Tuesday (December 2)

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Game 1

Ippatsu

December 2, Game 1, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11527

In E2-0, Shibata is in a 2nd place tie and is 2,000 behind 1st place Shimoishi.

Shibata starts out the hand at 2-away with two completed sequences and a ryanmen. Value is lacking, but pinfu is certainly a possibility. On turn 4, he builds a 3s penchan for iishanten, but would prefer a ryanmen instead. In the middle of the second row, he draws the dora 5m to create a 36m ryanmen, guaranteeing him pinfu. A turn later, he draws the 3m and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen. On his ippatsu draw, he gets the 8p and wins the hand. Hitting the uradora, Shibata wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000.

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Ryanpeikou Reject

December 2, Game 1, E3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8534

In E3-1, Hisato is in a two-way tie for 3rd place, 5,000 behind 2nd place Shimoishi and 14,000 behind 1st place Shibata. A riichi stick and a honba sit in the pot.

Hisato starts out with a fine 3-shanten hand with a pair of the south dora and a secured red 5m. However, because the souths aren’t his sit or the round wind, he will likely have to stay closed and wait. In the first row, he is only able to get to 2-shanten, not really creating any new good waits. In the second row, however, he gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten and actually has a chance to get ryanpeikou if he gets the 5p and the 3m.

However, danger lurks ahead as Shimoishi gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen.

On Hisato’s next turn, he draws the 3m. He would ideally want to discard the 6p for a chance at the rare yaku, but it’s a bit too reckless with Shimoishi’s 7p riichi tile. Instead, Hisato throws the safe 3p and waits on a 25p ryamen.

The 3p discard lets Yu call a 345p sequence and gets to tenpai on a 58m ryanmen.

Two turns later, Shimoishi discards the 2p and deals into Hisato. Hisato wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Iipeikou/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 12,000+300 plus two riichi sticks, taking the lead by 300.

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South 4 Shibata

December 2, Game 1, S4-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11528

In S4-1, Shibata is the final dealer in 1st place, holding a slim 1,000 lead over Hisato.

Shibata starts out the hand with pairs of 5p (including the red 5p), 6p and 9p, along with a 47s ryanmen. In the first few turns, he draws a red 5s and creates a 567s sequence. Filling in a 4s kanchan at the row’s end, he gets to iishanten.

In the middle of the second row, he draws a 4p to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen. If he draws the 4p himself, he will have haneman minimum.

With a 5m call within the go-around, Hisato gets to tenpai on a 14s ryanmen, only allowed to win on the 4s. If he wins it, he wins the game.

On Yu’s draw, he chases Shibata with a 58p ryanmen. If he wins this hand, he wins the game.

Shibata has two challengers for the win and all he can do is wait. After drawing a dangerous 6m, Hisato decides to bow out. At the end of the second row, Shibata draws the 7p and wins the hand. Shibata wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 2 for 4,000+100 all plus a riichi stick.

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Results

Game 131

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Game 2

Ends

December 2, Game 2, E4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s80_p2524

In E4-0, Aikawa is in a 1st place tie with dealer Tojo with 28,000.

Aikawa starts out the hand with pairs of the 1m, 1p and dora 9m, as well as a 14s ryanmen. After drawing the 1s, her hand is clearly built to go around the edges. With a 1p pon, Aikawa gets to 2-shanten. At the start of the second row, she calls pon on the 1m and gets to iishanten. She holds a white dragon and an 8s that she can build around.

In the middle of the second row, she draws a 7s, getting her to tenpai on a 69s ryanmen. It’s not ideal since she is only allowed to win on the 9s and is at risk of getting into furiten.

To her right, 2nd place Date has also been call-happy. Having called three times, she is still only at iishanten. Despite her attempts, she struggles to get to tenpai safely. As she waits, Aikawa calls an added kan on the 1m and makes Date’s 6p into a new dora. In the middle of the third row, Date finally gets to tenpai and waits on a 4m kanchan.

Late in the game, 4th place Nakabayashi gets to tenpai. With only four live tiles in the wall, he has a huge opportunity to ippatsu on the last tile in the wall if he calls riichi. In addition, the riichi give him an opportunity to get the extra uradora. Wanting glory, Nakabayashi calls riichi.

…Unfortunately, it backfires spectacularly as he draws the 9s on the very last tile, dealing into Aikawa.

Aikawa wins the hand with Houtei/Junchan/Dora 2 for an impress 8,000 mangan plus a riichi stick, moving into sole 1st place.

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Looking Forward

December 2, Game 2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10529

In S1-0, Nakabayashi is in 4th place after dealing into a painful houtei mangan the previous hand. However, he has an opportunity to make up ground with his final dealership.

Nakabayashi starts out the hand at 4-shanten with a red 5p, a dora 7s and two clear ryanmen shapes. Early on, he merges the two ryanmens into one to create a 369p three-sided wait. Right after, he pairs up the 7s dora to set himself up for a mangan. With a 234s chii, Nakabayashi gets to iishanten.

With Nakabayashi’s discarded 4s, Aikawa calls a 234s chii as well and gets to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen.

At the start of the second row, Nakabayashi calls pon on the 8s and gets to tenpai on the 369p three-sided wait. However, the 9p spells trouble as it would give him no yaku and could put him into furiten.

At the end of the second row, that worst-case scenario happens as he draws and discards the 9p. He is in furiten, but still has a chance to win by tsumo.

More trouble brews as Tojo gets to tenpai on a 7m kanchan. Having been waiting with no yaku, she shifts herself to tanyao and waits dama.

As both Aikawa and Tojo draw dangerous tiles, both players end up folding. Then, on Nakabayashi’s last draw, he gets the 3p and wins the hand! Nakabayashi wins with Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, putting him within another mangan tsumo of 1st place.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10530

In S1-1, Nakabayashi starts off at 3-shanten with sequences in view. Within the first three turns, he gets himself to iishanten and is just a 6p away from a pinzu straight. Aside from shifting a 7m penchan to a 7m kanchan, all Nakabayashi does it draw and discard. In the middle of the second row, Nakabayashi finally draws the 6p and calls riichi on the 7m kanchan. At the end of the row, he draws the final 7m and wins the hand. Nakabayashi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Ittsuu for 4,000+100 all, moving into 1st place.

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Straight Ahead

December 2, Game 2, S4-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11021

In S4-2, Tojo is the final dealer in 4th place 6,800 behind 3rd place Date. Having won the past two hands and escaping the negatives, she has the momentum to escape 4th place as well.

Tojo starts out the hand at 3-shanten and creating a 369p three-sided wait. On turn 3, she draws a 2p to connect to a 1p. With the pinzu shape, she is just a 3p and a 9p away from a pinzu straight. On turn 4, she pairs up the 3s and gets to iishanten. After a lot of drawing and discarding, Tojo gets the 9p in the middle of the second row and calls riichi on the 3p dora, guaranteed at least a mangan if she wins. A single 3p remains in the wall.

She would not go unchallenged, however. Having been holding a good iishanten at the time of the riichi, Nakabayashi is able to safely push. In the third row, he draws a red 5s and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen, also holding mangan minimum.

Right after, Aikawa throws the 3p trying to call riichi (with a triplet of 4p in her hand, the 3p was a one-chance) and deals into Tojo. Tojo wins the hand with Riichi/Ittsuu/Dora 1 for 12,000+600 plus a riichi stick, moving into 3rd place.

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Results

Game 132

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