Tuesday (January 28)

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Game 1

Aki Activate

January 28, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2601

In E1-0, Aki is playing for the EX Furinkazan and is looking for her third 1st in a row.

Aki starts out the hand 3-shanten for seven pairs (4-shanten for a standard hand) with nothing in terms of value. The first row provides her with some good ryanmens, but still lacks value and lagging slightly behind at 2-shanten.

To her right, Matsumoto is simply waiting with his iishanten hand. In the middle of the second row, he is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 3p penchan.

Back to Aki, she aims for tanyao with her hand. With a 567p chii with the red 5p, Aki gets to tenpai on a 47m ryanmen. If she gets the 7m, she will have a dora and sanshoku in her hand.

Soon after, Shibukawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen.

Shibukawa has 3, Aki has 5, Matsumoto has none left. At the start of the third row, Aki draws a red 5m for extra value. Immediately after, Matsumoto draws and discards the dora 7m, dealing into Aki. Aki wins the hand with Tanyao/Sanshoku/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 8,000 plus two riichi sticks.

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Matsumoto Movement

January 28, Game 1, E4-0

In E4-0, Matsumoto is the dealer in 4th place, 5,800 behind 3rd place Honda and 9,600 behind 2nd place Shibukawa.

Matsumoto starts out the hand 3-shanten and a bunch of sequences, but far from securing pinfu. After creating good shapes and drawing a red 5p on turn 4, Matsumoto breaks his penchan in hopes to get both pinfu and tanyao in the hand.

At the start of the second row, Matsumoto gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. Two turns later, Matsumoto draws a 4p to secure pinfu and calls riichi on a 25m ryanmen.

To his right, Shibukawa is sitting at 2-shanten with a very wide acceptance. Near the end of the second row, Shibukawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 3m kanchan. Unfortunately, none remain in the wall.

In the middle of the third row, Matsumoto draws the 5m and wins the hand. Matsumoto wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, moving up to 2nd place.

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Results

Game 147

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Game 2

Dama

January 28 Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4100

In S1-0, Shiratori is the dealer in 2nd place and 1,400 behind 1st place Aki. Any win will put him into 1st place.

Shiratori starts out the hand 4-shanten with a connected 6p dora and is a 3m away from a 123m iipeikou. In the first row, Shiratori creates a souzu sequence and a pair of green dragons to get to iishanten. With the green dragon being the only pair, he will need to find a pair elsewhere if he wants to call it.

In the second row, Shiratori pairs up the 6p dora to open the possibility of opening. At the end of the row, he draws a third on to get to tenpai and stays dama on a 3m penchan, ready with a mangan. One remains in the wall.

Within the go-around, Setokuma gets to tenpai as well and waits dama on a 47s ryanmen, ready for a mangan as well. However, all of them are discarded or stuck in his opponents’ hands

Two turns into the third row, Shiratori draws the 3m and wins the hand. Shiratori wins with Tsumo/Iipeikou/Dora 3 for 4,000 all.

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Aki Ahead

January 28, Game 2, S4-0

In S4-0, Aki is the dealer in 2nd place and 11,600 behind 1st place Shiratori. To move into 1st place, Aki needs a 3/30 direct hit (for a tie), a 3/50 or 4/25 tsumo, or a mangan ron.

Aki starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a loosely-connected 6s. However, her nine pinzu tiles is pushing her to a full flush. Drawing two pinzu tiles on turns 2 and 3, the flush becomes the way to go. On turn 5, she calls pon on the 2p for iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Aki gets to tenpai and waits on a 47p ryanmen. On her very next draw, she gets the 7p and wins the hand. Aki wins with Chinitsu for 4,000 all, moving up to 1st.

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Simply Shiratori

January 28, Game 2, S4-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4101

In S4-1, Shiratori is in 2nd place and 4,400 behind 1st place Aki. To finish the game in top spot, Shiratori needs a 2/30 direct hit, a 2/40 tsumo or 3/20 tsumo (for the tie), or a 3/40 ron.

Shiratori starts off the hand at 3-shanten with a handful of sequences. With pinfu and tsumo, it could get him to the tsumo conditions. He builds a bit in the first row, but the 6677m shape isn’t perfect and he still lacks other value.

In the middle of the second row, Shiratori draws a third 6m. Tossing out pinfu, Shiratori breaks his 1p pair to go tanyao. At the start of the third row, Shiratori draws a 6p to complete a 456p iipeikou and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen. If he wins, he will finish in 1st.

Across from him, 3rd place Setokuma is iishanten for seven pairs, holding a secured red 5s and a lone 2s dora. After tossing safe tiles for two turns, Setokuma draws the dora 2s to get to tenpai. With haneman guaranteed, Setokuma calls riichi and waits on the 6m. If Shiratori deals the 6m and Setokuma gets the uradora, then Setokuma wil move up to 2nd place. None remain in the wall though, so Setokuma’s hopes are gone.

Not to be forgotten, however, is 4th place Okada. With the two riichi calls, Okada only needs three han to move up to 3rd place. Having called the green dragon earlier and a red 5p a part of a pair, Okada’s south call near the end of the hand puts him tenpai on a 69p ryanmen. Two winning tiles remain for her.

On the second-last tile in the wall, Shiratori draws the 7s and wins the hand. Shiratori wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao/Iipeikou for 2,000+100/4,000+100 plus one riichi stick, getting his tenth 1st place of the season.

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Results

Game 148

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