Monday (April 7)

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Game 1

Kobayashi

April 7, Game 1, E2-0

In E2-0, Kobayashi is in 2nd place and 3,500 behind 1st place Asami.

With Kobayashi’s very first draw, he secures the dora 4p as part of a 345p sequence and gets to iishanten. Two turns later, he forms a 456m sequence and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen.

With winning tiles in the wall, it was only a matter of time before he would win. In the middle of the second row, Daigo discards the 4s trying to call riichi and deals into Kobayashi. Kobayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 8,000.

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Double South

April 7, Game 1, S1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4609

In S1-1, Daigo is in 3rd place, 18,300 behind 2nd place dealer Asami and 20,100 behind 1st place Kobayashi. If he wants 1st place, he needs to make up some ground. A riichi stick and a honba are in the pot.

Daigo starts out the hand at an annoying standard 5-shanten, but the red 5p double dora and double south pair gives him a chance at a big hand. As soon as the south comes out, Daigo calls pon to secure his yaku. Over the next few turns, he creates a 123m sequence, a 345p sequence and a 6p pair, getting him to iishanten around the start of the second row.

To his left, dealer Asami is iishanten for a potential 678 sanshoku. To his right, Matsumoto calls pon on the 9p to get to honroutou iishanten. With a 678p chii from Asami, she gets to tenpai and waits on a 69m ryanmen, only allowed to win on the 6m.

With Asami’s discarded 4m, Daigo calls a 234m chii and gets to tenpai on a 2m kanchan. On his very next draw, he gets the 2m and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Double South/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 2,000+100/4,000+100 plus a riichi stick, coming within a dealer mangan of 1st place.

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To Top

April 7, Game 1, S3-0

In S3-0, Daigo is in 2nd place and 5,100 behind 1st place Kobayashi. With his dealership gone, he effectively has two hands to get to 1st place.

Daigo starts out the hand filling in a 7p kanchan to get to 3-shanten. Also in his hand is a triplet of 6s and a red 5m connected to a 6m. Within the first few turns, he pairs up a lone white dragon and draws a 7m to complete a sequence, getting to iishanten. On his next turn, he creates a 369p three-sided wait and calls riichi.

To his right, 4th place dealer Matusmoto is also iishanten and needs to win this hand for any chance of moving his 6th place team up in the standings. At the start of the second row, he makes a west triplet and calls riichi on a 6m/9p shanpon.

However, none remain in the wall.

On Daigo’s next turn, he draws the 6p and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Aka 1 for 1,000/2,000. With Matsumoto’s riichi stick, Daigo manages to move into 1st place by 900.

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Results

Game 1

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Game 2

Ura San

April 7, Game 2, E1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2124

In E1-1, Futoshi is in 4th place after dealing into Ooi’s 7,700 win in the first hand. Now he wants revenge.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a white dragon triplet secured. With the yaku, he has options to open or stay closed, though he doesn’t have any other han besides it. In the first row, he manages to create a sequence in manzu and a ryanmen in souzu, getting to iishanten. At the start of the second row, he makes the 9s into a triplet and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen.

Five of the winning tiles are in the wall, but no one drops it when they draw it. It takes some time, but Futoshi eventually gets the 7s on his second-last draw and wins the hand. With the uradora flip, Futoshi’s white dragon becomes the uradora and doubles his hand’s han value. Futoshi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/White Dragon/Ura 3 for 3,000+100/6,000+100, instantly moving into 1st place.

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Ippatsu

April 7, Game 2, E2-0

In E2-0, Ooi is in 2nd place after getting hit by the dealer penalty and being passed by Futoshi. Now he wants revenge.

Ooi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a triplet of green dragons. In the first row, Ooi creates a 58p ryanmen and a 47s ryanmen to get to iishanten. With Kayamori already calling manzu twice, Ooi knows that he needs a fast hand to defuse the potential bomb.

