Monday (December 16)

---

Game 1

Sarukawa Start

December 16, Game 1, E1-0

In E1-0, Sarukawa is starting for the Beast X and is trying to get the team out of the big hole that they’re in.

Sarukawa starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a secured red 5p. In the first row, Sarukawa shifts to simples and sequences and advances to iishanten on turn 4. However, Shibukawa adds some trouble on the table as he calls riichi on turn 7 on a 67s wait.

Needing to avoid the ippatsu round, Sarukawa takes a step back from sequences and breaks his 2m pair for safety. Despite this, he still remains iishanten with pairs of 6m and 8m. After pushing a 1p, Sarukawa gets to tenpai a turn after and calls riichi on a 6m/8m shanpon.

Because both players are waiting on the 6m, there is a chance at headbump. If Genta discards it, then Shibukawa wins. If Matsugase discards it, Sarukawa wins. A single 6m remains in the wall.

In the middle of the third row, Sarukawa gets the final 6m and wins the hand. Sarukawa wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 12,000 plus Shibukawa’s riichi stick.

---

Full Flush

December 16, Game 1, E2-2

In E2-2, Matsugase is in 3rd place, 3,000 behind 2nd place dealer Genta and 12,800 behind 1st place Sarukawa.

Matsugase starts out the hand with nine pinzu tiles and two honours, setting him up for a potential flush. From the start, he makes this his aim. On turn 2, he calls pon on the 8p to get to 2-shanten. With a 9p pon right after, he gets to iishanten. Over the next few turns, he draws more pinzu tiles and goes for the full flush. At the end of the row, he gets to tenpai and waits on a 14p ryanmen. Six winning tiles remain in the wall.

In the middle of the second row, Matsugase draws the 4p and wins the hand. Matsugse wins with Chinitsu for 2,000/4,000, moving into 2nd place.

---

Furiten Flush

December 16, Game 1, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4590

In E3-0, Genta is in 3rd place, 9,800 behind 2nd place Matsugase and 11,800 behind 1st place Matsugase.

Genta starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a secured red 5s and a pair of red dragons. Early in the first row, Genta calls pon on the yakuhai to secure a yaku. Through the rest of the first row, he decides to break his manzu block and aim for a honitsu. By the end of the first row, though, he is still 2-shanten. During this time, Matsugase advances to iishanten and the other two get to 2-shanten.

In the second row, Genta pairs up the wests and 9s and a potential 258s three-sided wait to get to iishanten. However, he is note the first to tenpai. Near the end of the second row, Shibukawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 6s/7s shanpon.

During the ippatsu round, Genta has a chance to take either a 9s/west shanpon tenpai or an 8s kanchan tenpai. However, he chooses neither, breaking his west pair to stay safe. At the end of the second row, Matsugase is the next to tenpai, waiting on a 258m wait.

At the start of the third row, Genta draws a third 9s. Though it does get him to tenpai safely on a wide 1478s wait, he is furiten because of a previously discarded 1s. What’s more, the only winning tile left in the wall for him is a single 8s.

But, furiten doesn’t matter if you win by tsumo. On Genta’s very net turn, he gets that very last 8s and wins the hand. Genta wins with Honitsu/Red Dragon/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000 plus a riichi stick, moving him into 2nd place and just 800 from 1st.

---

Fighting Pairs

December 16, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s70_p2418

In S2-0, Genta the dealer is currently tied for 1st place with Sarukawa, both players with 34,800.

Genta starts out the hand at 4-shanten for both a standard and pairs hand, holding a single 6m for value. The first row cleans up the shapes to get him to a standard 2-shanten, but there is a route for pairs with a third potential pair in the mix. To his right, 4th place Shibukawa is iishanten for a sequence-based hand.

In the second row, Genta pairs up both the 3m and the 6m dora, shifting him to chiitoi iishanten. As he waits to get that sixth pair, Shibukawa secures pinfu and gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. At the end of the row, Shibukawa is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen.

Holding a stray safe 7m, Genta is able to keep his iishanten while avoiding the ippatsu round. On his next turn, he pairs up the 6p and waits dama on a 5s tanki, holding the advantage in a headbump situation. On his very next draw, Genta gets the 5s and wins the hand. Genta wins with Tsumo/Chiitoi/Dora 2 for 4,000 all plus a riichi stick, taking the sole lead.

---

Speedy Shibu

December 16, Game 1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3096

In S3-0, Shibukawa is the dealer and deep in 4th place, 22,200 behind 3rd place Matsugase, 28,500 behind 2nd place Sarukawa and 44,500 behind 1st place Genta. Shibukawa would need a miraculous dealership to even make it up one rank.

From the start, Shibukawa has a very good hand going, sitting 2-shanten with a secured red 5s as part of a pair and a potential 369m three-sided wait. On turn 2, he draws a red 5m for additional value. On turn 3, he advances to iishanten. On turn 5, he improves the wait even further to guarantee pinfu. On turn 6, he guarantees pinfu as he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on the 369m wait, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins. If he draws either the 3m or 6m himself, he will have a dealer haneman, enough for 3rd place.

