Tuesday (October 28)

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Game 1

Hiro High

October 28, Game 1, S1-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11511

In S1-2, Shibata is the dealer in 1st place and has a 12,900 lead over 2nd place Daisuke.

From the start, Shibata is 2-shanten with a pair of the 5m dora (including the red 5m), a three-sided wait in pinzu and a pair of souths. On turn 4, he calls pon on the souths to secure a yaku. Two turns later, he calls a 234m chii and gets to tenpai on a 258p three-sided wait. Within the go-around, Nakabayashi discards the 2p and deals into Shibata. Shibata wins the hand with South/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 12,000.

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Sanankou

October 28, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7018

In S4-0, Taro is the dealer in 3rd place, 9,100 behind 2nd place Daisuke.

Taro starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a secured red 5m. The first row provides Taro with a 5m triplet and pairs of 9p and 4p, but the rest of the hand looks pretty standard. But, when the second round comes along, things start to shift a bit. He makes a pair of 2m, the the 4p becomes a triplet, then the 9p becomes a triplet. Before he knows it, he is tenpai on a 7m penchan with the possibility of upgrading to a yakuman. Before the end of the row, Nakabayashi discards the 7m and deals in. Taro wins with Sanankou/Aka 1 for 9,600, moving up to 2nd.

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Results

Game 71

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Game 2

Ura San

October 28, Game 2, E2-0

In E2-0, Futoshi is in 2nd place and 6,600 behind 1st place Shibata.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a triplet of 7s. Within the first four turns, Futoshi gets to tenpai on a 4m kanchan, but chooses to stay yakuless in order to fish for a better wait.

While Futoshi does that, 4th place Nakada is 2-shanten and needs to fill in a 3s kanchan, a 3p kanchan and a 3m kanchan. At the end of the first row, she draws the 3s for iishanten. Within the go-around, she calls a 234p chii and gets to tenpai on a 3m kanchan.

In the second row, Futoshi makes a pair of 3m and decides to call riichi on a 3m/9p shanpon. Wanting to avoid dealing into the ippatsu, Nakada discards the safer 2m and switches to a 47m/red dragon wait, only allowed to win on the red dragon. Two turns later, Futoshi draws the 3m and wins the hand. With the flip, that 3m triplet becomes the uradora and gives him a Riichi/Ura 3 hand for a surprising 2,000/4,000 win for 1st place.

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Futoshi Flips

October 28, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7019

In S4-0, Futoshi is in 3rd place, 4,800 behind 2nd place Nakada and 7,000 behind 1st place dealer Shibata. To take 1st place, Futoshi needs a 3/40 direct hit or tsumo (including a 4/20 tsumo), or a mangan ron.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a secured red 5m and a floating 9m. Some value is there, but the shapes and final hand aren’t quite there. Within the first row, a lot of manzu start coming to Futoshi, including a third 6m, a second 9m and a second 2m. When the 9m comes out at the end of the row, Futoshi calls pon, aiming for a flush.

Looking to his left, 4th place Kobayashi is 6,600 behind Futoshi, so he is looking for a mangan. In the middle of the second row, he gets to tenpai on a 47p ryanmen, but stays dama with no value except pinfu. The reasoning behind this is because of the possibility to add a sanshoku, with an 8s giving him it guaranteed and a 5m giving him a chance. Either way, he needs to stay dama to improve it.

On Kobayashi’s next draw, he gets the winning 4p. Aiming to go up in placement, Kobayashi decides to make the bold decision and call a furiten 58m ryanmen riichi. If he draws the 8s, he will be at least 3rd. If he gets lucky and gets a booster with it, he will have a haneman a will end up in 1st.

Back to Futoshi, he has a pair of 8s in his hand and is open to the possibility of getting toitoi instead. When he pairs up the 5m, that idea gets a bit closer. When Futoshi draws a 4m to create quite a wide manzu iishanten, chooses to throw it back and go for the safer toitoi route. Right after, he calls pon on the 5m and gets to tenpai on an 8s/2m shanpon wait, guaranteed a haneman.

With no more 8s left in the wall, it’s only a question of whether Futoshi will win. Futoshi gets the opportunity to call kan on the 9m, but chooses not to take the big risk. As the hand winds down, it looks like the game will end with a draw. But then, at the very last moment, the very last tile, Futoshi draws the 2m and wins the hand! Futoshi wins with Toitoi/Haitei/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 12,000 for a huge 1st place victory.

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Results

Game 72

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