Friday (December 19)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Late Win

December 19, Table A, Game 1, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11027

In E3-0, Daisuke is in 1st place with an 8,000 lead over the rest of the pack.

Daisuke starts off at 4-shanten with a secured red 5p, a dora 3m and a pair of red dragons. The first row is kind to Daisuke, giving him a third red dragon and a pair of 7m. Creating a ryanmen at the end of the row, Daisuke gets to iishanten. However, his hand stalls from there, staying relatively the same by the end of the second row.

His opponents, however, are able to move forward. At the start of the second row, Nagai is the first to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen.

Within the go-around dealer Daigo chases with a 3p kanchan, guaranteed at least a dealer haneman if he wins.

Luckily for Daigo, he has held some relatively safe honour and suji tiles. On his second-last turn, he makes a triplet of 4s and stays dama on a 2m kanchan. On his final turn, he gets the 2m and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Tsumo/Red Dragon/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000 plus two riichi sticks.

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Nagai

December 19, Table A, Game 1, E4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7536

In E4-0, Nagai is the dealer in 3rd place, 1,000 behind 2nd place Asami and 21,000 behind 1st place Daisuke.

Nagai has a pair of green dragons in his starting hand for a potential yaku, but he lacks any other value. In the first row, he builds a sequence and three ryanmens. Though it only gets him to 2-shanten, the addition of the 9p pair gives him the possibility to shift to pinfu. On turn 8, he fills in one of the ryanmens and starts discarding the green dragon pair, going for that pinfu.

While he does this, Daigo gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 4m/6m shanpon.

Immediately after, Nagai chases with a 14s ryanmen, wanting the 1s dora for extra value.

And right after him, Daisuke calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen.

And just as quickly as it starts, it finishes. On Daigo’s next turn, he discards the 4s and deals into Nagai. Nagai wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Aka 1 for 12,000 plus two riichi sticks.

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Daigo

December 19, Table A, Game 1, S2-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9530

In S2-1, Daigo is in 4th place and is 19,000 behind 3rd place dealer Asami. A riichi stick and a honba are in the pot.

WIth Daigo’s first draw, he completes his second sequence and gets to iishanten. WIth a floating 4p dora and a secured red 5m along with the likely tanyao, he has the opportunity for a relatively quick and valuable hand. On turn 4, he draws a 6p and gets to iishanten.

From there, he builds upon a cluster of manzu. Making a 147m three-sided wait, he ideally wants the 7m for tanyao or the 4m for both tanyao and iipeikou. At the end of the first row, he gets the 7m, putting him tenpai on a 5p kanchan. In the second row, he improves the wait to a 25p ryanmen and calls riichi. Though the ippatsu round is interrupted, the timing is still perfect as he draws the 5p on his next turn and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 3,000+100/6,000+100 plus a riichi stick, enough to move into 3rd place.

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Results

Game 161

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Table B, Game 1

Mizuhara

December 19, Table B, Game 1, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10535

In E2-0, Mizuhara is the dealer in 2nd place, 15,400 behind 1st place Kazuma.

Starting out the hand at 2-shanten with a secured 6s dora and only a single east honour as junk, Mizuhara can get to work right away. With so much hand flexibility, she breaks her penchan and goes back a step on turn 3. After filling in a 4m kanchan and creating a 56777s shape, Mizuhara gets to tenpai at the end of the row. A few turns later, she fills in an 8m kanchan and calls riichi on a 47s/5p wait.

To her left, 1st place Kazuma wants to defend his lead. Having already called pon on the north, he and sitting iishanten, he has no trouble pushing. Breaking the ippatsu, Kazuma calls a 678p chii and gets to tenpai on a 34p wait.

This call, however, was just the shift Mizuhara needed. On her very next draw, she gets the red 5p and wins the hand. Mizuhara wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 4,000 all, moving her up to 1st place.

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Mizuhara Again

December 19, Table B, Game 1, E4-0

In E4-0, Mizuhara is back into 2nd place and is trailing Kazuma by 9,800.

Before Mizuhara even has a chance to get her first draw, Hisato calls pon on the east to get to 3-shanten. When Mizuhara does get her first draw, we see that she’s 3-shanten with a red 5m that needs to be connected. Within her first few turns, she gets herself to iishanten, but the red 5m still needs to be connected.

