Monday (October 6)

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Game 1

Dama

October 6, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7508

In E1-0, Katsumata is playing for the EX Furinkazan and is trying to continue the team’s incredible start.

Katsumata starts off with a strong 2-shanten hand with two ryanmens and a secured red 5m. To have a strong chance at tanyao and guaranteed 678s iipeikou, he needs to get the 6s. On turn 4, he gets the 6s for iishanten. At the start of the second row, Katsumata gets to tenpai on a green dragon dora tanki, staying dama with mangan guaranteed.

The green dragon is a good wait for value, but is unlikely to come out from anyone. In fact, the wait is dead by the middle of the second row. Near the end of the second row, Katsumata draws the 8m, the perfect improvement. Not only does it give him a 58m nobetan, but it also gives him tanyao guaranteed and can win with a 678 sanshoku on a 5m win.

With Katsumata’s discarded green dragon dora, Shibata calls pon. His hand looks like a guaranteed haneman, but one thing stands in the way: the 5m. As Shibata discards to be tenpai with his big hand, Katsumata calls ron. Katsumata wins with Tanyao/Sanshoku/Iipeikou/Aka 1 for 8,000, taking the early lead.

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Double Riichi

October 6, Game 1, S1-0

In S1-0, Okada is in 3rd place and 8400 behind 2nd place dealer Taro.

With Okada’s very first draw, she gets to tenpai! Though the wait is not the widest and she has no other yaku, she calls the double riichi on a 3s wait. At the end of the first row, Okada draws the 3s and wins the hand. Okada wins with Double Riichi/Tsumo for 1,000/2,000.

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Down to 4th

October 6, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7509

In S4-0, Katsumata is the dealer in 1st place, but his lead is only 400.

Katsumata has a very strong starting hand, pairing up the dora 8p with his first draw to get to iishanten. With a secured red 5s and well, he is iishanten. Though he could wait to complete a 345s iipeikou (needing a 4s), Katsumata chooses to call pon on the 5s instead, aiming for toitoi. With a 3s pon a turn later, he gets to haneman tenpai on a 7m/8p shanpon.

Though, only a single 7m remains in the wall. And before the middle of the second row, his wait is dead. His only chance of getting it is if someone pushes and discards it.

In the middle of the second row, Okada completes her push and get to tenpai on 25p ryanmen.

Between Katsumata and Okada is Taro, looking to get a potential mangan. Being iishanten, Taro pushes the 7m and deals into Katsumata. Katsumata wins the hand with Toitoi/Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 18,000, moving Katsumata above 50,000 and Taro into 4th place.

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Out From 4th

October 6, Game 1, S4-1

In S4-1, Taro is in 4th place after dealing into Katsumata’s big dealer haneman. Sitting 6,800 behind 3rd place Shibata, Taro needs a 3/25 or 2/50 direct hit, a 3/40 or 4/20 tsumo, or a mangan ron.

Taro starts out the hand 3-shanten with a pair of red dragons and a connected red 5s. Though the red dragon pair could be useful in an open hand, the hand is cheap right now and it can actually impede him from growing it. When Taro pairs up the 2p to go along with his 4p pair, he breaks the red dragons in his 2-shanten hand. Approaching the middle of the second row, he makes a triplet of 2p for iishanten.

Across from him, iishanten Shibata wants to stop the comeback. In the middle of the row, he is the first to tenpai and stays dama on a 25m ryanmen.

At the end of the second row, Taro gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36s ryanmen. His hand only has two han, so he needs to win by tsumo or direct hit with a booster to finish in 3rd place.

Two turns later, Okada chases with a 69m ryanmen, wanting the 6m for mangan. If she draws the 6m and gets a booster, she will win the game.

During Okada’s ippatsu turn, Shibata draws the 3s. WIth the sacred tile being so dangerous, Shibata makes the right move and folds, leaving the battle between Taro and Okada.

As the wall gets shorter, it looks like the hand might go to a draw. Then, on the very last tile in the wall, Taro draws the blessed sanzou and wins the hand! Hitting the uradora for good measure, Taro wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Haitei/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 2,000+100/4,000+100 plus a riichi stick to finish in 3rd place.

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Results

Game 33

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Game 2

Dora Aka Ura

October 6, Game 2, E2-1

In E2-1, Shibukawa is tied for 3rd place and 6,900 behind 1st place Futoshi.

Shibukawa starts off the hand at 3-shanten with a connected red 5p. Shibukawa gets rid of his stray honours and terminals in the first four turns, allowing him to shift to draw the dora 3p, shift to tanyao and get to 2-shanten. By the row’s end, he is iishanten.

Near the start of the second row, Shibukawa gets to tenpai and stays dama on a 3s/5s shanpon. A turn later, he improves the wait and calls riichi on a 14s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan.

Two turns later, Nagai chases on a 36s ryanmen.

Nagai has four winning tiles while Shibukawa has two. But, Nagai’s winning tiles keep getting drawn by Aikawa and Futoshi. Around the start of the third row, it is now Shibukawa who has double the number of winning tiles as Nagai. On the second-last tile in the wall, Nagai draws and discards the 1s and deals into Shibukawa. Shibukawa wins with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 8,000+300 plus a riichi stick.

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Up

October 6, Game 2, S3-3

In S3-3, Aikawa is in 3rd place and 5,600 behind 2nd place Futoshi.

Aikawa starts off pairing up the dora norths to get to 3-shanten. With two ryanmens, she does have a decent chance at a good final shape. On turn 2, she adds another one. With a 3s kanchan fill on turn 4, she gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten (though pinfu is not in the cards since north is her wind).

At the end of the of the first row, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen. Three turns later, she draws the 6m and wins the hand. Aikawa wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 2 for 2,000+300/4,000+300.

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Up Again

October 6, Game 2, S4-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11507

In S4-2, Aikawa is back in 3rd place and now has a 14,600 deficit to overcome. With a mangan direct hit, a haneman tsumo or a baiman ron, she will have enough.

Her starting hand is a bit messy at a standard 4-shanten. However, with her pairs of green dragon, 7p and 1m, as well as a lone 9s dora, there is a shortcut to haneman in reach. On turn 4, she pairs up the 3m for her fourth pair.

However, she isn’t the only one going for chiitoi. On turn 5, dealer Futoshi makes his sixth pair and calls riichi on a white dragon tanki.

With Futoshi’s riichi, Aikawa can now win a mangan tsumo or a haneman ron and move into 1st place (albeit a tie with the ron).

With seven pairs being flexible with offence and defence, Aikawa is able to push. At the start of the second row, Aikawa draws a red 5m to make her fifth pair. A turn later, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on the 9s dora. If she gets it on tsumo or direct hit, she will be sole 1st place. On a ron (without uradora), she will tie for 1st place.

During the ippatsu round, 4th place Nagai calls riichi on an 8m/5s shanpon.

With the additional riichi, now any win will be enough for sole 1st place. Near the end of the second row, Futoshi draws and discards the 9s and deals into Aikawa. Aikawa wins with Riichi/Chiitoi/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 12,000+600 plus two riichi sticks, finishing the game in 2nd place.

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Results

Game 34

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