Thursday (January 23)

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Game 1

Kobayashi

January 23, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5606

In E1-0, Kobayashi is the starting dealer and looking to get the Pirates’s first win since December 24.

Kobayashi starts off the hand 4-shanten with two red fives and a pair of easts. Kobayashi quickly creates sequences and good waits, getting to a perfect iishanten by the end of the first row.

As Kobayashi waits through the second row, Genta tries to push his own and get himself to +500.0pts. At the end of the second row, Genta calls pon on the north yakuhai and waits on a 47s ryanmen.

Right after, Kobayashi gets to tenpai on the very same wait and calls riichi. If either the 4s or the 7s comes out, Kobayashi will be headbumped by Genta.

Two turns after Kobayashi calls riichi, Genta is forced to fold, allowing Kobayashi to call ron again.

However, Kobayashi is challenged again when Asami calls riichi and waits on a 245s wait.

During the ippatsu round, Kobayashi draws the 3s, dodging a bullet. On his very next turn, Kobayashi draws the 4s and wins the hand. Kobayashi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Aka 2 for 4,000 all plus one riichi stick.

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Dama

January 23, Game 1, E2-0

In E2-0, Kobayashi is in the lead and looking to extend it.

Kobayashi starts out 4-shanten and a secured dora 3s. In the first row, Kobayashi discards solely terminals and honours, shifting him towards pinfu and tanyao.

To his right, Asami is the dealer and has already called the double east. With a 567m chii in the middle of the second row, Asami is the first to tenpai and waits on a 7s penchan.

A few turns later, Kobayashi gets himself to tenpai and waits on a 69p ryanmen. With a mangan basically guaranteed, Kobayashi stays dama to catch someone by surprise. Immediately after, Daisuke draws and discards the 9p and deals into Kobayashi. Kobayashi wins the hand with Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 8,000.

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Sanzou

January 23, Game 1, E3-0

In E3-0, Asami is in 4th place, 1,400 behind 3rd place dealer Daisuke and 5,200 behind 2nd place Genta.

Asami starts out the hand at 3-shanten, but her hand is full of bad waits and lacking value. To try to improve things, she breaks a penchan and holds onto stray middle tiles instead. By the end of the first row, she has a triplet of 4s to put her iishanten.

In the second row, she breaks a kanchan for a ryanmen and looks to either accep the 9s dora or go for tanyao. Near the end of the row, she draws the 9s and waits on seven different tiles for tenpai.

Two turns into the third row, Asami fills in a 2m kanchan to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a wide 356s wait. On her very next draw, she gets the 3s and wins the hand. Asami wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1 for 2,000/4,000, moving her into 2nd place.

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Daisuke

January 23, Game 1, S3-0

In S3-0, Daisuke is the dealer in 4th place, 2,200 behind 3rd place Asami and 3,600 behind 2nd place Genta.

Daisuke starts out the hand with pairs of green dragon, 3p, 9s and 7m, putting him 2-shanten for chiitoi. On turn 2, he pairs up the 6p to get him to iishanten. At the end of the row, he pairs up the red 5p to get to tenpai and calls riichi on an east tanki.

Two turns later, Kobayashi gets himself to tenpai on a 25s nobetan. Since the dealer has called riichi and Kobyashi is already in 1st place, he decides to to commit too much on the hand. As Kobayashi draws dangerous tiles, he switches to a 7m tanki, then to a yakuless 369p wait.

Eventually, the danger is too much for Kobayashi and he folds at the start of the third row.

On Daisuke’s turn, he draws the east and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, moving up to 2nd.

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Securing Second

January 23, Game 1, S4-1

In S4-1, Daisuke is in 2nd place and 17,500 behind 1st place Kobayashi. With top spot so far, Daisuke’s main objective it to end the game and prevent Asami and Genta from overtaking him.

