Thursday (December 18)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Sega Sammy Start

December 18, Table A, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9528

In E1-0, Genta starts out the hand at 3-shanten, though lacking in value. A tanyao progression goes on in the first row, getting to iishanten with a floating red 5p.

To his right, Kazuma has already been iishanten since turn 4. Between the two of them, Kazuma was the first to tenpai, calling riichi on a 14p ryanmen.

In the middle of the second row, Genta gets to tenpai, but has to throw the dangerous red 5p to take it. He takes the risk and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen. The risk pays off as he draws the 5s on his next turn and wins the hand. Genta wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Tanyao for 2,000/4,000 plus a riichi stick.

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Against Akutsu

December 18, Table A, Game 1, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8031

In E3-0, Akutsu is in 3rd place, 2,000 behind 2nd place dealer Kazuma and 11,000 behind 1st place Genta. The next winner will get 1,300 in bonuses.

Akutsu’s starting hand is extremely good, being 2-shanten with three ryanmens, a conncted dora 3m and a connected red 5p. All he has to do is wait for the tiles to come. Unfortunately, the first row does nothing for him, staying at the same spot as he started at. At the start of the second row, he finally fills in one of them to get to iishanten.

Despite this advancement, he isn’t the first to tenpai. Around the same time, Hinata gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen.

With the good waits and value, Akutsu keeps pushing.

To his left, Kazuma is also pushing. After calling a 678m chii and an east pon, Kazuma gets to tenpai on a 47s ryanmen.

Right after, Akutsu finally gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14m ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan. On Hinata’s turn, she draws and discards the 1m and deals into Akutsu. Akutsu wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 12,000+300 plus two riichi sticks, pushing Akutsu into 1st place.

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Results

Game 157

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Table B, Game 1

Sanshoku

December 18, Table B, Game 1, E2-0

In E2-0, Uchikawa is in 1st place, but his lead is very narrow, just 4,000 ahead of 4th place.

Uchikawa starts out the hand at 4-shanten and doesn’t really have much value. However, the first row gives him a 12p shape and a 13m shape. With a 123s sequence in his hand already, he is just two tiles away from a 123 sanshoku. By turn 5, Uchikawa is iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Uchikawa draws the 3p to get to tenpai and calls riichi on the 2m kanchan. Within the go-around, Kurosawa calls a concealed kan. Though it breaks the ippatsu, Uchikawa’s 2p becomes the new dora. In the middle of the row, he draws the 2m and wins the hand. Uchikawa wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Sanshoku/Dora 1 for 2,000/4,000.

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Separation

December 18, Table B, Game 1, S2-1

In S2-1, Uchikawa is still in 1st place, but is only 3,400 ahead of 2nd place Kurosawa.

Uchikawa starts out with a pretty good starting hand, sitting at 4-shanten with a dora 5m, a red 5s and a strong leaning towards tanyao. After making a ryanmen and filling in a 7s kanchan, Uchikawa calls a 234s sequence to get to iishanten. Though Uchikawa is going all-in on tanyao now, his 14p ryanmen could spell a problem if he draws the wrong side.

To his left, Nakada is the dealer in 3rd place. At the end of the first row, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 6s/red dragon shanpon.

In the second row, Uchikawa makes a triplet of 5s and pairs up the 5m dora, putting Uchikawa tenpai on the 14p wait, only allowed to win on the 4p. With three 1p and two 4p left in the wall, there is a decent chance of Uchikawa getting the wrong side. But, Uchikawa manages to get lucky as Nakada discards the 4p near the end of the second row, dealing into Uchikawa. Uchikawa wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 8,000+300 plus a riichi stick.

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Escape

December 18, Table B, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11026

In S4-0, Nakada is in 4th place and is 8,700 behind 3rd place Date. To escape 4th, Nakada needs a 3/40 direct hit, a 3/50 or 4/25 tsumo, or a haneman ron.

Nakada starts off the hand with pairs of white dragon, 6s, 9s and 3p. Though it is a good start, calling pon on all of them is only enough to get that 3/40 mark. On turn 4, Nakada adds a pair of norths to her hand, giving the possibility of seven pairs. On her next draw, she gets a third 6s. Taking the risk, she breaks her 3p pair, hoping for a souzu honitsu along with toitoi.

At the end of the row, she gets started by calling pon on the white dragon. In the second row, Nakada calls pon on the 9s and gets to iishanten. In the meantime, Uchikawa gets to tenpai on a 6s kanchan, but has no yaku.

In the third row, Nakada finally gets to tenpai by pairing up the 3s, getting it to tenpai on a 3s/north shanpon. If she gets a direct hit or tsumo, she will have enough. Over the turns, Uchikawa makes a switch to a shanpon, then a penchan, then folding when he draws the north. On Date’s last draw, she gets to tenpai on a 3s penchan. Then, on Nakada’s last draw, she manages to get the blessed 3s and wins the hand. Nakada wins with Toitoi/Honitsu/White Dragon for 2,000/4,000, escaping 4th and finishing the game in 3rd place.

