Thursday (December 5)

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Game 1

Okada

December 5, Game 1, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3093

In E2-0, Okada is in 4th place after dealing in the first hand and losing her dealership. Having already lost her last four games, she wants to break the streak and get her first 1st place of the season.

Okada starts out the hand drawing a second dora 6p to get to 4-shanten. In the first row, he creates and fills in a kanchan, then fills in a penchan to get to iishanten.

To her left, 1st place Matsugase tries to rush his hand after drawing an east triplet on turn 4. On turn 5, he calls pon on the 1m, then gets to tenpai a few turns later on a 4s kanchan. In the second row, he calls chii and improves to a 47s ryanmen.

Right after, Okada draws a third 6p and calls riichi on a 457p wait. In the middle of the row, Okada draws a 4p and wins the hand. Getting pinfu and and uradora as well, Okada wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 3/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000, taking the lead.

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Maki-ng Her Mark

December 5, Game 1

In E3-0, Maki is the dealer in 3rd place, 2,000 behind 2nd place Matsugase and 13,000 behind 1st place Okada.

Asami starts off by pairing the east, giving her 3-shanten hand a potential fast out. In the first row, she shifts her hand towards a souzu honitsu, giving her a path to mangan. At the start of the second row, she calls pon on the 9s. After pairing up the white dragon and calling pon on the east, Asami gets to tenpai and waits on a 7s kanchan.

At the end of the second row, Asami draws the last 7s in the wall and wins the hand. Asami wins with Honitsu/Double East/Dora 1 for 4,000 all, moving into 1st.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2096

In E3-1, Asami starts out with a 4-shanten hand and draws a lone red dragon dora on her first turn. Through the first row, Asami makes small advancements to her hand while still holding onto the lone honour. At the end of the row, he finally pairs up the dora and gets to 2-shanten.

At the start of the second row, Asami calls pon on the red dragon to get to mangan iishanten.

Across from her is 2nd place Okada, trying to move up again. Right after, Asami’s pon, Okada advances to iishanten. A turn later, Okada gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 3s penchan.

With value and a dealership, Asami fights. At the end of the second row, Asami gets to tenpai and waits on a 36p ryanmen. Soon after, Okada draws and discards the 6p and deals into Asami. Asami wins the hand with Red Dragon/Dora 3 for 12,000+300 plus a riichi stick.

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Daigo

December 5, Game 1, S2-0

In S2-0, Daigo is the dealer in 3rd place, 8,900 behind 2nd place Matsugase and 24,800 behind 1st place Asami.

Daigo starts out at 4-shanten with a 7s penchan and a 7m penchan slowing his hand down. On turn 2, he fills in the 7m penchan to kill one bad shape. Through the rest of the first row, Daigo builds a 25m ryanmen and a 25p ryanmen. With a 345s sequence already completed, there is a chance for Daigo to get a sanshoku.

At the start of the second row, Daigo draws the 5m and has a chance to be tenpai on a 7s penchan, but rejects it for the sanshoku and better wait chance. In the middle of the row, he draws a 5p and calls riichi on a 25m nobetan, wanting the former for more value. On his very next draw, Daigo gets the 2m and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Sanshoku for 4,000 all, moving into 2nd.

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Asami Again

December 5, Game 1, S3-0

In S3-0, Asami is in 1st place, but only has a 7,600 lead over 2nd place Matsugase and an 8,800 lead over 3rd place Daigo. With her dealership, she can extend that lead even more.

Asami starts out the hand with pairs of east and the 2s dora, sitting at 3-shanten with a bunch of souzu tiles. Quite early, Asami calls pon on the easts to secure a yaku. On turn 4, she draws a third 2s to advance to mangan iishanten. After creating a 234p sequence, Asami gets to tenpai in the middle of the second row and waits on a 67s wait.

A few turns later, Matsugase draws and discards the 7s and deals into Asami. Asami wins the hand with East/Dora 3 for 12,000, moving Asami to 52,200.

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Results

Game 93

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Game 2

Rumi

December 5, Game 2, E1-0

In E1-0, Rumi is playing in her tenth game of the season, still looking for her first 1st place.

Rumi starts out the hand by drawing the red 5p and advancing to 2-shanten. On turn 2, she gets to iishanten. After dropping her 1s pair to shift to tanyao, Rumi gets to tenpai at the end of the row on a 25s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if she wins.

Though Futoshi breaks the ippatsu with a pon, Futoshi ends up discarding the 2s and deals into Rumi. Rumi wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 8,000.