Daisuke starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a triplet of 6m dora from the very beginning. The 13m block slows down the hand, but getting rid of it could potentially lead to a fast tanyao hand. On turn 2, he ends up pairing up the 1m, making an open hand even harder. Through the first row, he moves up to 2-shanten, also creating a 6s pair to potential replace the 1m.

In the second row, Daisuke calls a 345s chii and breaks the 1m pair, confirming his pursuit for tanyao.

To his right, 3rd place dealer Genta has the shapes and the value to potentially overtake Daisuke. At the start of the third row, Genta gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 14m ryanmen.

Right after, Daisuke calls a 678p chii and waits ona 47p ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan if he wins.

Not to be forgotten is 4th place Asami, needing a 2/30 tsumo to move up. With a west pon and a 6m dora draw, Asami gets to tenpai on a 25p ryanmen, needing a tsumo to finish in 3rd.

In the middle of the third row, Daisuke draws the 7p and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Tanyao/Dora 3 for 2,000+100/4,000+100.

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Results

Game 141

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Game 2

Pirates Start

January 23, Game 2, E1-0

In E1-0, Nakabayashi is playing for the U-Next Pirates, hoping to keep the team moving upwards.

Nakabayashi starts out 2-shanten with a pair of 8p dora. On turn 2, he fills in a 3p penchan to get to iishanten. As the turn go, Nakabayashi entertains the idea of breaking the 8p pair for a 789p sequence instead. With a 9s draw to create a 779s block, Nakabayashi discards an 8p to secure a 69p ryanmen.

At the start of the second row, Nakabayashi draws the 8s to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen. If he wins on the 9p, he will have chance and at least a mangan.

Calling chii on Nakabayashi’s riichi tile, Sarukawa gets to tenpai on a 5p kanchan. However, on his next turn, he draws the 3p. Trying to improve to a 25p ryanmen, Sarukawa discards the 6p and deals into Nakabayashi.

Hitting the uradora, Nakabayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 8,000.

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Stick Collection

January 23, Game 2, S1-2

In S1-2, Futoshi is in 2nd place and 12,700 behind 1st place. Nakabayashi. With the past two turns going to a draw, there are now three riichi sticks and two honba in the pot.

Futoshi starts out the hand 3-shanten with a pair of souths. In the first row, Futoshi gets to iishanten while the rest of his oppoents are 2-shanten.

At the end of Nakabayashi’s first row, Nakabayashi is the first to tenpai and waits on a 7p kanchan, staying dama.

Within the go-around, Futoshi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14s ryanmen.

Having already called twice, Sarukawa makes a third call during the ippatsu round and waits on a 23p wait, guaranteed a mangan if he wins.

With all the action around the table and a weak wait, 1st palce Nakabayashi decides to just step back and let them figure it out.

In the third row, Daigo throws his ahand into the ring and calls riichi on a 36s ryanmen.

On Sarukawa’s next turn, he draws and discards the 1s and deals into Futoshi. FUtoshi wins the hand with Riichi/Aka 1 for 2,600+600 plus four riichi sticks, giving him a 7,200 gain for the win.

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Securing Second

January 23, Game 2, S4-0

In S4-0, Futoshi is in 2nd place and 13,100 behind 1st place Nakabayashi. Futoshi will need a mangan direct hit, or a haneman tsumo or direct hit to get 1st place.

Futoshi starts out the hand 2-shanten with a north yakuhai triplet and a secured 7m. From the looks of the hand, haneman will be difficult, so the main objective here is to win and secure a positive position. On turn 3, Futoshi makes a 6m pair to get to iishanten. WIth a 567p chii, Futoshi gets to tenpai on a 7s penchan.

To his left Daigo is challenging Futoshi for that 2nd place spot. Having already called the green dragon, Daigo is aiming for a honitsu mangan. With a red dragon pon soon after, Daigo gets to tenpai on a 3s penchan.

After some drawing and discarding, the faceoff ends when Sarukawa discards the 7s and deals into Futoshi. Futoshi wins the hand with North/Dora 1 for 2,000, securing 2nd place.

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Results

Game 142

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