At the start of the second row, Ooi draws the red 5p to get to tenpai and calls riichi on the 47s ryanmen, the same wait that Futoshi had the previous hand. On his very next draw, Ooi gets the 4s and wins the hand. Ooi wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Green Dragon/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000, hitting Futoshi with the dealer penalty and moving into 1st place.

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Ippatsu

April 7, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p5619

In E3-0, Nakabayashi is tied for 3rd place, 5,700 behind 2nd place Futoshi and 14,700 behind 1st place Ooi.

Nakabayashi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with some good potential ryanmen shapes. With his very first discard, Futoshi calls pon on the white dragon, putting pressure on the table. With the pon, it shifts the wall to give Nakabayashi a 678s sequence and a red 5m, getting him to iishanten. Though the rest of the first row and much of the second, Nakabayashi works on being efficient, having as much acceptance as possible.

The first to tenpai is not Futoshi nor Nakabayashi, but Kayamori, who calls a 567p chii and gets to tenpai on a 7m/8m shanpon.

With that wall shift, Nakabayashi is able to complete a 456m sequence on his next draw and calls riichi on a 25s ryanmen. On his ippatsu turn, he gets the 2s and wins the hand. Getting the uradora as well, Nakabayashi wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 6,000 all, jumping to 1st.

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Ippatsu

April 7, Game 2, E3-2

In E3-2, Nakabayashi is still the dealer and holds a 13,300 lead over 2nd place Ooi.

Nakabayashi starts out with a very strong 2-shanten hand, holding a three-sided wait, a pair of souths and a 6778p shape that could become two ryanmens. On turn 4, he draws a 5p to get to iishanten with pinfu basically guaranteed.

As he waits, Kayamori gets to tenpai first, calling riichi at the end of the first row on a 69m ryanmen.

With the riichi from Kayamori , Nakabayashi breaks his south pair to be safe, holing to get a pair elsewhere. Soon after, Futoshi gets to tenpai on a 58s ryanmen.

Back to Nakabayashi, his manzu shape is now extended even further, having the ability to get pairs and still having a guaranteed good wait. In the middle of the second row, he pairs up the 3m and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen. Within the go-around, Futoshi draws and discards the 9p and deals into Nakabayashi. Getting the uradora, Nakabayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Ura 1 for 12,000+600, a direct hit off a standings rival.

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Dora Aka Ura

April 7, Game 2, E3-3
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s70_p2867

In E3-3, Kayamori is in 3rd place and 15,700 behind 2nd place Ooi.

Kayamori starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a loosely-connected 7s dora and red 5m. In the first row, Kayamori secures the 7m as her pair, creates a 567p sequence and gets to 2-shanten. With a 6s or an 8s draw, she will secure the 7s dora and guarantee pinfu.

At the start of the second row, she draws the 8s and creates a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. On her next draw, she replaces the regular 5p for a red 5p to create value. A turn after that, she completes a 123m sequence, discards the red 5m and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen.

At the end of the second row, Kayamori draws the 4p and wins the hand. With the 4p also being the uradora, Kayamori wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 3,000+300/6,000+300, just enough to move into 2nd place.

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Double Riichi: Miss And Hit

April 7, Game 2, S1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2125

In S1-1, Ooi is the dealer in 2nd place while Futoshi is deep in 4th place. 1,300 in bonuses will go to the next winner.

With Ooi’s first 13 tiles, he is already iishanten! There are 6 different tiles that can get him to tenpai and provide him with a double riichi. Unfortunately, he isn’t able to get any of them.

When we move on to Futoshi, he is miraculously also at iishanten with his first 13 tiles! A second double riichi chance and waiting on 6 different tiles to get him to tenpai. Luckily for him, he is able to complete a 678p sequence on his very first draw and calls the double riichi on a 36m ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins.

On Ooi’s next turn, he draws a 3p and discards the east. On his next draw, he draws a 1p, creating a 13p shape waiting on a 2p kanchan. He has a chance to be tenpai, but it would require throwing the 6m. Wanting the tenpai, Ooi throws the 6m and frustratingly deals into Futoshi.

