 2m or the 6m to keep tenpai. Katsumata chooses to throw the 2m and deals directly into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tanyao/Aka 1/Dora 1 for 12,000+300, a hit on her rival and putting her in 1st place.
Partial Recovery
May 19, Game 2, E3-0
In E3-0, Katsumata is trying to recover points after dealing a dealer mangan into Kurosawa. For a chance at 3rd place, Katsumata needs to pass her. Even if it isn’t done in one hand, he can start getting closer.
Katsumata starts out the hand 3-shanten with a 789p sequence, a 58s ryanmen and pairs of 1p and 9s. Creating a 789m sequence out of thin air, Katsumata gets to iishanten and is just missing an 8s for sanshoku. However, he will have to speed up. By the end of the first row, Ooi has already called twice and is tenpai on a 58m ryanmen.
In the middle of the second row, Katsumata draws the dora 3s to get to tenpai. He has a choice to wait on just an 8s for sanshoku, but there already two 8s visible to him. Instead, he calls riichi and waits on a 58s ryanmen, hoping for the red 5s or an uradora for mangan. In the third row, Ooi draws and discards the 5s and deals into Katsumata. Flipping one uradora, Katsumata wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 8,000, getting closer to Kursoawa.
Honour Tanki
May 19, Game 2, E4-1
In E4-1, Ooi is the dealer and getting more points is nice.
Ooi starts out the hand 4-shanten (3-shanten for chiitoi) with a lone red 5m and pairs of green dragon, 1s and 9m. In the first row, Ooi pairs up the 6p and confirms chiitoi by breaking his 68s shape. As Ooi plays the waiting game, Katsumata makes a call and gets a good draw to get to tenpai on a 47m ryanmen.
After a few more turns, Ooi now has six pairs and calls riichi on a white dragon tanki. Near the end of the second row, Katsumata draws and discards the white dragon and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Riichi/Chiitoi for 4,800+300, moving into 1st place.
Nakasuji
May 19, Game 2, E4-2
In E4-2, Hisato is in 4th place and 24,700 behind 3rd place Katsumata. Though it’s unlikely for the Konami Mahjong Fight Club to take 1st, there is always a chance.
Hisato starts out the hand 3-shanten for chiitoi with a lone red 5p and pairs of 5s, 3m and 2s. In the first row, he pairs up the 4s and the green dragon to get to chiitoi iishanten. On turn 8, he makes a pair of souths and calls riichi on a 5p kanchan. As Hisato draws and discards, he throws the 2p. In the third row, Ooi throws the 8 to advance to iishanten. In the middle of the row, Kurosawa is out of safe tiles and throws the 5p nakasuji, dealing into Hisato. Hisato wins with Riichi/Chiitoi/Aka 1 for 6,400+600, bringing Hisato’s score up and getting Katsumata and Kurosawa closer together.
Takaharu Takame
May 19, Game 2, S2-0
In S2-0, the Shibuya Abemas are just three hands away from winning the championship. If he wins this hand, he can move the game along more quickly and prevent any unexpected comebacks.
Ooi starts out 2-shanten with two penchans and a ryanmen. After getting rid of his isolated tiles, he starts to break up the penchans. By the end of the row, Ooi is 2-shanten with a guaranteed good wait. After a few more good draws, Ooi gets to tenpai in the middle of the second row on a 47p ryanmen.
Two turns after that, Kurosawa gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 14p ryanmen.
Near the end of the second row, Ooi shifts his 456m sequences to a 567m sequences. With a 567s and a 56p in hand, Ooi just needs the 7p for sanshoku. In the middle of the third row, Katsumata discards the 7p trying to accept tenpai and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Pinfu/Sanshoku/Aka 2 for 8,000.
Furinkazan Fighting
May 19, Game 2, S3-0
In S3-0, Katsumata is 16,100 behind Katsumata and has to be ahead of her by 9,500 in just two hands. It’s now or never. It’s do or die.
Katsumata starts out the hand 4-shanten with two connected red fives for value. In the first row, Katsumata is able to advance to 2-shanten with sequence options. In the second row, Katsumata creates a 456p sequence to get to iishanten. If Katsumata can draw both the 4m and the 6s, he will have sanshoku to upgrade his hand to a mangan or even a haneman. Just wanting to end the game, Ooi calls riichi at the start of the third row on a 14p ryanmen.
During the ippatsu round, Katsumata draws the 4m. He stays dama for one turn since both the 3s and 6s are safe against Katsumata. When Katsumata sees Kurosawa folding with norths, he knows that he isn’t going to get a direct hit with a sneaky wait and decides to call riichi for the extra value. Near the end of the hand, Hisato discards the 6s trying to get to tenpai and deals into Katsumata. Katsumata wins the ahnd with Riichi/Pinfu/Sanshoku/Aka 2/Ura 1 for 12,000 plus one riichi stick. With this big win, he is now 3,100 away from Kurosawa and 12,600 from getting his team into 3rd overall.
The Final Hand
May 19, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-15_s90_p1174
In S4-0, the standings are mostly set. Ooi is the last dealer and doesn’t even need to be tenpai to win the championship. Hisato is in last, but it is almost impossible for them to lose 2nd place in the standings. The closest battle is for 3rd place in the standings. With Katsumata needing to be 9,500 above Kurosawa, Katsumata would need a haneman tsumo, a 6,400 direct hit or a baiman from anyone. Even though the chances for any passing is slim, the results of this hand will go on the record, so any gains for the team gives the team and the players a better look.
Looking around the table, Ooi has four pairs, Katsumata has a pair of souths and 8s, Kurosawa is 3-shanten with tanyao options and Hisato is 4-shanten with a dora 5m and the red 5m. Katsumata’s hand is a bit frustrating, but does have a few options to win. If he gets either a Riichi/Tsumo/Double South and Chanta, Sanshoku or Sanankou, he will get his haneman baiman.
By the end of the first row, both Kurosawa and Hisato are iishanten. With Ooi already folding, we knew that the game was going to end with this hand. At the start of the second row, Kurosawa creates a ryanmen to guarantee pinfu if she gets to tenpai.
On turn 8, Katsumata draws a pair of 7s. With now five pairs in hand, he shifts to chiitoi. With Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Ura 2 shortcut to haneman, it will be enough.
As Kurosawa looks to defend and Katsumata looks to get a comeback, Hisato just wants to get points. At the start of the third row, Hisato gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 25p ryanmen, guaranteed at least mangan if he wins.
With the hand winding down and Katsumata looking dangerous, Kurosawa folds. In the middle of the third row, Katsumata draws a dora 5m. If he pairs it up, calls riichi and wins by tsumo, it will be enough.
With 11 tiles left in the wall, Hisato takes his draw. Finding the red 5p in the fifth season of M-League, Hisato wins the hand. Hisato wins with Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 2 for 3,000/6,000.
With the last hand done, the season is over and the Shibuya Abemas are the newest M-League champions! The rest of the team enters with hugs and high fives, smiles all around.
Final Scores
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-15_s10_p234
Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_league_jikkyo/status/1659526941903552513
Standings
With the win by team captain Ooi Takaharu, the Shibuya Abemas secure their standing and are the new M-League champions! With Kurosawa’s 2nd place, she was able to fend of the EX Furinkazan and secure the team’s first year of prize money. The EX Furinkazan both tried their hardest to move up, but we just not able to and the Konami Mahjong Fight Club and gets their first podium finish in their team’s history.
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Awards Ceremony | Final Thoughts
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