On his very next draw, he gets the 3m and wins the hand! Even though he only needs one uradora to upgrade to a baiman, he goes a bit overboard and gets two! Shibukawa wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 2/Ura 2 for 8,000 all, instantly pushing him up to 2nd place.

---

Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s70_p2419

In S3-1, Shibukawa’s first thirteen tiles is already iishanten for seven pairs, needing to pair up the south, 2m or 8p to get a double riichi. Unfortunately, he draws the white dragon instead and replaces the south. On his very next turn, Shibukawa pairs up the 2m and calls riichi on a white dragon tanki. Within two turns, draws and discards the white dragon and deals into Shibukawa. Shibukawa wins the hand with Riichi/Chiitoi for 4,800+300.

---

Sarukawa Shift

December 16, Game 1, S3-2

In S3-2, Sarukawa is in 3rd place, 13,700 behind 2nd place dealer Shibukawa and just 1,200 from falling down to 4th place.

Sarukawa starts out with a 4-shanten hand, holding a secured red 5s but lacking any good shapes. The first row gives him a mandate to go for tanyao, but he is still 3-shanten by the end of it. Across from him, Shibukawa is also going for tanyao and sits a bit closer to 2-shanten.

In the second row, Sarukawa creates a ryanmen and fills in a 3m kanchan for iishanten, but he still has a 7m kanchan in his hand. With two discarded by the end of the second row, his chances of completing it are shrinking.

At the start of the thid row, Shibukawa is the first to tenpai. He calls riichi and waits on a 5p/7p shanpon.

During the ippatsu round, Sarukawa creates a 345p sequence and gets to tenpai. Since the 7m is a safe tile against Shibukawa, he initially decides to stay dama. However, as he draws a 6p, he decides to call riichi and swap out the 3p since it’s already obvious to the table that he’s pushing. Two turns later, Shibukawa draws and discards the 7m and deals into Sarukawa. Sarukawa wins the hand with Riichi/Tanyao/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 8,000+600 plus the riichi stick, pushing Sarukawa up to 2nd.

---

Results

Game 105

---

Game 2

Daigo

December 16, Game 2, E1-1

In E1-1, Daigo the dealer has the early lead after winning the first hand in the game. Daigo starts out with a goo 3-shanten hand with a lone 2m dora and a completed triplet of white dragons. The first row gives him a pair of easts and bunch of souzu, shifting his hand to a souzu honitsu. At the end of the row, Daigo calls pon on the double east and advances to iishanten.

In the second row, Daigo calls a 678s chii and waits on a 1s tanki. A few turns later, Daigo draws the 1s and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Honitsu/Double East/White Dragon for 4,000+100 all, pushing him above 40,000.

---

Uchikawa Up

December 16, Game 2, E1-3

In E1-3, Uchikawa is in 3rd place, 3,800 behind 2nd place Daisuke.

From the start, Uchikawa is 2-shanten with a dora 4m as part of a 345678m shape, as well as a 58p ryanmen. During his first few turns, he draws a 1m and 2m to get to iishanten, wanting the 9m for ittsuu. In any case, he is guaranteed pinfu. On turn 8, Uchikawa dras the perfect 9m and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins and can upgrade to a haneman with just one more hand.

Near the end of the second row, Katsumata discards the 8p trying to keep his iishanten and deals into Uchikawa. Hitting the uradora, Uchikawa wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Ittsuu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 12,000+900, moving him up to 2nd.

---

M-League’s Saki

December 16, Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3097

In S1-0, Uchikawa is in 2nd place and 9,900 behind 1st place dealer Daigo. With a mangan tsumo or a haneman ron, Uchikawa can overcome the dominant Daigo.

Uchikawa starts out the hand at 2-shanten with two ryanmens and a clear path to tanyao. On turn 3, Uchikawa fills in a 3p kanchan to get to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. On turn 4, he draws a red 5s and gets to a perfect iishanten. Though hopeful, the rest of the first row doesn’t help him.

In the second row, he draws a red 5m for more value. As he waits for a promising closed hand, he sees his opponents advancing. In the middle of the second row, Uchikawa decides to just speed up his hand, calling pon on the 5m and getting to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen, satisfied with the 3,900 awaiting him.

Two turns later, Katsumata gets to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen, the exact same wait as Uchikawa. Though it means he will lose on a headbump, it guarantees him a haneman if he wins (since he can only tsumo and that will give him sanankou).

In the third row, Uchikawa draws a fourth 2m. With the quad in hand and a good wait, Uchikawa calls a concealed kan.

With the kandora flip, Uchikawa’s 5m triplet becomes dora, doubling his han count from 3 han to 6 han, making him ready for a haneman. With the rinshan draw, Uchikawa gets…

…the 7s and wins the hand! Uchikawa wins with Rinshan/Tanyao/Dora 3/Aka 2 for 3,000/6,000, enough to move into 1st place.

---

Results

Game 106

---

Intro | Standings