Thursday (April 24)

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Game 1

Red Five Riichi

April 24, Game 1, E1-0

In E1-0, Genta is the starting dealer and looking for his first playoff win.

Genta starts out the hand with pairs of green dragon, east, 7m and 4m. On turn 4, Genta pairs up hte 1p and advances to iishanten. Tow turns later, he pairs up the 3m. The only two lone tiles that remain in Genta’s hand are the 3p and the red 5p. Though Genta could wait on the 5p tanki to use the extra value, Genta instead chooses to call riichi by throwing the red 5p, setting the Ishibashi Trap on the 3p.

To his left, Kurosawa is 2-shanten with a chance at a 678 sanshoku. After throwing a lone honour during the ippatsu round, she fills in a 7p kanchan and throws the 4p, hoping it’s safe with the red 5p discard. After drawing safe tiles on her next few turns, she gets to tenpai near the end of the second row and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen, wanting the 6m for maximum value.

In the third row, Kurosawa draws and discards the 3p and deals into Genta. Genta wins the hand with Riichi/Chiitoi for 4,800 plus a riichi stick.

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MenPinTsumo

April 24, Game 1, E3-2

In E3-2, Genta is in 2nd place is a very tight game, 700 away from 1st and 7,600 away from 4th. A riichi stick and two honba are in the pot.

Genta start out with a very nice 3-shanten hand with four ryanmens and a connected red 5s, very likely to be pinfu. Within the first row, Genta ends up making a 3p triplet which loses the pinfu guarantee, but it does get him to iishanten with a lot of acceptance.

In the second row, Genta makes a 234m sequence and calls riichi on a 36s ryanmen, cutting the 3p to make it into a pair for pinfu.

Within the go-around, Matsumoto gets to tenpai and chases with a 3m/4m shanpon.

In the third row, Genta draws the 6s and wins the hand. Genta wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 1 for 1,300+200/2,600+200 plus two riichi sticks.

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Red Five Riichi

April 24, Game 1, E4-0

In E4-0, Sonoda is in 2nd place and 8,600 behind 1st place Genta.

Sonoda starts out the hand with quite a mess 5-shanten hand, but does have a 6p and a red 5m for value. All of his first six discards are either terminals and honours, shifting towards sequences. By the end of the first row, he is 2-shanten.

In the second row, he makes a green dragon pair and fills in a 2s kanchan to get to iishanten. Also in the hand is a chance at a 456 sanshoku, needing a 5p and a 6m for it to happen.

Near the end of the second row, Sonoda fills in a 5p kanchan and gets to tenpai. Normally, players would call riichi by throwing the regular 5m and wait on the 36m ryanmen. However, Sonoda follows Genta’s lead at the start of the game and throws the red 5m, setting the Ishibashi Trap on the 36m ryanmen.

Despite the scary riichi, players keep moving forward. In the third row, Matsumoto gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 258s wait.

Two turns later, Genta gets to tenpai on a 69s ryanmen and calls riichi.

Though it would seem to be a major backfire for Sonoda, he ends up drawing the 3m immediately after and wins the hand. Sonoda wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1 for 1,000/2,000 plus two riichi sticks. Though it could have been more if he kept the red 5m, a win is a win.

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Menhon

April 24, Game 1, S2-1

In S2-1, Kurosawa is in 4th place and 11,300 behind 3rd place Matsumoto.

Kurosawa starts out the hand at 4-shanten with no real direction for the hand. It does have an 8m dora for value. In the first row, Kurosawa leans heavily towards a manzu honitsu. Creating a 234m iipeikou and an east triplet, Kurosawa gets to iishanten at the end of the first row.

After a bit of reorganization in the second row, Kurosawa fills in a 7m penchan on turn 11 and waits dama on a north tanki, guaranteed at least a mangan if she wins.

At the start of the third row, Sonoda gets to tenpai on a 4p kanchan, but none remain in the wall. Soon after, Kurosawa draws a red 5m and switches to a 25m ryanmen, with the 5m giving iipeikou. Within the go-around, Matsumoto discards the 2m and deals into Kurosawa. Kurosawa wins the hand with Honitsu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000+300. With the direct hit, Kurosawa moves uo to 3rd place.

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Results

Game 21

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Game 2

Ippatsu

April 24, Game 2, E2-1

In E2-1, Kayamori is the dealer in 1st place, holding a 1,400 lead over 1st place Kayamori.

With Kayamori’s very first draw, she gets to iishanten, but has an annoying 3s penchan to contend with. On turn 2, Kayamori pairs up the 2s, shifting towards tanyao and waits on 12 different tiles for tenpai. On turn 5, she draws a third 2s and calls riichi on a 347s wait. On her very next turn, she draws the 4s and wins the hand. Kayamori wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Tanyao for 4,000+100 all.

