Thursday (October 23)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Kobayashi

October 23, Table A, Game 1, E3-2

In E3-2, Kobayashi is in 1st place, but he only has 30,700. Kobayashi looks to increase his score and take the 1,600 in bonuses with him.

Kobayashi starts out the hand at 4-shanten with two red fives. In the first row, he makes a single east into a pair, then to a triplet, getting him to 2-shanten. He also picks up a dora 3m to provide some additional value. Towards the end of the second row, Kobayashi calls a 123m chii to get to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. On his very next turn, he gets to tenpai and waits on a 47m ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan.

At the start of the third row, Kobayashi draws the 7m and wins the hand. Kobayashi wins with East/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 2,000+200/4,000+200 plus a riichi stick.

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Haneman Haneman

October 23, Table A, Game 1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8518

In S2-0, Takizawa is in 3rd place, 700 behind 2nd place Genta and 29,200 behind 1st place dealer Kobayashi.

Takizawa starts out with a sold 2-shanten hand with a secured red 5p and tanyao basically guaranteed. On turn 5, Takizawa secures a 678m iipeikou and gets to iishanten. Adjusting his sequence shapes, he ends achieves tenpai in the middle of the second row and calls riichi on a 7s kanchan. Though Aikawa breaks the ippatsu by calling Takizawa’s called north, it shifts the wall and gives Takizawa the 7s on his next draw. Hitting the uradora, Takizawa wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao/Iipeikou/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000, cutting the lead down to 11,200.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8519

In S3-0, starts again at 2-shanten, this time with two sequences, a ryanmen and a pair of wests. On turn 4, he draws a red 5m. With a 456p ryanmen along with a 45s block and a 45m block, Takizawa just needs the two missing 6’s to get a 456 sanshoku. On turn 5, Takizawa gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen. He doesn’t get the 6m, but he does get the 3m on the ippatsu turn to win the hand. Takizawa wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for another 3,000/6,000 win, putting Takizawa in the lead.

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Results

Game 61

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Table B, Game 1

Straightforward

October 23, Table B, Game 1, S1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7015

In S1-1, Futoshi is in 2nd place and 2,400 off the lead.

Futoshi starts with a 2-shanten hand, but lacking in value. Though he only starts out with five pinzu tiles, Futoshi’s hand shifts to a straight with every draw. Getting a red 5p, a 9p and a 1p on consecutive turns, Futoshi gets to tenpai on turn 4 and calls riichi on a 2p kanchan.

Though some players seemed like they could compete, they are all eventually forced to fold. On Futoshi’s second-last draw, he gets the last 2p in the wall and wins the hand. Getting an uradora, Futoshi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Ittsuu/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000.

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Table A, Game 2

Chinitsu

October 23, Table A, Game 2, E2-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10519

In E2-1, Yu is in 4th place after dealing in two hands in a row. He needs at least a haneman to get above starting.

Yu starts out the hand at seven pairs 2-shanten, 3-shanten for a standard hand. With nine pinzu tiles to start with, he also has the option to try for a flush, but that would take a lot of work. From the very first discard, Yu discards a 9p. But, he keeps drawing pinzu. By the end of the first row, his hand is only pinzu and honours.

At the start of the second row, Yu calls a 123p chii and gets to iishanten. As Yu waits, Date gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen.

Within the go-around, Yu calls a 234p chii and gets to tenpai on a 1p/8p shanpon, guaranteed a haneman because of a red 5p. Two turns later, he draws the 1p and wins the hand. Yu wins with Chinitsu/Aka 1 for 3,000+100/6,000+100 plus a riichi stick, Hitting Daigo with the dealer penalty, Yu actually ends up in 1st place.

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Chinitsu

October 23, Table A, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8520

In E3-0, Date is the dealer in 4th place, but is just 7,100 behind 1st place Yu.

As if a repeat of the previous hand, Date has a bunch of pinzu tiles and looks like a pinzu flush. With 10 pinzu tiles, she is closer than Yu started the previous hand and also has a more secure cluster for greater flexibility. Despite wanting to draw, Kazuma keeps skipping her turn, allowing the rest of the field to move ahead. When she does get her draws, he gets pinzu.

Put a wrench in her flush plans is Yu, who calls an early riichi and waits on a 25s ryanmen.

