Thursday (February 13)

---

Game 1

Sanshoku Start

February 13, Game 1, E1-0

In E1-0, Asami is playing for the Akasaka Drivens and trying to return the team to its former glory.

Asami starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a potential path to tanyao, needing a 4s to make it happen. On turn 5, she fills in a 3p kanchan to get to iishanten. At the start of the second row, Asami draws the wrong side of the ryanmen, the 1s. Though she is tenpai, she stays dama on a yakuless 5m/8p shanpon hoping to improve.

On her next draw, she draws the 4s and shifts to a 234s sequence, giving her tanyao. A turn after that she changes her wait to a wider 25m/8p shape and calls riichi. If she gets the 2m, she will have sanshoku for at least a mangan.

At the end of the row, Kobayashi discards the 2m and deals into Asami. Asami wins the hand with Riichi/Tanyao/Sanshoku/Aka 1 for 8,000, taking the early lead.

---

Kobayashi

February 13, Game 1

In E2-0, Kobayashi is in 4th place after dealing into Asami’s mangan in the 1st hand and losing his dealership.

Kobayashi starts off the hand at 4-shanten with pairs of both the green dragon and the north. Kobayashi quickly completes his sequences and calls pon on both the north and the green dragon. With the straightforward path, Kobayashi get sto tenpai on a 7p tanki at the end of the first row.

At the start of the second row, Kobayashi improves his wait to a 69s nobetan. A turn later, he draws the 9s and wins the hand. With his hand rounding up to 40 fu, Kobayashi wins with North/Green Dragon for 700/1,300.

---

After being the only one tenpai in E3-0, Kobayashi is now tied for 3rd place in E4-1 and 600 behind 2nd place.

Kobayashi starts out at 3-shanten with pairs of south and north. Within the first go-around, Kobayashi is able to call pon on the south and secure a yaku. A few turns later, he draws a red 5s for value.

Though Kobayashi’s start is good, Hori’s is even better. By the middle of the first row, Hori is tenpai and calls riichi on a 7m penchan, guaranteed at least 3 han.

By this point, Kobayashi is iishanten and has some decent acceptance. Near the start of the second row, Kobayashi gets to tenpai and waits on a 25m ryanmen. At the end of the row, Hori draws and discards the 5m and deals into Kobayashi. Kobayashi wins the hand with South/Aka 1 for 2,600+300 plus a riichi stick, moving up to 2nd.

---

Dora Dora Aka Aka Aka

February 13, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5613

In S2-0, Kobayashi continues his search for top spot, now sitting 4,700 behind Asami.

Kobayashi’s starting hand is very promising at 3-shanten with a pair of 5s dora (including the red 5s), a green dragon pair and a secured red 5p. Guaranteed at least a mangan, the right draws could upgrade him to a haneman.

On turn 3, Kobayashi draws the red 5m to complete the red 5 trio and get him to a haneman territory. Over the next few turns, Kobayashi pairs up and calls pon on the red dragon, then calls pon on the green dragon to get to tenpai, waiting on a 36m ryanmen.

In the middle of the second row, Kobayashi draws the 6m and wins the hand. Kobayashi wins with Red Dragon/Green Dragon/Dora 2/Aka 3 for 3,000/6,000, moving up to 1st.

---

Results

Game 165

---

Game 2

Uchikawa Uprising

February 13, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3105

In E3-0, Uchikawa is in 3rd place and just 1,300 behind 1st place Futoshi.

Uchikawa starts out the hand with pairs of south, 4s, 7m and the 6m dora. With the dora and the middle tiles hard to call, the hand is destined to be chiitoi. On turn 4, Uchikawa pairs up the 6s to get to iishanten. All he needs is one more for tenpai.

As Uchikawa waits, Yu works on his standard hand. At the start of the second row, Yu is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen.

With seven pairs already being a hand compatible with folding, Uchikawa is able to push.

