Monday (January 27)

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Game 1

Driven Ahead

January 27, Game 1

In E1-0, Taro is playing for the Akasaka Drivens and just a good 1st away from the team breaking the +1000.0pts barrier.

Taro starts out the hand 2-shanten with two ryanmens and a floating dora 2s. If he can find a good pair, he will have pinfu. Across from him, Hisato has two ryanmens at 3-shanten with a connected 2s and a secured red 5m. On turn 2, Hisato pairs up the south yakuhai for iishanten, while Hisato draws a second 2s to get to 2-shanten.

On turn 5, Taro pairs up the 2s to replace the yakuhai pair and shifts to pinfu iishanten. Right after him, Hisato gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 2s/3s shanpon. Unfortunately, none remain in the wall.

During the ippatsu round, Taro gets to tenpai and waits on a 36p ryanmen. After staying dama for a turn, he calls a tsumogiri riichi. The timing is perfect as Hisato draws the 6p on his next turn and deals into Taro. Taro wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Dora 2 for 8,000 plus Hisato’s riichi stick.

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In E2-0, Taro is now the dealer and looking to extend his lead.

Though Taro’s starting hand is messy and is closer to thirteen orphans and seven pairs (at 3-shanten) than a standard hand. However, he rejects the possibility from the start, hoping utizilize the east and green dragon pairs in his hand to speed up the hand. In the middle of the first row, Taro calls pon on the double east and ends up getting to 2-shanten at the end of the row.

To his left, Takaki is sitting with a ryanmen and a 3-sided wait, guaranteed pinfu in his hand. In the middle of the second row, Takaki gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 147m three-sided wait.

After drawing a third green dragon earlier in the row, Taro gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten during the ippatsu round, giving him reason to push. WIth a call at the end of the row, Taro gets to mangan tenpai and waits on a 58s ryanmen. On his very next draw, Taro gets the 8s and wins the hand. Taro wins with Double East/Green Dragon/Aka 1 for 4,000 all plus Takaki’s riichi stick, taking Taro’s score up to 47,000.

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Daisuke Determination

January 27, Game 1, E3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p6084

In E3-1, Daisuke is the dealer and 14,100 behind 1st place Taro.

Daisuke starts out with a good 2-shanten hand with a triplet of white dragons and a loosely-connected red 5s. On his second turn, he fills in a 6m kanchan to get to iishanten. On turn 5, he fills in a 4s kanchan to secure the red 5s and calls riichi on an 8m kanchan.

Despite the dealer riichi, his opponents want to fight. Late in the second row, Hisato makes a call to get to tenpai on a 58m ryanmen, ready with a mangan.

Right after, Takai joins in and calls riichi on a 5s kanchan.

On Daisuke’s next turn, he draws the 8m and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Riichi/Tsumo/White Dragon/Aka 1 for 4,000 all plus a riichi stick, moving him into 1st place.

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Sasaki Swap

January 27, Game 1, E3-3

In E3-3, Hisato is in 4th place with 4,200, sitting 8,900 behind 3rd place Takaki. Two riichi sticks and three honba sit in the pot.

Hisato starts out the hand with a very annoying standard 6-shanten (5-shanten for seven pairs), but he dores have a red 5p connected to a dora 6p, as well as a red 5s as part of a pair. In the first row, Hisato finds his five blocks, including a pair of white dragons. At the start of the second row, he calls pon to secure his yaku and get to 2-shanten.

However, Taro puts some extra pressure on the table as he calls riichi and waits on a 8p tanki, all three remaining in the wall.

Having held an extra red dragon pair, Hisato is able to push while defending. With a 678m chii at the end of the second row, he gets to iishanten. Two turns later, Hisato gets to tenpai and waits on a 5s/8s shanpon. Near the middle of the third row, Takaki discards the 5s trying to take tenpai and deals into Hisato. Hisato wins the hand with White Dragon/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 8,000+900 plus three riichi sticks, pushing Hisato into 3rd and Takaki down to 4,200.

