Monday (February 17)

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Game 1

Small But Significant

February 17, Game 1, S1-0

In S1-0, Yu is the dealer in 4th place, but he is just 5,000 behind 1st place Matsumoto. A decent hand can move him up to the top.

Yu starts out the hand at 3-shanten with sequences as the base. In the first row, he is only able to take one step forward, but he has two ryanmens for a potentially strong wait.

Across from him, Matsumoto is holding a strong hand with a south dora triplet and a red 5p. Around the middle of the second row, Matsumoto calls a chii and gets to tenpai on a 6p kanchan. Unfortunately, none remain in the wall.

At this point, both Yu and Sugawara are iishanten. After missing in the second row, Sugawara makes an 8p pon at the start of the third row and gets to tenpai on a 47m ryanmen.

Two turns later, Yu gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen. On Yu’s second-last draw, he gets the 4p and wins the hand. Yu wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu for 1,300 all. Though small, the hand is just evenough to move into 1st place by 200.

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Sonoda

February 17, Game 1

In S2-0 Sonoda is the dealer in 4th place, 4,900 behind 3rd place Sugawara and 6,600 behind 2nd place Yu.

Sonoda’s hand starts out the hand 2-shanten with a very likely tanyao hand. On turn 2, he confirms tanyao and gets herself to iishanten, needing any of the 357m to get to tenpai. On turn 5, Sonoda gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 3m/5m shanpon.

Across from her, Sugawara is iishanten with tripelts of south and east in a very likely chanta hand. Despite having all these honours as potential safe tiles, Sugawara still pushes a little bit. At the end of the first row, she draws a third 1s for a potential triplet. On her next turn, she calls a 789s chii and waits on a 23s wait. If she wins on the 2s, she will have sanankou. If she wins on the 3s, she will have chanta instead. Either way, she will have a mangan.

With Sugawara’s discarded 7s, Yu calls chii, looking for tenpai. However, taking the tenpai will require discarding the 3m. Yu tries to take the tenpai and ends up dealing into Sonoda. Sonoda wins the hand with Riichi/Tanyao/Ura 1 for 7,700, moving up to 2nd place.

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In S2-1, Sonoda is now just 1,600 behind 1st place Matsumoto. Any win is enough for 1st place.

From the start, Sonoda hasa 2-shanten hand with a secured red 5s and a pair of white dragons. Though promising, the mood immediately shifts as Sugawara calls a double riichi and waits on an east tanki.

During the ippatsu round, Sonoda is able to call pon on the white dragon to get to iishanten. With no information, Sonoda just pushes, even throwing the dora green dragon. After drawing a red 5m and then creating a sequence, Sonoda gets to tenpai and waits on a 2s kanchan.

Around the end of the row, Sugawara draws and discards the 2s and deals into Sonoda. Sonoda wins the hand with White Dragon/Aka 2 for 5,800+300 plus one riichi stick, moving up to 1st.

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Sugawara Succeeds

February 17, Game 1, S3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p6088

In S3-1, Sugawara is in 3rd place and only 800 ahead of4th place Yu. 1,300 in bonuses sit in the middle.

Sugawara starts out with a very messy standard 6-shanten hand, holding only a pair of green dragons and a floating 2m for potential value. In the first row, Sugawara gets lucky by drawing a red 5p to complete a sequence and pairing up the 2m dora. By the end of the row, she is 4-shanten with a route to mangan.

In the second row, she creates a ryanmen and then fills in a penchan to get to iishanten. At the end of the row, she makes the green dragon into a triplet and calls riichi on a 58m ryanmen. Impressive speed for a player who started so far.

With Sugawara’s discarded 2s, 1st place Sonoda calls pon to get to iishanten. Within the next go-around, he calls a 234p chii and gets to tenpai on a 36s ryanmen.

Right after, Matsumoto draws a red 5s to create a pair and waits dama.

To complete the quartet, Yu gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen.

It’s 3 vs. 6 vs. 2 vs. 1. Sugawara is at a big disadvantage.

On Sonoda’s draw, he gets the final 8m. With such a good wait and a lot of bonuses in the middle, Sonoda pushes and deals into Sugawara. Sugawara wins the hand with Riichi/Green Dragon/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000+300 plus two riichi sticks. With the direct hit, Sugawara move all the way up to 2nd place.

