Friday (February 14)

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Game 1

Takeuchi Time

February 14, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4599

In E1-0, Genta is playing for the Sega Sammy Phoenix and is looking to retake his spot at the top of the individual standings. Sitting 37.2pts behind Shiratori, Genta will need a 1st or a very big 2nd to get there.

Genta starts out as the dealer with a 3-shanten hand, hodling a floating red 5p as potential value. Within the first row, Genta draws non-pinzu and builds his shapes elsewhere, leaving the red 5p all alone. By turn 4, it is out of his hand. By the end of the row, Genta is iishanten with two ryanmens and a 9s triplet.

On Genta’s next turn, he draws a fourth 9s and calls a concealed kan. Though the rinshan doesn’t help the 2s pair in his hand becomes uradora.

Looking around the table, Honda is at toitoi iishanten and Takamiya has already called twice and has a pair of norths. At the end of Honda’s row, he calls pon on the north and gets to tenpai on a 1m/8s shanpon.

In the second row, Takamiya calls pon on the 8p and waits on a 58s ryanmen.

In the middle of the row, Genta is the third to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen. With Genta’s riichi, Honda decides to fold when he draws the 2p dora. WIth that 2p draw, it also chokes Takamiya’s waits, leaving her with no chance of winning.

At the around the end of the second row, Takamiya draws and discards the 6m and deals into Takamiya. With the 2s becoming uradora as well, Genta wins with Riichi/Dora 2/Ura 2 for 12,000.

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Tanyao Time

February 14, Game 1, E1-2

In E1-2, Daisuke is in 2nd place and 12,000 behind 1st place Genta.

Daisuke starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a red 5m double dora. The first row gifts Daisuke with simple tiles, pushing him towards tanyao. On turn 4, Daisuke starts to break his 1p pair to aim for it. With a 345p chii and a 5m draw at the end of the row, Daisuke gets to iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Daisuke calls pon on the 8p and gets to tenpai on a 5m/7m shanpon. Two turns later, he decides to switch to a 69m ryanmen. Though he’s not allowed to win off the 9m, only one of those troublesome 9m remain in the wall.

To his right, Honda draws a green dragon pair and gets to toitoi iishanten. After a bunch of waiting, Honda is able to call pon on the green dragon in the third row and waits on a 2p/8m shanpon, guaranteed at least a mangan.

Right after, Takamiya gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 4m kanchan. Unfortunately, no 4m remain in the wall.

A few turns later, Takamiya draws and discards the 6m and ends up dealing into Daisuke. Daisuke wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000+600 plus Takamiya’s riichi stick.

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Tomohiro Time

February 14, Game 1

In E2-1, Honda is in 3rd place, 15,000 behind 2nd place Genta and 15,600 behind 1st place dealer Daisuke. A riichi stick and a honba sit in the pot.

Honda starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a secured dora 4s and two ryanmens. On turn 3, he draws a red 5p to take a step and move ahead. On his next turn, he creates a ryanmen to step again. On turn 5, Honda gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen.

On Takamiya’s turn, she gets to 3-shanten for thirteen orphans, but has an 8s triplet in her hand. She deicdes to break it and ends up dealing into Honda. Honda wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000.

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Skipping to S2-0, Honda is 9,500 behind 2nd place dealer Daisuke and 13,300 behind 1st place Genta. Honda starts out with a 4-shanten hand with pairs of white dragon and north. Right when the white dragon comes out, Honda calls pon and forces his hand towards honitsu. Drawing a 9p dora and creating a 789p sequence, Honda gets to iishanten at the end of the first row.

In the middle of the second row, Honda draws a red 5p and waits on a 34p wait.

At the end of the second row, Takamiya gets to tenpai and gets to a cool 36p/36s double entotsu wait. Seven remain in the wall.

WIth Takamiya’s discarded 7s, Daisuke calls pon on the 7s and discards the 3p, trying to take an 8p kanchan.

At the same time, Honda and Takamiya call ron. However, only one is allowed to win. Because Honda is earlier in turn order, he will be the one to win.

Honda wins the hand with Honitsu/White Dragon/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000, pushing him up to 2nd place and leaving Takamiya deep in the negatives.

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To Two

February 14, Game 1, S4-0

In S4-0, Daisuke is in 3rd place, 6,500 behind 2nd place Honda to take that spot, Daisuke needs a 3/30 direct hit, a 3/40 tsumo (for a tie), or a mangan ron. If he wants to aim higher and go for 1st place that is 11,800, Daisuke will need to hit Genta with a mangan direct hit, or get a haneman.