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Takaki Time

January 27, Game 1, E4-0

In E4-2, Takaki is in 4th place and sitting 11,900 behind 3rd place dealer Hisato.

Takaki starts out the hand at 2-shanten with two completed sequences, with dealer Hisato in a similar position. Both players are able to get to iishanten by the end of the row (with Takaki filling in a 3p dora kanchan for value), but Hisato has slightly more flexible shapes. On turn 8, Hisato is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 7m kanchan.

On Hisato’s ippatsu turn, Hisato calls a concealed kan of 1p and reveals the 5s and the new dora. It immediately only helps Daisuke (who has a triplet of them), but it gives all other players a chance at extra uradora.

In the middle of the second row, Takaki draws a red 5p to add more value to his hand. At the end of the row, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins.

In the middle of the third row, Hisato draws and discards the 3m and deals into Takaki. Takaki wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 8,000 plus Hisato’s riichi stick, moving Takaki into 3rd place.

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Rise of the Demon King

January 27, Game 1, S4-0

In S4-0, Hisato has the final dealership and sits 6,200 behind 3rd place Takaki.

Hisato starts out the hand at 2-shanten with tanyao almost guaranteed. In his first three turns, he draws a dora 3p to create a 25p ryanmen and gets to iishanten. On turn 6, he draws a 7p to extend it to a 258p wait. On his very next turn, he creates a 234s sequence to get to tenpai and calls riichi on the three-sided wait.

At the end of the second row, Hisato draws the 8p and wins the hand. Hisato wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao/Dora 1 for 4,000 all, moving him up to 3rd place and within striking range of 2nd.

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Results

Game 145

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Game 2

Kayamori Competes

January 27, Game 2, E2-0

In E2-0, Kayamori is in 2nd place and just 800 behind 1st place Daisuke.

Kayamori starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a red dragon pair, which would be decent except for the fact that both Date and Sonoda are close at 2-shanten and Daisuke is 3-shanten with a pair of easts. From the start, Daiuske is actually the fastest runner, filling in his shapes and calling riichi at the end of the first row.

By this point Kayamori is at iishanten with the red dragon waiting to be called, but more trouble awats her on the horizon. After calling twice for tanyao in the first row, Date is the next to tenpai and waits on a 5m/8p shanpon.

Still during Daisuke’s ippatsu round, Kayamori gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen. Immediately after, Daisuke draws and discards the 7s and deals into Kayamori. Kayamori wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Aka 1 for 5,200 plus Daisuke riichi stick, moving into top spot.

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Date Determination

January 27, Game 2, S2-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3607

In S2-2, Date the dealer in 2nd place and 6,500 behind 1st place Kayamori.

Date starts off with a 2-shanten hand, but has nothing clear in terms of value. In the first three turns, she gives herself a route to tanyao and potentially a pinfu. By the end of the first row, she is now iishanten for pinfu and tanyao being the possibility. At the start of the second row, Date gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a wide 369m wait. The 36m give tanyao, the 9m is the dora.

It only takes Date two turns before she draws the 6m and wins the hand. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao for 2,600+200 all, moving up to 1st.

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Separation

January 27, Game 2, S3-1

In S3-1, Date is the leader, but only by 700. With a riichi stick and a honba in the pot, a win almost essential to maintain tht lead.

Date starts out the hand by creating a 6s triplet and advancing to 2-shanten. In the first row, she breaks her penchan to search for better shapes. By the end of the row, she is iishanten.

At the start of the second row, she fills in a 6p kanchan to get to tenpai. However, she decides not to call riichi on the 8m kanchan, hoping to find more value or a better wait. On her very next turn, she draws the perfect 6m and calls riichi on a wide 258m wait, guaranteed tanyao as well.

Two turns later, 2nd place Kayamori calls pon on the white dragon and waits on a 4s/5s shanpon.

Near the ned of the second row, Date draws the 2m and wins the hand. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao for 1,000+100/2,000+100 plus a riichi stick, giving herself a 7,100 lead going into the final hand.

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Results

Game 146

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