Back to Hisato, he completes a 123s sequence and gets to iishanten. With a 123m chii, he gets to tenpai on a 2m kanchan.

On Mizuhara’s turn, she has a chance to take a 4s/5s shanpon tenpai, but refuses it to try and connect the red 5m. In the second row, she finally draws a 6m and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen.

In the third row, Hisato draws a fourth east and calls an added kan. Unfortunately, the 8m kandora doesn’t help him or Mizuhara. Even worse, he ends up drawing the 7m as the rinshan. Discarding it, Hisato deals into Mizuhara. Mizuhara wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 2 for 12,000, moving back into 1st place.

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Results

Game 162

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Table A, Game 2

Taro Time

December 19, Table A, Game 2, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7033

In E1-0, Taro starts off at 3-shanten with two ryanmens and a pair of 6m dora. By turn 4, Taro adds another ryanmen and guarantees himself a good wait. After creating a 234m sequence and a 234s sequence, Taro gets to iishanten at the end of the first row, needing a 4p to complete the 234 trifecta.

On turn 8, Taro completes a 678p sequence and calls riichi on a 14p ryanmen. If he wins on the 4p, he will have at least a haneman. If he draws it himself, he will have a baiman.

Next to him, Daisuke is at a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. Just two turns later, Daisuke calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen.

After a bit of pushing, Kayamori calls the third riichi, waiting on a 36m ryanmen.

At the end of the second row, Daisuke discards the 4p and deals into Taro. Taro wins with Riichi/Pinfu/Tanyao/Sanshoku/Dora 2 for 12,000 plus two riichi sticks, taking the early lead.

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Speedy Aki

December 19, Table A, Game 2, E4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7537

In E4-0, Aki is in 3rd place, 10,800 behind 2nd place Kayamori and 15,400 behind 1st place Taro.

From her very first draw, she is already iishanten hand has a secured dora 6s. In her hand is also the chance of a 678 sanshoku, needing a 6m to make sure of it. On her very next turn, she gets that 6m for tenpai and calls riichi on a 7p kanchan, guaranteed at least a mangan.

Against a turn 2 riichi, it’s hard to fold. Across from her, Taro is able to discard his stray honours and keep pushing. At the start of the second row, Taro makes his first real push to get to iishanten. At the start of the second row, he has a chance for a ryanmen tenpai, but would have to discard the 7p. He throws it trying to call riichi and deals into Aki. Aki wins the hand with Riichi/Sanshoku/Dora 1 for 8,000. With the direct hit off Taro, Aki moves up to 2nd place.

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Kayamori

December 19, Table A, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9531

In S2-0, Kayamori is the dealer in 3rd place, 6,800 behind 2nd place Taro and 19,200 behind 1st place Aki.

With Kayamori’s starting hand, she has pairs of 3m, 9m, north and east, putting him just 2-away from seven pairs. On her next turn, she pairs up the 8s for iishanten. Though seven pairs is nice, there’s the possibility of making these pairs into triplets. As he draws a third east and a third 3m, she is suddenly iishanten for a potential suuankou yakuman.

Two turns into the second row, Kayamori draws a third 9m for tenpai. Callnig riichi on a north/8s shanpon, Kayamori wants to win by tsumo for the yakuman. Towards the end of the row, Taro discards the north trying to keep iishanten and deals into Kayamori. Kayamori wins the hand with Riichi/Toitoi/Sanankou/East for 18,000, putting her just 1,200 behind Aki.

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Results

Game 163

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Table B, Game 2

Takamiya

December 19, Table B, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8540

In E3-0, all the players are interestingly back at their starting score.

Takamiya’s first draw creates a ryanmen and gets her to 2-shanten. By turn 3, she already has a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten. At the end of the row, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58s ryanmen.

Just two turns later, Kobayashi discards the 8s and deals into Takamiya. With her 4m pair becoming the uradora, Takamiya wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Ura 2 for a surprise 8,000 mangan.

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South 4

December 19, Table B, Game 2, S4-0

In S4-0, Takamiya is in 2nd place and is just 100 away from 1st place. Any win will be enough, and even tenpai payments could be the difference.

Takamiya starts out the hand at 4-shanten with two red fives and a callable tanyao. The first row gives her a 456s sequence and a pair of 4m. To secure this calling route, she breaks up her 12s shape.

At the start of the second row, she calls pon on the 4m. After making a 567s sequence and calling a 234s chii, