Tuesday (September 30)

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Game 1

Ura San

September 30, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8005

In E1-0, Shibukawa starts out 2-shanten with a triplet of souths. On turn 2, he fills in an 8p dora kanchan for iishanten. A turn later, he completes a 345s sequence and calls riichi on a red dragon tanki.

With hardly any tiles discarded, it’s hard to play safely. On turn 6, Shibata discards the red dragon and deals into Shibukawa. With a flip of the uradora, Shibukawa’s south triplets become the uradora for a big upgrade. Shibukawa wins with with Riichi/Dora 1/Ura 3 for 8,000.

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Ura Ura

September 30, Game 1, S2-1

In S2-1, Nagai is in 2nd place and 2,200 behind 1st place Shibukawa. With 1,300 going to the next winner, a win here by Nagai puts him into 1st place.

Nagai starts off at 3-shanten with only one completed sequence. A single west dora is in his hand, which could provide him with value as a yakuhai triplet. In the first row, though, the sequences win over. On turn 5, Nagai discards the west to go for the number tiles.

At the end of the first row, Nagai, makes a 3444p shape, giving the potential for a triplet or sequences. After drawing a 5p and a 6p, the sequence options still remain. After making a 5s pair, Nagai gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen.

Across from him, dealer Shibata has two red fives and is iishanten, waiting on 7 different tiles for tenpai. It takes a bit, but Shibata does get to tenpai in the middle of the third row and waits dama on a 36p ryanmen for mangan.

But, on Shibata’s next turn, he discards the 2p and deals into Nagai. Hitting two uradora, Nagai wins with Riichi/Pinfu/Ura 2 for 8,000+300 plus one riichi stick.

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MenPinTsumoAka

September 30, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7505

In S4-0, Nagai is the dealer in 2nd place and 4,300 behind 1st place Shibukawa.

Nagai starts out at 3-shanten, but he has two completed sequences, a 47p ryanmen and a secured red 5m. On turn 5, he creates a 36s ryanmen for 2-shanten. Creating a 9m pair in the middle of the second row, Nagai gets to iishanten.

When Nagai gets the 4p a turn later, he hits tenpai and calls riichi on a 36s ryanmen.

To his right, Futoshi is in 3rd place and 10,700 behind Nagai and 15,000 behind 1st place Shibukawa. Because of Nagai’s riichi, a haneman tsumo would be enough for sole 1st place. Even a mangan tsumo can push Futoshi up a rank.

During the ippatsu round, Futoshi is able to keep his hand by discarding a safe 9p. A turn later, Futoshi gets to tenpai on a 6s kanchan and calls riichi. With tsumo and two more han, he can take 1st.

In the middle of the third row, the faceoff ends as Nagai draws the 3s and wins the hand. Nagai wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 1 for 2,600 all plus one riichi stick.

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Results

Game 23

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Game 2

Sonoda Start

September 30, Game 2, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7004

In E1-0, Sonoda starts out 2-shanten with two completed sequences and two ryanmens. With tanyao and a dora 4s in tow, as well as a chance to have a 567 sanshoku, the hand is looking to be expensive. By turn 3, he has a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten.

However, on turn 5, Hori makes his presence know by calling riichi on a 25m nobetan.

With such a good hand, Sonoda simply pushes. At the start of the second row, Sonoda gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen. If he wins off the 7m, he will have haneman minimum.

It’s Sonoda’s four winning tiles against Hori’s single winning tile. But, that number gets dwindled down to a 1 vs. 1 with only tiles left to draw. Then, on Hori’s turn, he draws and discards Sonoda’s bg 7m and deals in. Sonoda wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Sanshoku/Dora 1 for 12,000 plus Hori’s riichi stick.

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Respond

September 30, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s80_p2091

In E2-0, Hori is in 4th place after dealing into Sonoda’s haneman while in riichi. A dealer mangan himself will get him close to starting.

Hori starts off the hand 4-shanten and is a 9s and 7m away from a 789 sanshoku. The only progress that Hori makes in the first few turns is making a west pair. Though it’s not a yakuhai, it does give the potential for chanta.

To his right, Kazuma is making a lot of progress. With a red dragon and south pon, Kazuma is iishanten with honitsu guaranteed. Calling pon on the red 5s, he gets to tenpai and waits on a 1s/7s shanpon for haneman.

The danger spooks Sonoda enough to fold his brief 3m kanchan, but Hori is still able to push pinzu. Having drawn a 9s to complete the souzu triplet and creating a 778999p shape, both chanta and sanshoku stay alive. In the middle of the second row, Hori gets to tenpai and stays dama on an 8p kanchan. Immediately after, Kazuma draws and discards the 8p, dealing into Hori. Hori wins the hand with Chanta/Sanshoku/Iipeikou for 12,000, getting up to 24,000.

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Uchikawa Up

September 30, Game 2

In S2-0, Uchikawa is in 2nd place and 17,200 behind 1st place Sonoda. With his dealership gone, he only has three hands to overcome the deficit.

Uchikawa starts off 3-shanten with a secured dora 7s. The first row treats Uchikawa well, giving him a pair of 7p and a 345m sequence with a red 5m. By the end of the row, he is iishanten.

Across from him, Kazuma is also iishanten. On turn 8, he gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen.

During the ippatsu round, Uchikawa chases with a 25s ryanmen. Immediately after, Hori discards the 2s (having three of the 3s to make it one-chance) trying to keep iishanten and deals into Uchikawa. Uchikawa wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000 plus Kazuma’s riichi stick.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7506

In S4-0, Uchikawa is in 2nd place and 9,600 behind 1st place dealer Sonoda. To finish the game in 1st place, Uchikawa needs a 3/40 direct hit, a mangan tsumo or a haneman ron.

Uchikawa’s startin hand provides a lot of hope, being 3-shanten with a pair of the double souths and a secured red 5p. Over his next two turns, he fills in a 7s kanchan and calls pon on the double south for iishanten. Before the row is done, he gets to tenpai on a 25p ryanmen, guaranteed 3 han. It’s not quite enough, but it would at least secure 2nd place.

At the start of the second row, Uchikawa has a chance to switch to a 25m nobetan. Though the switch might seem small, it gives him the chance to draw the red 5m and make the comeback.

Sure enoguh, just two turns later, Uchikawa draws the red 5m and wins the hand! Uchikawa wins with Double South/Aka 2 for 2,000/4,000, winning his second game in a row.

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Results

Game 24

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