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Taro Time

April 24, Game 2, E2-2

In E2-2, Taro is in 4th place and 11,000 behind 3rd place Ooi.

Taro starts out the hand at 4-shanten with three ryanmens, a connected red 5p and a pair of norths.

In the first row, Taro makes a lot of wide waits and a triplet of norths to get to 2-shanten. Across from him, 1st place Kayamori is very busy with a red dragon and a white dragon pon for iishanten. Calling a 678m chii, Kayamori gets to tenpai on a 5p/6p shanpon.

In the middle of the second row, Hagiwara gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 58s ryanmen.

Back to Taro, he is iishanten with two ryanmens. On Taro’s next turn, he fills in one of them and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen. With the riichi, Kayamori chooses to fold, but Hagiwara decides to go ahead and call a chasing riichi.

At the end of the second row, Taro draws the 9s and wins the hand. Taro wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000+200/4,000+200. With Hagiwara’s riichi stick, it pushes Taro into 3rd place.

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Takaharu Time

April 24, Game 2, E3-0

In E3-0, Ooi is in 4th place, 800 behind 3rd place Taro and 3,600 behind 2nd place Hagiwara.

Ooi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with two 2m dora connected to a pair of 3m. In the first row, Ooi makes a 234m sequence and pairs up the 3s to get to iishanten, guaranteed a good wait with pinfu. As Ooi waits for that next step, Kayamori gets to tenpai on a 4p kanchan, but has no yaku.

At the start of the second row, Ooi creates a 123m sequence and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins.

Two turns later, dealer Hagiwara gets to tenpai on a 47m ryanmen. After staying dama for a turn, Hagiwara calls riichi.

The riichi ends up being a donation as Ooi draws the 4p on his next turn. Ooi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 2 for 2,000/4,000 plus a riichi stick, moving up to 2nd.

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Sanankou

April 24, Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2132

In S1-0, Taro is in 3rd place and 10,200 behind 2nd place Ooi.

Taro starts out the hand with a very strong 2-shanten, holding a triplet of green dragons and a triplet of the 5p dora. On turn 5, Taro makes a pair of 3s for iishanten.

In the second row, Taro shifts a 3p penchan into a 47s ryanmen. With a 456s chii in the middle of the second row, Taro’s gets to tenpai on a 3s/8s shanpon. WIth a tsumo, he will have a haneman.

To his left, Hagiwara has already called a 345p chii (with the red 5p double dora) and a 7m triplet for iishanten. Near the end of the row, Hagiwara calls pon on the white dragon, the only potential yaku in his hand, and gets to tenpai on a 14m ryanmen.

Within the go-around, Ooi gets to tenpai on a 3m kanchan.

In the third row, Taro draws the 8s and wins the hand. Taro wins with Sanankou/Green Dragon/Dora 3 for 3,000/6,000, moving up to 2nd.

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Hit

April 24, Game 2, S2-0

In S2-0, Hagiwara is in 4th place and 11,300 behind 3rd place Ooi.

Hagiwara starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a pair of souths. In the first row, Hagiwara makes a 678m sequence and a 25m ryanmen, getting him to iishanten. In the middle of the second row, Hagiwara makes a double south triplet and calls riichi on a 25m ryanmen.

Across from him, Hagiwara is iishanten with two ryanmens, a pair of green dragons, a triplet of red dragons and a connected red 5m. When Hagiwara calls a concealed kan on the south on his next turn, Ooi’s red dragon triplet becomes the dora, guaranteeing him at least a haneman. At the end of the second row, Ooi gets to tenpai on a 36p ryanmen.

With so much value, Ooi is compelled to push everything. In the third row, Ooi draws and discards the 5m and deals into Hagiwara. Hagiwara wins the hand with Riichi/Double South/Ura 1 for 8,000. With the direct hit, Hagiwara moves up to 3rd place.

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Payback

April 24, Game 2, S3-0

In S3-0, Ooi is in 4th place and 4,700 behind 3rd place Hagiwara after dealing into Hagiwara’s hand while pushing a haneman.

Ooi starts out the hand with three 6m and three 7m. With a 4m and an 8m added to it, Ooi leans towards a flush. With his very first discard, he breaks up a souzu penchan and leans towards it. In the middle of the first row, Ooi calls a 567m chii on the red 5m to get to 2-shanten. Near the end of the row, he calls a 234m chii for iishanten.

WIth a 9m draw at the start of the second row, Ooi draws a 9m to go towards a full flush. A few turns later, Ooi pairs up the 9m and gets to tenpai on a 58m ryanmen. Though Taro wants to push and actually gets to tenpai on a 58s ryanmen, but folds when he draws the 7m. Soon after, Hagiwara discards the 8m and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Chinitsu/Aka 1 for 12,000, retaking 3rd place.

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Results

Game 22

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