On Date’s next turn, she draws another 1p dora to get to one away from a flush. With such an expensive hand, Date just keeps pushing everything. At the start of her second row, she calls pon off Yu’s discarded 3p and gets to tenpai on a 1p/8p shanpon. Soon after, a 456p chii improves the wait to a 47p ryanmen with four left in the wall.

With a lot of folding from the others, it’s a battle between Yu and Date. In the middle of the third row, Date draws the 4p and wins the hand. Date wins the hand with Chinitsu/Dora 2/Aka 1 for a big 8,000 all baiman plus one riichi stick, more than doubling her score.

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Date Rise

October 23, Table A, Game 2

In S2-0, Date is 1st place and has a 10,800 lead over 2nd place Kazuma.

Date starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a secured red 5m and a dora 3p. WIth an easy route to tanyao, she also has a quick path to a win. On turn 2, Date fills in a 7p kanchan and gets to iishanten. On turn 5, she completes a fourth sequence and gets to tenpai on a 4s tanki. She stays dama and hopes to improve the hand.

At the end of the first row, Kazuma ends up tenpai as well and calls riichi on a 14m ryanmen.

Date’s hand has a lot of potential, so she pushes. In the middle of the second row, she gets an ultimate upgrade and calls riichi on a 258p wait, guaranteed at least a mangan. Just two turns later, Kazuma discards the 2p and deals into Date. Date wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 8,000 plus one riichi stick.

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In S3-0, Date is iishanten with her starting hand, holding a south triplet to allow her to open if she is able to. On turn 3, Date moves back a step to accept a floating red 5s. Over the next few turns, she tries to look for a connector for the red 5s. On turn 8, she gets it in the form of another 5s, giving her a pair. She calls riichi and waits on a 9p/5s shanpon.

Across from her, 4th place Yu is at a strong iishanten hand. However, he needs to be careful to not deal in. Daigo is in a similar situation and actually gets to tenpai on a 36p ryanmen, but he folds when he draws a 5p. At the end of the second row, Yu gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14p wait, wanting the 4p for mangan minimum.

In the middle of the third row, Date draws the 9p and wins the hand. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/South/Aka 1 for 4,000 all plus a riichi stick, pushing Date up to 57,100.

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Results

Game 63

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Table B, Game 2

Ooi Up

October 23, Table B, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9017

In E3-0, Ooi is the dealer in 4th place and is 9,400 behind 1st place Shibukawa.

Ooi starts out the hand at 4-shanten with pairs of east, 1p and 5p (including the red 5p). Within the first go-around, he calls pon on the east to secure a yaku. Right after, he calls pon on the 1p and gets to 2-shanten. On turn 4, Ooi gets to iishanten, needing to fill a 25m ryanmen and a 3s kanchan. Near the end of the row, a 234m chii gets Ooi to tenpai on the 3s penchan.

Looking around the table, both Daisuke and Shibukawa are iishanten. Within a few turns, Daisuke gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen.

Right after, Shibukawa makes a sixth pair and calls riichi on a south tanki.

Three player in tenpai, only one can win. On Shibukawa’s next turn, he discards the 3s and deals into Ooi. Ooi wins the hand with Double East/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 12,000 plus two riichi sticks, taking the lead.

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Ura Ura

October 23, Table B, Game 2, E3-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7016

In E3-2, Sonoda is in 2nd place and is 13,300 behind place Ooi.

Sonoda starts out the hand at 4-shanten with a secured red 5s. With quite a few good shapes, there’s a good chance at pinfu happening. By the middle of the first row, Sonoda is 2-shanten with two ryanmens and a three-sided wait, pinfu guaranteed.

To his left, Daisuke is quickly advancing. Having already called the green dragon and a red 5m for a 456m sequence, Daisuke gets to iishanten. A turn later, he gets to tenpai on a 7p kanchan.

In the second row, Sonoda gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen, guaranteed at least 3 han.

Within the go-around, Ooi joins in and calls riichi ona 14m ryanmen.

Right after, Daisuke discards the 2p to keep tenpai and deals into Sonoda. With Sonoda’s 9m pair becoming the uradora, Sonoda wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Aka 1/Ura 2 for 12,000+600 plus a riichi stick, moving up to 1st place.

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