Thursday (February 27)

---

Game 1

Saki Start

February 27, Game 1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5106

In E1-0, Kurosawa is the starting dealer and draws herself to iishanten on her first turn. With a secured red 5p, she does have some decent value in her hand. On her very next turn, Kurosawa gets to tenpai on a 4s kanchan, but she chooses to stay dama with no yaku. On turn 4, Kurosawa switches to a 3s tanki, but still lacks a yaku. However, if she can get both a 1s and a 2s, she can get a 123 sanshoku.

At the end of the row, Kurosawa draws the 1s and calls riichi on a 2s kanchan, guaranteed at least a mangan if she wins. Having discarded the 5s in the first row, Kurosawa has a suji trap set. In the middle of the second row, Date discards the 2s and deals into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Riichi/Sanshoku/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 12,000.

---

In E1-1, Kurosawa starts out with a 3-shanten hand with a pair of easts. The first row provides her with a 2m pair and some sequences shapes. On turn 5, Kurosawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on an east/2m shanpon.

Around the table, all the players are trying to avoid the dealer riichi. In particular, Okada is still looking for her first win of the season. At the end of her first row, Okada gets to iishanten and is coaxed to push a little with her red 5s and dora 1p. In the middle of the row, she pairs up the 1p dora to set herself up for mangan. In the third row, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 1p/8m shanpon.

Unfortunately, no winning tiles remain in the wall.

A few turns later, Okada draws and discards the east and deals into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Riichi/Double East for 7,700+300 plus a riichi stick.

---

Kurosawa Calls

February 27, Game 1, E3-0

In E3-0, Kurosawa has a strong lead, having almost double the score of 2nd place dealer Katsumata.

Sitting at 3-shanten with her first draw, Kurosawa has some strong value with a pair of 8p dora and a secured red 5p. She puts her focus into making a tanyao hand, giving her the ability to open the hand, even though she is normally not one to open. By the end of the row, she is 2-shanten.

At the start of the second row, Date puts some pressure on the table as she calls riichi and waits on an 8p dora tanki.

Having held some safe tile honours, Kurosawa is easily able to avoid the ippatsu round. With a bit of pushing and a 345m chii near the end of the row, Kurosawa gets to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen, ready with mangan.

At the end of the row, Okada has a chance to call a 345p and get to tenpai. However, she has to choose which tenpai she will take carefully. If she takes the 2s/5m shanpon, she will have to discard the 7s and end up dealing into Kurosawa. If she takes the 6s kanchan, she will discard the 2s and survive. After careful consideration, Okada chooses to discard the 2s and wait on the 6s kanchan.

Immediately after, Kurosawa draws the 7s and wins the hand. Kurosawa wins with Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000 plus a riichi stick, putting her above 50,000.

---

Toitoi

February 27, Game 1, E4-0

In E4-0, Katsumata is in 3rd place and 200 behind 2nd place dealer Okada.

Katsumata starts out the hand with a triplet of 7m and pairs of east, 7p and 9p, the perfect hand for all triplet. Within the first three turns, Katsumata forms a green dragon triplet incredibly getting to suuankou iishanten.

Though the yakuman would be perfect, Katsumata has to be a bit realistic and not take too many risks. On turn 5, he calls pon on the 9p and gets to an east/7p shanpon. Immediately after, Okada discards the east and deals into Katsumata. Katsumata wins the hand with Toitoi/East/Green Dragon for 8,000.

---

Haitei

February 27, Game 1, S1-0

In S1-0, Date is in 4th place and 1,200 behind 3rd place Okada.

Date starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a loosely-connected red 5s. Most of the first row doesn’t give her much to work with, but the end of the row provider her with a 4s to secure the red 5s and get to iishanten.

Forming a sequence in the second row, Date gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 4m/2p shanpon.

With a perfect iishanten, Kurosawa the dealer pushes against the riichi. After pushing through the ippatsu turn, Kurosawa get sto tenpai and calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen.

In the third row, Katsumata is the third to get to tenpai and waits on a 4s tanki.

However, when Katsumata draws a dangerous 5p on his last draw, he is forced to fold.

On Date’s last draw, the very last tile in the wall, Date draws the 2p and wins the hand. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Haitei/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000.

---

Dama

February 27, Game 1, S3-3
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5107

In S3-3, Kurosawa’s lead over 2nd place Katsumata has shrunk to 11,200. With Katsumata the dealer fast approaching, Kurosawa needs to speed up the game.

Kurosawa starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a ryanmen and two kanchans. In the first three turns, Kurosawa builds a 234p sequence and advances to iishanten. Over her next three turns, she builds a separate 345p sequence with a dora 3p and a red 5p and gets to tenpai. With her mangan, Kurosawa stays dama on a 14s ryanmen. Right after, Kurosawa wins the hand with Pinfu/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000+900.