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Results

Game 169

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Game 2

Taro Time

February 17, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2112

In E2-0, Taro is in 1st place, holding a small lead over the rest of his opponents.

Taro starts out with a decent 4-shanten hand three ryanmens and two dora 3m. Taro draws well in the first row, getting to 2-shanten with two ryanmens still intact.

After a bunch of misses in much of the second row, Taro makes a pair of 7p to get to iishanten, needing a 2m or 4m to get to pinfu tenpai. On his next turn, he get sthe 4m and calls riichi on a 25s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins. If he gets the 5s, he will have a haneman.

During the ippatsu round, Sarukawa challenges Taro, throwing the dora 3m and calling riichi on a 25s ryanmen.

With both players on the same wait, Sarukawa has the advantage on ron.

However, there is no seating advantage on tsumo. A few turns later, Taro manages to get the perfect red 5s and wins the hand. Taro wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Sanshoku/Dora 2/Aka 1 for a big 4,000/8,000 baiman plus a riichi stick.

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Nakabayashi

February 17, Game 2

In E3-0, Nakabayashi is tied for 2nd place and needs to more than double his score to get to 1st place Taro.

Nakabayashi starts out the hand at 4-shanten with a pair of easts and a secured dora 7p. WIthint he first go-around, Nakabayashi calls pon on the east to secure his yaku. Frustratingly, the rest of the first row provides now help at all, leving him at 3-shanten.

At the start of the second row, Nakabayashi draws a red 5p for additional value. Soon after, he creates a 47m ryanmen then draws a second dora 7p, getting him to iishanten and guaranteeing him a mangan if he uses all his dora.

At the start of the third row, Nakabayashi calls a 456m chii and get sto tenpai on a 6p kanchan. A few turns later, he draws the 6p and wins the hand. Nakabayashi wins with East/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000.

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In E4-0, Nakabayashi is now the dealer and 11,000 behind 1st place Taro.

From the get-go, Nakabayashi is 2-shanten with a triplet of the 2m dora. On turn 3, Nakabayashi adds even more value, getting a red 5 and getting him to iishanten. However, the 13s block in his hand is preventing him from going any faster.

Across from him, 4th place Sarukawa is trying to escape 4th place. In the middle of the second row, Sarukawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen, needing the 4p for mangan minimum.

During the ippatsu round, Nakabayashi makes a pair of 8m, allowing him to get rid of the 13s block and shift to tanyao. At the start of the third row, Nakabayashi is able to call pon on the 8m and get to a 47s ryanmen. On his very next draw, Nakabayashi gets the 7s and wins the hand. Nakabayashi wins with Tanyao/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, moving into 1st place.

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Shiratori

February 17, Game 2, S2-0

In S2-0, Shiratori is in 3rd place and 14,700 behind 2nd place Nakabayashi.

Shiratori starts out with a decent 3-shanten hand and is just a 1m and a 2s away from completing a 123 sanshoku. With some other tiles near the edge, he could go for chanta as well. On turn 2, he sets up a 789s sequence to go for that chanta potential. On turn 4, he completes it and gets to iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Shiratori draws the 2s and calls riichi on a 14m ryanmen. If he gets the 1m, he will have at least a mangan. If he wins on the 4m, it will be riichi nomi.

At the start of the third row, 4th place Sarukawa discards the 1m trying to maintain his perfect iishanten and deals into Shiratori. Shiratori wins the hand with Riichi/Sanshoku/Chanta for 8,000.

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Kei

February 17, Game 2, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5614

In S3-0, Nakabayashi is in 3rd place and 8,100 behind 1st place dealer Taro.

Nakabayashi starts out the hand 4-shanten with a red 5p. Though he would like to go fast, the pervasive 9p pair in his hand is preventing him from doing so. Sitting patiently, Nakabayashi makes a 567p sequence and makes the 9p into a triplet. At the end of the row, Nakabayashi draws a dora 8s to create a 789s sequence and get to iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Nakabayashi draws the red 5m to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen. A few turns later, he draws the 6m and wins the hand. Hitting the uradora, Nakabayashi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 2/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000, moving up to top spot.

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Results

Game 170

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