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Ending The Drought

December 5, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2594

In E2-0, Rumi is now the dealer and wants to keep the winning momentum going.

With her first draw, she makes a triplet of 5s, putting her 3-shanten for a standard and pairs hand. However, she lacks any value at all and has a penchan slowing her down.

During her first few draws, she pairs up the 1p and the 6s, putting her iishanten for seven pairs. If she wishes to go down the standard road, she could go for toitoi or something even bigger if she stays closed.

On turn 8, she draws the last 7p, putting her iishanten for a potential suuankou yakuman. Pairs of 1p, 2s and 6s remain in her hand. Two of the 2s and one of both the 1p and 6s remain in the wall.

On turn 10, Rumi gets the 6s and gets to tenpai. She calls riichi and waits on a 1p/2s shanpon. A tsumo will give her a yakuman. Three winning tiles remain in the wall.

However, Rumi will not go unchallenged. With a chii during the ippatsu round, Futoshi advances to iishanten. Calling pon on the green dragon, he gets to tenpai on a 3m/8p shanpon. Only the dora 8p remains in the wall.

WIll Rumi win the yakuman or will Futoshi play the spoiler?

In the third row, our answer is given. Two turns into the third row, Rumi manages to draw the 1p and wins the hand!

In stunned silence, her opponents watch as she reveals her hand and declares her score.

Rumi wins the hand with Suuankou for 16,000 all. Making something out of what seemed like nothing, Rumi wins a yakuman and ends the more than 18-month drought.

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Up

December 5, Game 2, E4-0

In E4-0, Futoshi is in 4th place, 4,200 behind 3rd place dealer Hori and 9,100 behind 2nd place Kayamori. He has done well to escape the negatives, but needs a bit more to move up in ranking.

Futoshi starts out the hand with pairs of 1s (which is also the dora), 1p, 7p and 8m, putting him 2-shanten for a pairs hand. On turn 2, he draws a red 5p. After filling in a 3s kanchan on turn 4, Futoshi shifts to an iishanten standard hand. A turn later, Futoshi makes the 7p a triplet, throws the red 5p and calls riichi on a 1p/1s shanpon.

At the end of the first row, Kayamori throws the 1s dora trying to take the widest iishanten and deals into Futoshi. Futoshi wins the hand with Riichi/Dora 3 for 8,000, moving into 2nd.

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Kayamori

December 5, Game 2, S2-0

In S2-0, Kayamori is in 4th place, 6,100 behind 3rd place Hori and 9,900 behind 2nd place Futoshi.

Kayamori starts out the hand at an annoying 4-shanten, but does have a secured red 5p and is a 3p and 8p away from a pinzu ittsuu. In the first row, she draws a pair of 9s, a red 5s and a 3s, getting her to 2-shanten. On turn 8, she draws a 4s to complete the souzu sequence and advances to iishanten.

Before the middle of the second row, everyone else is iishanten as well. Near the end of the row, Futoshi is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 258s wait. If he wins on the 2s or 5s, he will have at least a mangan. However, only a single 8s is in the wall.

In the third row, Rumi gets to tenpai as well and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen. Two winning tiles remain in the wall.

With Rumi’s discarded 8p, Kayamori calls riichi and gets to tenpai on a 3p penchan. On her very next draw, Kayamori gets the 3p and wins the hand. Kayamori wins with Ittsuu/Aka 2 for 1,000/2,000 plus two riichi sticks, moving her into 2nd place and putting her just 1,900 from 2nd.

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Fight For 2nd

December 5, Game 2, S4-0

In, S4-0, the fight for 2nd place is intense. Futoshi has 8,900, Hori the dealer has 6,100 and Kayamori has 5,000. Even tenpai payments can make the difference.

Hori starts out 5-shanten with a pair of easts, Futoshi is 3-shanten with three ryanmens, Rumi is 3-shanten as well and Kayamori is 3-shanten for seven pairs. On turn 2, Futoshi pairs up the green dragon and Rumi pairs up the white dragon. Through the rest of the row, both Hori and Futoshi call their yakuhai. With a chii at the end of the first row, Futoshi is the first to tenpai and waits on a 47p ryanmen. Seven remain in the wall.

Right after, Rumi gets to a closed tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen. With Taro’s season record of 86,300 being 6,300 away, Rumi will need to get at least two uradora and win with either a 3m ron or a tsumo to beat it. Four remain in the wall.

Near the middle of the second row, Futoshigets the 7p and wins the hand. Futoshi wins with Green Dragon/Aka 1 for 500/1,000 plus Rumi’s riichi stick to secure his 2nd place.

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Results

Game 94

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