---

Results

Game 181

---

Game 2

Maou

February 27, Game 2

In E4-1, Hisato is the dealer in 1st place, having won three hands alraedy and holding a 13,700 lead over 2nd place Katsumata.

Hisato starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a bunch of ryanmens and a secured red 5m. One turn after another, Hisato ends up making an east triplet out of nothing and gets to iishanten. At the end of the row, Hisato makes a 234s sequence to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen.

In the middle of the third row, Katsumata discards the 9m and deals into Hisato. Hisato wins the hand with Riichi/Double East/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 4,000.

---

Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p3615

In E4-2, Hisato starts out 2-shanten with a ryanmen. To his right, Katsumata is 3-shanten with pairs of east and west. Very quickly, Katsumata is able to call pon on both of the honours and forces a souzu honitsu. On his next turn, he calls a 123s chii for iishanten. At the end of the row, he pairs up the red dragon and gets to tenpai on a 36s ryanmen.

Back to Hisato, he is making good time, sitting already iishanten by the time Katsumata got to iishanten. On his next turn, Hisato fills in a 5s kanchan and gets to tenpai on a 25m nobetan. However, he has no yaku.

As he waits, Katsumata draws a fourth west and calls kan. Neither the kandora nor rinshan help, but it does mean that his opponents have a chance at uradora.

A few turns later, Hisato switches to a 14p ryanmen, this time with pinfu. After switching out a regular 5s for a red 5s at the end of hist first row, Hisato decides to call riichi on his next turn, still waiting with the 14p ryanmen. With perfect timing, Hisato gets the 1p on his very next draw and wins the hand. Hisato wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 1 for 2,600+200 all, pushing him above 60,000.

---

In E4-3, Hisato is 4-shanten with a pair of easts. In the first few turns, Hisato makes a potential sequence and an east triplet to get to 2-shanten.

To his left, Honda is holding a relatively quick hand. On turn 5, he gets to tenpai on a 3m kanchan, but holds no yaku or value at all. After drawing a red 5s at the start of the second row, Honda gets the value he wants and calls riichi on the 3m kanchan.

As Hisato still sits at 2-shanten, Katsumata gets to a perfect iishanten. In the middle of the second row, Katsumata gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen.

Having no tile that’s safe to both riichi players, Hisato pushes the one-chance 8p to keep an iishanten hand. Within the go-around, Hisato calls a 345s chii and gets to tenpai on a 36p ryanmen.

On Hisato’s very next turn, he draws the 6p and wins the hand. Hisato wins with Double East/Aka 1 for 2,600+300 all plus two riichi sticks, pushing him above 70,000.

---

After dealing in and losing his dealership, Hisato keeps it going in S1-0.

Hisato starts out the hand drawing the red 5p to get to 3-shanten. WIth a pair of norths in hand, he can call it and rush the rest. On turn 4, he pairs up the red dragons for another yakuhai option. Soon after, he calls pon and advances to iishanten.

To his right, Katsumata has already called pon on the east and is also at iishanten. Filling in a kanchan, Katsumata gets to tenpai on a 2s tanki. In the second row, he switches from the 2s to a 1p to a 2s tanki.

Back to Hisato, he completes a 456p sequences and gets to tenpai on a 7m/north shapon. On his very next draw, he gets the north and wins the hand. Hisato wins with Red Dragon/North/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000.

---

Hori Recovery

February 27, Game 2

In S2-0, Hori is only slightly in 2nd place, trying to separate hiself from the rest of the pack with his dealership.

Hori starts off with a 3-shanten hand with a ryanmen in hand. Hori hand improves quite well in the first row, forming good shapes. Filling in a 7s kanchan at the end of the row, Hori gets to a perfect iishanten. If he gets botht eh 1p and the 1s, he would have a 123 sanshoku.

Across from him, Hisato has already called the west and gets to iishanten at the start of the second row. A turn later, Hisato gets to tenpai on a 14p ryanmen.

After a bit more waiting, Hori draws a 1p and calls riichi on a 14s ryanmen, wanting the former for maximum value. At the end of the row, Hisato draws and discards the 1s and deals into Hori. Hori wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Sanshoku/Dora 1 for 12,000.

---

In S2-1, Hori startsout 3-shanten with a connected dora 6p. As Hori discards honours, he draws connecting tiles to advance his hand. By turn 5, he is already iishanten and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen.

Still holding some stray honours, Hisato across from him is still able push. By the end of the row, Hisato is iishanten and in a position to call. On turn 8, he fills in a 6s kanchan and waits dama on a 258m wait.

With Hisato waiting on six winning tiles and Hori waiting on five, someone is going to win. Near the end of the second row, Hori draws the 8p and wins the hand. Hori wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1 for 2,600+100 all.

---

Results

Game 182

---

Intro | Standings