Hitting the uradora, Futoshi wins the hand with Double Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 12,000+300 plus a riichi stick, actually moving ahead of Ooi by 1,000.

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Honitsu Hit

April 7, Game 2, S3-0

In S3-0, Futoshi is in 3rd place and holding a narrow 1,000 lead over 4th place Ooi.

Futoshi starts out with a messy hand, holding pairs of red dragon and 7s, putting him 4-shanten for seven pairs and 5-shanten for a standard hand. In the first few turns, he creates a 25s ryanmen, draws a 789s sequence and gets a west pair, shifting him towards a souzu honitsu. On turn 5, he calls pon on the red dragon to get things going. A turn later, he calls a 789s chii for iishanten.

As Futoshi waits for tenpai, Ooi gets there first and calls riichi on a 36s ryanmen.

At the start of the second row, Futoshi calls chii on the 345s and gets to tenpai on a west/7s shanpon. When he draws the 6s, he simply switches to a 58s ryanmen.

In the third row, Futoshi draws a fourth red dragon and calls an added kan. Though he doesn’t get rinshan, the two 7s becomes the new dora, increasing his han count by two. Soon after, Ooi discards the 8s and deals into Futoshi. Futoshi wins the hand with Honitsu/Red Dragon/Dora 2 for 8,000 plus a riichi stick.

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Dama

April 7, Game 2

In S4-0, Kayamori is the final dealer in 2nd place and sits 21,400 behind 1st place Nakabayashi.

Kayamori starts out the hand with pairs of 1m, 2p, 1s and 5s (which includes the red 5s), pushing her towards seven pairs. On turn 2, she pairs up the 6s to get to iishanten.

As she looks to get her sixth pair to get her to tenpai, she draws the north dora at the start of the second row for potential extra value. Near the end of the row, she pairs up the green dragon and waits dama on a north tanki. Within the go-around, Futoshi discards the north trying to take tenpai and deals into Kayamori. Kayamori wins the hand with Chiitoi/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 12,000.

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In S4-1, Kayamori is now just 9,400 behind 2nd place Nakabayashi. A dealer mangan would be enough to move ahead.

Kayamori starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a connected red 5s double dora and a pair of souths. Not much happens in the first row for her, but she does create a 567m sequence to get to 2-shanten.

At the start of the second row, she draws a third south to secure a yaku. Completing a 456s sequence two turns later, she gets to a valuable iishanten.

As she shuffles and waits, Futoshi gets to tenpai and stays dama on a 4p kanchan.

At the start of the second row, Kayamori makes a pair of the 4p, killing off Futoshi wait. With the 4p pair, she gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 7s kanchan.

Right after, Ooi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen.

On Futoshi’s turn, he draws and discards the 7s trying to maintain tenpai and deals into Kayamori. Kayamori wins the hand with South/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 7,700+300 plus Ooi’s riichi stick.

With the hit and Ooi’s riichi stick, Futoshi and Ooi actually become tied for 3rd place with 3,000.

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Closing It Out

April 7, Game 2, S4-2

In S4-2, Nakabayashi is in 1st place, but is only 400 ahead of 2nd place Kayamori. The best way for Nakabayashi to finish in 1st place is to win this hand.

With Nakabayashi’s first draw, he manages to get the red 5p, joining his red 5s and 1p dora triplet. With this amazingly valuable hand, he is guaranteed at least a haneman if he wins. WIthin a few turns, he pairs up the 5p and forms a 47m ryanmen, getting to iishanten. At the end of the row, he fills in a 7p kanchan and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen.

In the middle of the second row, Kayamori discards the 4m and deals into Nakabayashi. Nakabayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Dora 3/Aka 2 for 12,000, winning the game.

With Ooi being unaffected in the final hand, the two of them finish the game tied for 3rd place.

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Results

Game 2

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Intro | Standings