Daisuke starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a secured dora 6s. On turn 2, he draws a second 6s to get to iishanten. With a 6s draw two turns later, Daisuke gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen. With mangan minimum, he has a mangan. If he can win by tsumo and get one more han, he will have a haneman for 1st place.

Not wanting to deal in, both Honda and Genta defend. However, 4th place Takamiya is the dealer and has nowhere to go but up. In the middle of the second row, Takamiya gets to tenpai and waits on a 5m tanki. A turn later, she improves to a 147p three-sided wait, not allowed to win on the 1p.

On Daisuke’s turn, he draws the 3p and wins the hand. He flips the uradora and…

…he misses. Even so, Daisuke wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 3 for 2,000/4,000, finishing the game in 2nd place.

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Results

Game 167

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Game 2

Daigo Dealership

February 14, Game 2, E2-0

In E2-0, Daigo is the dealer and sitting 5,200 behind 1st place Hisato.

With Daigo’s first draw, he gets to iishanten. Two turns later, he draws a 1s triplet to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen, ideally the 1p dora for value.

On turn 8, Daigo gets that ideal 1p and wins the hand. Hitting the uradora, Daigo wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 2,000/4,000.

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Kurosawa

February 14, Game 2, E3-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s70_p2669

In E3-2, Kurosawa is in 3rd place, 4,200 behind 2nd place dealer Hisato and 13,000 behind 1st place Daigo. 1,600 in bonuses await the next winner.

Kurosawa starts out the hand at 2-shanten, but pinfu is difficult with two kanchans and no pairs. On turn 4, Kurosawa gets herself to iishanten. At the end of the row, Kurosawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25m nobetan. WIth no dora or other yaku, the hand is relatively cheap.

However, in the middle of the second row, Kurosawa manages to draw the red 5m and win the hand. With the uradora, Kurosawa wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 2,000+200/4,000+200 plus a riichi stick, moving Kurosawa to within 1,200 of 1st place.

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Beast Mode

February 14, Game 2

In S1-0, Sugawara is in 4th place and 7,400 behind 3rd place Kurosawa. Sugawara starts off the hand at 4-shanten with a red 5m and a lone dora south.

In the first row, Sugawara makes the south into a pair, then makes it a triplet to get to 2-shanten. With the south being a yakuhai, Sugawara can now call her other shapes. In the second row, she pairs the 7m and creates a ryanmen, getting to iishanten and guaranteeing herself a good wait.

Near the end of the row, Hisato challenges the table with a riichi, waiting on a 2p kanchan for riichi only.

After being able to draw some safe honours to maintain her hand, Sugawara calls a 345m chii and waits on a 36p ryanmen. Two turns later, Sugawara draws the 6p and wins the hand. Sugawara wins with South/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 8,000, moving up to 3rd.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p6087

In S2-0, Sugawara is now just 3,400 from 1st place. A 3-han hand will move her up.

Sugawara starts out by filling in a kanchan and getting to 2-shanten. On turn 2, she creates a three-sided wait and has pinfu now guaranteed. Over the next few turns, she shuffles her hand around, drawing a red 5s and moving towards a 345 sanshoku.

At the start of the second row, Sugawara draws a 5m to get to tenpai and waits dama on a 47s ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan if she wins. On her next draw, she gets the 4s and wins the hand. Sugawara wins with Tsumo/Pinfu/Sanshoku/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000, moving into 1st place.

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Tight

February 14, Game 2, S4-0

In S4-0, Hisato is in 4th place, 1,300 behind 2nd place Daigo and 9,900 behind 1st place dealer Sugawara. Though 2nd place is relatively easy, 1st place will require a 3/40 direct hit, a mangan tsumo, or a haneman.

Hisato starts off the hand already 2-shanten with a connected dora 6s. Despite starting relatively close to tenpai, Hisato isn’t able to get to iishanten until the middle of the second row. In the third row, Hisato pairs up the 3m and gets to a perfect iishanten. Two turns later, Hisato gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen. Despite there only being 9 live tiles left in the wall, there are still 5 of Hisato’s winning tiles left.

For Hisato to get to 1st place, he will need to draw his winning tile and get one more han. Though

On Hisato’s ippatsu turn, he gets the 6s. With that, Daigo is able to call pon and get to tenpai on a 36m ryanmen.

With Daigo’s call, the wall is shifted perfectly and Hisato draws his winning 4s. With the uradora, he gets…

…nothing. Hisato wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1 for 1,000/2,000, finishing in 2nd place.

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Results

Game 168

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