Friday (January 31)

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Game 1

Start Bai

January 31, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2110

In E1-0, Asami is playing for the Akasaka Drivens and trying to push the team above the elusive +1000.0pts mark.

Asami starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a pair of 5m dora. With a 789p sequence in her hand, she doesn’t really have a way to speed up the hand. Across from her, the dealer Hagiwara is 3-shanten with the red 5m double dora and a pair of red dragons. Quickly, Hagiwara pairs up the 5m, fills in a 2m kanchan and gets to iishanten by turn 4. For Asami, she cleans up some sequences but is only able to get to 2-shanten.

At the start of the second row, Hagiwara gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a red dragon/5m shanpon, guaranteed at least 5 han if he wins.

After throwing the suji 9m during the ippatsu round, Asami gets to iishanten on her next draw. With no folding fodder anyways, she just pushes. In the middle of the row, Asami gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen. On her ippatsu draw, Asami gets the perfect red 5s and wins the hand. Hitting an uradora, Asami wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 2/Aka 1/Ura 1 for a big 4,000/8,000 baiman plus a riichi stick.

The Drivens mean business.

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Hagiwara

January 31, Game 1

In E3-0, Hagiwara is tied for 3rd place, chasing after 1st place dealer Asami.

From the start, Hagiwara is 2-shanten with a 2m dora, needing a 3m to secure it. Early on, it’s clear that his opponents are trying to speed through the hand, making calls on the green dragon and on sequences.

The first to tenpai is Shiratori, who waits on a 2p/red dragon shanpon, only allowed to win off the red dragon.

Right after, Hagiwara draws the 3m to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen, wanting the 6p for the mangan.

After a few turns of pushing, Shiratori ends up folding his hand after drawing the dangerous 4m. Immediately after, Hagiwara draws and discards the red dragon, a missed win for the Abemas player.

Despite the riichi from Hagiwara, everyone is still pushing to some extent. At the end of the second row, Hori gets to tenpai on a 4s tanki, guaranteed at least a mangan and can get a haneman if he draws it himself.

And in the third row, Asami gets to tenpai with a 47s ryanmen.

As late as the hand may be, Hagiwara gets the 6p on his final draw and wins the hand. Getting the uradora as well, Hagiwara wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Iipeikou/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000, shrinking Asami lead from 22,500 to just 4,500.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5100

In E4-2, Hagiwara is now just 1,500 behind 1st place Asami. With two honba any win will put him into 1st place.

Hagiwara starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a connected dora 2m and a loose red 5p. On turn 5, he draws the 6p to connect it and confirm pinfu, even though he still sits at 2-shanten. With a 7p draw at the end of the row, Hagiwara gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten.

In the middle of the second row, Hagiwara draws the 4m to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins. On his very next draw, Hagiwara draws the 7s and wins the hand. Hagiwara wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 3,000+200/6,000+200, moving into 1st place.

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Flush

January 31, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4102

In S2-0, Shiratori is in 3rd place and 5,100 behind 2nd place Asami.

Shiratori starts out the hand nine pinzu tiles, pushing him towards a flush. With the 5p also being the dora, getting a single one of them in an open hand could give him a haneman. Drawing pinzu on turns 2 and 3, the path is set for Shiratori and he just has to follow what’s written.

When the 2p comes out, Shiratori calls pon to get to iishanten. Two turns later, he gets the 7p and waits on a 5p kanchan, guaranteed a haneman. On his very next draw, Shiratori draws the red 5p and wins the hand. Shiratori wins with Chinitsu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 3,000/6,000, moving into 2nd place and is now just 4,100 from 1st.

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Maki

January 31, Game 1, S3-0

In S3-0, Asami is the dealer in 3rd place, 9,900 behind 2nd place Shiratori and 14,000 behind 1st place Hagiwara.

Asami starts out the hand 3-shanten with a red 5m in tow. In the first row, she adds a red 5s to her hand and makes good progress with her sequences, but the 1m pair is slowing her down. At the end of the first row, she gets to iishanten, but will have to stick with a closed hand for now.

Two turns into the second row, Asami gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 1m/3s shanpon. With the 4m she discarded earlier, the suji trap is set.