In the middle of the second row, Yu draws a fourth 7s and calls a concealed kan. With the flip, the 5m becomes the dora. In Uchikawa’s hand, he holds a single one. At the end fo the row, he pairs it up and calls riichi on an 8s tanki, guaranteed at least a haneman and can get to a baiman with just one more han.

Though there are no 8s left in the wall, the 7s kan by Yu makes the 8s difficult to use. To Uchikawa’ left, Futoshi has a pair of 8s. Not wanting to push against two riichi calls, Futoshi looks to fold. With an 8s already discarded, the only way it can deal in is if someone is waiting on a pair, something that would be impossible with Yu because of the nature of the kan.

Unfortunately for Futoshi, the one scenario is what happens as he deals into Uchikawa.

With the ippatsu, Uchikawa gets the upgrade. Uchikawa wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Chiitoi/Dora 4 for a big 16,000 baiman, easily moving up to the top.

---

Ippats-Yu

February 13, Game 2, S2-0

In S2-0, Yu is the dealer in 2nd place and 13,300 behind 1st place Uchikawa.

Yu starts out the hand drawing the dora 2p to get to 3-shanten. With a bunch of sequences in his hand, pinfu seems to be the way to go. In the first row, Yu stays closed and efficient in the first row, but is only able to get to iishanten with no pair secured yet.

In the second row, Yu confirms a 147p three-sided wait with a few potential pairs. Near the end of the row, Yu creates a 567s sequence to widen the iishanten.

Soon after, Futoshi discards his red 5p to get to tenpai and waits on a 36s ryanmen.

On Rumi’s turn, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on an 8s/green dragon shanpon.

During the ippatsu round, Yu confirms the 1m as his pair as he calls riichi and waits on that 147p three-sided wait. Soon after, Futoshi discards the 4p and deals into Yu. Yu wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 12,000 plus a riichi stick, putting Yu within 300 of 1st place.

---

Futoshi Fights

February 13, Game 2

In S2-1, Futoshi is in 4th place and 19,300 from 3rd place Rumi. Though far away, Futoshi still has two hands plus his dealership left to go through.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with two 3s dora. Within the first few turns, Futoshi calls pon on the 3s to confirm mangan minimum.

However, it was clear from the very beginning that Futoshi would have to go quick. Along with Futoshi, Yu called twice and Uchikawa called twice as well. Around the middle of the first row, Uchikawa makes a third call and waits on a 58p ryanmen.

WIth a 4s pon, Futoshi join in with tenpai and waits on a 3p kanchan.

After that, Yu gets to tenpai on a 25m ryanmen. Within a turn, Yu adds a red 5s to his hand for value.

Almost as quickly as it started, Futoshi is able to draw the 3p at the start of the second row and win the hand. Futoshi wins with Tanyao/Dora 3 for 2,000+100/4,000+100, making up some ground.

---

Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2111

In S3-0, Futoshi is now just 8,900 behind 3rd place Rumi.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a secured red 5s. In the first four turns, Futoshi is able to advance one step and form the foundation for a pinfu hand. However, he is met with a challenge as Uchikawa calls riichi and waits on a green dragon/6m shanpon.

During the ippatsu round, Futoshi draws the 3s dora, forcing him to reshape his hand a bit. However, with no few safe tiles and a desperate situation, Futoshi still pushes a little bit.

At the start of the second row, Futoshi draws a 4s to create a 345s sequence, saving the hand. In the middle of the row, Futoshi is able to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen. If he gets the 6p plus one more han, he will have a haneman.

Two turns later, Uchikawa draws and discards the 6p and deals into Futoshi. With the 7m pair becoming the uradora, Futoshi wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 2 for 12,000 plus Uchikawa’s riichi stick.

Though 1st place Uchikawa was 15,900 ahead of Futoshi to start the hand, the direct deal-in plus the riichi stick actually pushes Futoshi into 2nd place and Uchikawa into 3rd by just 100.

---

Results

Game 166

---

Intro | Standings