Monday (April 21)

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Game 1

Ura Ura

April 21, Game 1, E4-2

In E4-2, Taro is the dealer in 1st place with a 10,200 lead over winning the past three hands in a row.

Taro starts out the hand at 4-shanten and lacking in any value. The first row provides him with a 345p sequence and a west pair, but not much else. In the middle of the second row, he makes a triplet of 4m to advance to iishanten. At the end of the row, he fills in a 7p penchan for tenpai.

Though he doesn’t have any other yaku, his power as the dealer pushes him to call riichi. In the middle of the third row, he draws the 7m and wins the hand. As he flips the uradora, his wests suddenly become the new dora and surprisingly upgrades his hand to a mangan. Taro wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Ura 2 for 4,000+200 all, taking Taro up to 48,300.

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Dora

April 21, Game 1, S4-0

In S4-0, Taro is 1st place, but Hisato is within a mangan tsumo away from 1st place.

Taro starts out the hand at a distant 5-shanten, but the hand does have a route to tanyao is a 7m away from securing the 8m dora. In the first row, Taro leans strongly towards tanyao. After creating some ryanmens, Taro gets to 3-shanten by the end of the row.

To his left, 4th plcae Honda is simply trying to get as many points as he can. Having already called pon on the south, he is iishanten for a mangan. As Hisato calls a concealed kan, Honda’s 5p becomes the new dora. Immediately after, Honda makes a triplet of red dragons and waits on a 4p kanchan. If he can somehow get a direct hit off Genta, he will finish in 3rd place.

Back to Taro, he has already called a 678m chii to get to a perfect iishanten. Approaching the end of the second row, he forms a potential 258p three-sided wait, able to accept another 5p dora. A turn later, he draws the red 5p double dora, getting him to a mangan guaranteed 36s ryanmen tenpai. Within the go-around, Hisato discards the 3s and deals into Taro. Taro wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 12,000, giving Taro a 33,400 lead over 2nd place.

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Moving Up

April 21, Game 1, S4-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4613

In S4-1, Genta is in 3rd place and 5,500 behind 2nd place Hisato. Witht he honba, Genta can win with a 3/40 ron to tie Hisato. Otherwise, he needs a 2/40 direct hit, a 3/40 or 4/20 tsumo, or a 3/50 or 4/25 ron for sole 2nd.

Genta starts off by drawing the red 5s, for 2-shanten, joining the red 5m for potential value. In the first row, Genta secures the red 5s as part of a 456s sequence to get to iishanten. In the second row, Genta builds even more in souzu to create a 147s three-sided wait, but is forced to drop the red 5m to guarantee pinfu.

A turn later, he draws a 1s to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14m ryanmen, needing a direct hit or tsumo. On the ippatsu draw, Genta gets the 1m and wins the hand. Hitting the uradora, Genta wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 3,000+100/6,000+100, finishing the game in 2nd place.

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Results

Game 17

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Game 2

Sonoda Start

April 21, Game 2, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2130

In E1-0, Sonoda is the starting dealer and is a win away from getting his team back at the top of the standings.

Sonoda starts out the hand at 3-shanten and leaning heavly towards a manzu honitsu with a west triplet. Within the first go-around, Sonoda confirms this pursuit by calling pon on the 1m. Through the first row, he gets rid of all his pinzu and souzu tiles and is 2-shanten at the end of the first row.

At the start of the second row, Sonoda calls pon on the 4m for iishanten and is one more pair away from toitoi tenpai. In the middle of the row, he pairs up the 8m and gets to tenpai on a 5m/8m shanpon, guaranteed at least a mangan. Within the go-around, Takizawa discards the 8m and deals into Sonoda. Sonoda wins the hand with Toitoi/Honitsu for 12,000.

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Genta

April 21, Game 2, S3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p4614

In S3-1, Genta is in 2nd place and 10,600 behind 1st place Sonoda. A riichi stick and a honba are in the pot.

Genta starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a bunch of sequence candidates and a connected dora 2p. In the first row, Genta does well to build sequence and secure ryanmens. By the end of the first row, Genta is iishanten with pinfu guaranteed. If he can get both the 5s and 7p, he can also add a 567 sanshoku to his hand.

In the second row, Genta stalls quite a bit. In the meantime, callers Sonoda and Takizawa advance. Having called a 234s chii in the first row, a 567m chii at the end of the second row gets Sonoda tenpai on a 5p tanki, guaranteed three han if he wins.

Soon after, Takizawa gets to tenpai on a 4m kanchan. With a triplet of the 2p dora and a red 5s, he has a dealer mangan guaranteed.

To Genta’s turn, he draws a 7p and chooses to wait dama on a 58s ryanmen, wanting the 5s for mangan.

Seeing Genta and Takizawa advance and a lack of pinzu from all sides, Sonoda folds when he draws a 4p. A few turns later, Genta draws the ideal 5s and wins the hand. Genta wins with Tsumo/Pinfu/Sanshoku/Dora 1 for 2,000+100/4,000+100 plus a riichi stick, enough to move into 1st place by 800.

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Influential All Last

April 21, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s70_p2934

In S4-0, the scores are close. For the top spot, 1st and 2nd are separated by just 800. Any win by Sonoda would be enough for 1st place. Even a 3/30 tsumo by Honda or Takizawa can move dealer Genta down to 2nd place. At the bottom, Takizawa trails Honda by 2,800, needing a 3-han hand for 3rd place.

From the very start, Sonoda calls pon on the south to secure a yaku. Despite this initial pon, he remains 4-shanten. Across from him, Takizawa is 3-shanten with a secured 3p dora. Both players are able to get to 2-shanten in the first row, Sonoda having two red fives for extra value and Takizawa with sequences and a potential route for opening his hand.

Near the middle of the second row, Sonoda calls a 345s chii and gets to tenpai on a 1p/5m shanpon. Around the end of the row, Sonoda improves to a 36m ryanmen.

Back to Takizawa, he has a red 5p in his hand to go along with the 3p dora, enough value to open. At the start of the third row, he calls pon on the 6s and gets to tenpai on a 25s ryanmen. On his very next draw, he gets the 2s and wins the hand.

With Takizawa’s Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1 win for 1,000/2,000, he is able to finish the game in 3rd place. At the same time, the dealer penalty received by Genta pushes him down to 2nd place and Sonoda ends up winning the game, giving the Akasaka Drivens their daily double.

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Results

Game 18

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