As much as players tied to fold, there isn’t much to go on with all the honours. Eventually, in the third row, Hori discards the suji 1m and deals into Asami. Asami wins the hand with Riichi/Aka 2/Ura 1 for 12,000, getting ot within 2,000 of 1st place.

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Results

Game 151

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Game 2

Start Bai

January 31, Game 2, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4103

In E1-0, Hinata is playing for the Shibuya Abemas, wanting to keep her 4th avoidance streak alive (preferably with a 1st place).

Hinata starts out the hand 2-shanten with two ryanmens in hand. Though it may seem fast, Uchikawa’s chiitoi 2-shanten ends up being faster to tenpai. On turn 3, Uchikawa is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 5m tanki.

With no information, Hinata keeps going. To her left, Futoshi also pushes his own hand, looking for tanyao. At the start of the second row, Futoshi calls a 567m chii and waits on a 14p ryanmen, only allowed to win off the 4p.

Hinata continues to patiently wait with her 2-shanten, still loking to advance. A few turns later, Honda is the third to tenpai and calls riichi on a 6p kanchan.

Having held honours, Hinata is able to keep her hand intact. In the middle of the second row, she gets to iishanten. With some shifting, Hinata moves her hand around to tanyao and gives herself a chance at sanshoku. At the start of the third row, Hinata gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen. Only a single 5p remains in the wall, but that 5p will give her sanshoku and at least a haneman.

Within the go-around, Uchikawa draws and discards the 5p and deals into Hinata. With an uradora, Hinata wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Tanyao/Sanshoku/Aka 1/Ura 1 for a big 16,000 baiman plus a riichi stick.

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Atozuke

January 31, Game 2, E3-0

In E3-0, Honda is the dealer in 2nd place, chasing after 1st place Hinata.

Honda starts out the hand by drawing a red 5s to get to 3-shanten, also holding a single red 5p for potential value. In the first few turns, Honda shapes up a potential souzu ittsuu and pairs up the 5p. When a 6p comes out, Honda calls pon and forces himself to go for ittsuu. At the start of the second row, Honda calls a 123s chii and gets to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen. Honda can only win on the 4s to have a yaku. Only one remains in the wall. A mangan is at stake.

At the end of the second row, Honda manages to get that last 4s and wins the hand. Honda wins with Ittsuu/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, putting him just 2,000 from 1st place.

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Futoshi

January 31, Game 2, E3-1

In E3-1, Futoshi is in 3rd place, 16,000 behind 2nd place dealer Honda and 18,000 behind 1st place Hinata.

Though Futoshi starts out at 4-shanten, the three ryanmens in his hand is sure to help speed up the hand. Within five turns, Futoshi gets to iishanten and adds a 7m dora pair in the process. At the start of the second row, Futoshi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 9p/7m shanpon, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins.

In the middle of the third row, Honda discards the 9p trying to take tenpai and deals into Futoshi. Futoshi wins the hand with Riichi/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000+300, moving into 2nd place.

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Perfect Timing

January 31, Game 2, S3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5101

In S3-1, Honda is the dealer in 1st place, holding just a 400 lead over Hinata.

Honda starts out the hand at a standard 3-shanten with pairs of 4s and 5s (including the red 5s). Across from him, Futoshi is also 3-shanten and is strongly leaning towards sequences. The first row provides Honda with pairs up 3p and 7p, giving Honda a route to seven pairs as well. With an 8m kanchan draw at the end of the row, Futoshi gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten.

In the middle of the second row, Futoshi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14s ryanmen.

Back to Honda, he has already added a red dragon pair to his hand and is looking for one more pair for tenpai. At the end of the second row, Honda pairs up the 9p and waits dama on the west. With two already discarded, only one west remains in the wall.

After spending one turn dama, Honda decides to call a tsumogiri riichi.

Turns out, Honda has perfect timing. With his very next draw, Honda gets the west and wins the hand! Getting the uradora as well, Honda wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Aka 1/Ura 2 for 8,000+100 all baiman plus a riichi stick, catapulting Honda up to 61,000.

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Results

Game 152

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