Thursday (December 11)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Driving Start

December 11, Table A, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7030

In E1-0, Futoshi is the first dealer and starts out already iishanten, needing a 7p and an 8m to complete a 789p sanshoku. However, on turn 4, he gets the value instead from a concealed east triplet. Since he can’t have both that and the sanshoku with his current hand composition, he ends the sanshoku by getting rid of the penchan. After making a pair of 6p on his next turn, he calls riichi on an 8m kanchan.

To his right, the 3-shanten Hinata starts to fold. But, as she does her hand slowly starts to build. By the middle of the second row, she is safely at iishanten with a completed manzu straight (including the red 5m). Near the end of the row, she draws a dora 5p and stays dama on a 6p kanchan.

In the middle of the third row, Hinata draws an 8m. Not wanting to give up her mangan tenpai, Hinata discards it and deals in. With an uradora hit, Futoshi wins with Riichi/Double East/Ura 1 for 12,000.

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Hinata Haitei Hit

December 11, Table A, Game 1, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9031

In S1-0, Hinata is in 4th place and is 13,000 behind 3rd place Nakada.

Hinata’s hand starts off at 3-shanten with only a single red dragon dora for value. On turn 2, she pairs it up to give her value and a potential yaku. Continuing to build her hand, she gets to 2-shanten at the end of the first row.

At the start of the second row, Hinata is able to call pon on the red dragon, getting her to iishanten and guaranteeing her at least a mangan. A few turns later, she draws a fourth one and calls an added kan, upping her hand to 5 han.

In the third row, Hinata finally gets to tenpai and waits on a 369m three-sided wait. On her second-last draw, she draws a red 5m to up her to haneman range. However, she only has one more draw left, the final tile int he wall. Hinata reaches for that final tile and gets…

…the 9m and wins the hand! Hinata wins with Haitei/Red Dragon/Dora 4/Aka 1 for a surprise 3,000/6,000, moving up to 3rd place.

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Results

Game 145

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Table B, Game 1

Kurosawa Chase

December 11, Table B, Game 1, E1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10030

In E1-1, Kurosawa is in a 3-way tie for 2nd place, sitting 5,200 behind 1st place dealer Kazuma.

Kurosawa starts off at 4-shanten, lacking value and holding on a pinzu ryanmen as a good shape. The first row does an okay job for Kurosawa, giving her a red 5m to make a triplet, a pair of wests and a floating dora 8p. By the end of the row, she is 3-shanten. In the second row, she completes a 678m sequence and draws a 7p connector to get to iishanten.

To her right, Kazuma is also iishanten. With a 678p chii, he gets to tenpai and waits on a 58m ryanmen, wanting the 8m for a 678 sanshoku.

Immediately after, Kurosawa draws the perfect tile and calls riichi on a 369p three-sided wait. On her very next turn, she gets the 9p and wins the hand. With an uradora hit, Kurosawa wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 3,000+100/6,000+100.

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Okada Overtakes

December 11, Table B, Game 1, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8026

In S1-0, Okada is in 2nd place after winning the previous hand and collecting more than 4,000 in bonus sticks. She now sits 7,900 behind 1st place Kurosawa.

Okada starts out with some decent value with a red 5p and a red 5m, but is 5-shanten from tenpai. Okada’s first row is solely discarding terminal and honours. Getting a few connectors, Okada manages to get herself to 2-shanten.

At the start of the second row, she gets rid of the white dragon and Kobayashi calls pon. Right after, Okada discards her last terminal and sets herself up for tanyao. On Kobayashi turn, he draws a fourth white dragon and calls an added kan. With the kandora, Okada’s 7p pair becomes the new dora. With this new value, Okada calls a 456p chii to speed up her hand.

Though Okada is looking to be the fastest, Kobayashi gets to tenpai first, waiting on a 69p nobetan.

Near the end of the row, Okada gets to tenpai and waits on a 36p ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan if she wins.

Both Okada and Kobayashi draw and discard, but neither of them are drawing their winning tile. In the meantime, Kazuma is building. At the end of his third row, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen.

During the ippatsu round, Kobayashi draws the 1p. Wanting to stay tenpai while still being safe, he discards the 6p to switch to a 1p tanki. However, it ends up dealing into Okada. Okada wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 2 for 8,000 plus a riichi stick, pushing her ahead of Kurosawa.

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Results

Game 146

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Table A, Game 2

Tojo Three

December 11, Table A, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11024

In E3-0, Tojo is in 1st place with only an 8,700 lead over 4th place.

Tojo’s hand might be 4-shanten at the start, but the three ryanmens in her hand are sure to speed it up a bit. She only fills in one of them in the first row, but does advance herself to 2-shanten.

To her right, 4th place dealer Sonoda wants to move up. In the middle of the second row, he is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 3s kanchan.

On Tojo’s turn, she draws just the right tile to get to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. A turn later, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 679 ryanmen, wanting the 6p for both pinfu and tanyao. On Sonoda’s turn, he ends up discarding the 6p and deals into Tojo. Tojo wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Tanyao/Ura 1 for 8,000 plus a riichi stick.

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Date Dealer

December 11, Table A, Game 2, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8536

In S2-0, Date is the dealer in 3rd place, 14,300 behind 2nd place Shiratori.

Date starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a floating red 5p. Out of nothing, Date draws a dora 1p and then creates a 123p sequence from it by the end of the row. She is iishanten by the end of the first row, but the red 5p remains isolated.

At the start of the second row, Date draws a 3p as a connector. In the middle of the row, she completes a 678s sequence and calls riichi on a 4p kanchan. Just two turns later, she draws the 4p and wins the hand. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 4,000 all, moving up to 2nd.

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Results

Game 147

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Table B, Game 2

Mighty Miura

December 11, Table B, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11530

In E3-0, Miura is in 1st place but is only 5,400 ahead of 4th place.

Miura starts uot with a strong 2-shanten hand with two dora 6s and a callable tanyao. Within the first few turns, he completes a 678s iipeikou and gets himself to iishanten. Before the row is done, he makes a ryanmen to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14m wait. Within the go-around, Yu discards the 4m trying to take tenpai and deals into Miura. Yu wins with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Iipeikou/Dora 2 for 12,000.

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Kadokawa Comeback

December 11, Table B, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8027

In S4-0, Hori is in 2nd place and is 10,200 behind 1st place dealer Miura. To finish in top spot, Hori needs a 3/40 direct hit, a mangan tsumo or a haneman ron.

Hori starts out with a strong 2-shanten hand with a secured red 5m, a single west dora and a pair of green dragons. However, it’s not quite the secure value he wants. With a strong aim towards tanyao and sequences, Hori goes bold and discards the dora west and green dragon pair in his first three turns. Though, at the end of the first row, he ends up completing a 123s sequence.

Sitting at iishanten, Hori looks for some improvement, whether that be a 9p to complete a 789p iipeikou or a 3m or 6m to confirm pinfu. However, neither of those happen. In the middle of the second row, he instead draws a 7p to complete a triplet.

With only the red 5m as his value, he doesn’t have quite enough. But, he still calls riichi and hopes for tsumo and one booster to give him enough.

Two turns later, Yu poses a threat by getting to tenpai on a 5m kanchan. It would be enough to move into 3rd place and could be 2nd place with a red 5m direct hit or tsumo. However, none remain in the wall.

In the middle of the third row, Hori gets the 7m. All he needs is an uradora. He makes the flip and… his 7m is also the uradora! With a Riichi/Tsumo/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 2,000/4,000, Hori successfully makes the comeback and finishes in 1st place.

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Results

Game 148

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