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Results

Game 158

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Table A, Game 2

Hori Highlight

December 18, Table A, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8032

In E2-0, Hori is in 4th place, 2,000 behind the 2nd place tie and 12,000 behind 1st place Kayamori.

Hori’s starting hand is 2-shanten with a floating dora 8p for value. On turn 2, he draws a 7p to create a ryanmen. Over the next few turns, he makes a 6m and a 678p. Being tenpai at the end of the first row, he calls riichi on a 5s/6m shanpon. In the middle of the 2nd row, Hori gets the 6m and wins the hand. With Hori’s 3m triplet becoming the uradora, Hori wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Ura 3 for 3,000/6,000, moving up to 1st.

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Competitive Kayamori

December 18, Table A, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9529

In E3-0, Kayamori is the dealer in 2nd place, 3,000 behind 1st place Hori.

Kayamori starts off the hand at 3-away for seven pairs and 4-away from a standard hand. With such a difficult hand to deal with, Kayamori decides to break a penchan from the start, putting her one step back from the standard route. The choice does an okay job of giving her hand new flexibility, getting her to 2-shanten for both types of hands by the end of the first row.

To her left, Aikawa is moving well as well. At the start of the second row, she is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen.

During the ippatsu round, Kayamori pairs up the red 5m to put her iishanten. With a paired up red 5s and a single 4p dora, Kayamori keeps pushing. On her next turn, she gets her sixth pair and waits dama on a 4p tanki, guaranteed a haneman. Near the end of the row, Aikawa discards the final 4p and deals into Kayamori. Kayamori wins the hand with Chiitoi/Dora 2/Aka 2 for 18,000, taking a healthy lead over the competition.

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Results

Game 159

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Table B, Game 2

Hagiwara Highlight

December 18, Table B, Game 2, E3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10033

In E3-1, Hagiwara is the dealer in 4th place, 4,200 behind 2nd place Hisato and 18,600 behind 1st place Tojo. A riichi stick and a honba are in the pot.

Hagiwara starts off at a distant 5-shanten hand, but has a red 5m and a red 5s for value. Within the first row, Hagiwara is only able to go forward two steps lacking in good shapes. The second row is a different story, however. With almost every single draw, Hagiwara moves forward. After making a 4p pair, filling in a 6s kanchan and a 2s kanchan, Hagiwara gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 5m/4p shanpon. With the 1p and 7p in his discards, the suji trap is set. Immediately after, Uchikawa discards that 4p nakasuji and deals into Hagiwara. Hagiwara wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Aka 2 for 12,000+300 plus a riichi stick, moving up to 2nd place.

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Hisato Hope

December 18, Table B, Game 2, S1-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8539

In S1-1, Hisato is in 3rd place, 25,600 behind 2nd place Hagiwara and 26,000 behind 1st place dealer Tojo.

Hisato starts out drawing an isolated red 5p to add to his 3-shanten hand. Holding two ryanmens, he has decent speed. The first row fills in one of those ryanmens and creates another, but he leaves a 2p dora and a red 5p still isolated. At the start of the second row, he breaks one of the ryanmens to secure a pair, betting on a tile to connect the isolated dora for his fifth block. On his next turn, he gets a 4p to create a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten.

While Hisato waits, the top two players continue to work their hands. Hagiwara is the first to tenpai, but has no yaku with his 2m kanchan. After calling pon on the 2p and getting quite a few lucky draws, Tojo gets to tenpai on a very wide 12345m wait, though she isn’t allowed to win on the 1m.

It takes a few turns, but Hisato gets to tenpai at the start of his third row and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan. What’s more, he has more winning tiles left in the wall than Tojo. On his very next turn, he draws the 8s and wins the hand. Hisato wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 3,000+100/6,000+100.

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Uchikawa Upward

December 18, Table B, Game 2, S4-1

In S4-1, Uchikawa is in the negatives and is 34,400 from 3rd place. Though things may seem hopeless at first glance, his final dealership means he has a chance at a comeback.

With a pair of green dragons and two red fives in his hand, Uchikawa certainly has hope for value. However, he is still 4-away and needs to connect the red 5m (preferably with the dora 4m). When the green dragon is discarded on turn 4, Uchikawa gets to work and calls pon. Towards the end of the row, he calls pon on the 5p. A turn after that, he calls a 234p chii, getting to iishanten. In the middle of the second row, he finally gets that 4m dora connector.

To his right, Tojo wants to win this hand and not fall any further. Filling in a kanchan, she gets to tenpai and stays dama on a 7m kanchan wait.

Within the go-around, Uchikawa makes a pair of 9s and gets to tenpai on 36m ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan if he wins. In the third row, he gets the 6m and wins the hand. Uchikawa wins with Green Dragon/Dora 1/Aka 2 for 4,000+100 all, moving him into the positives.

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Results

Game 160

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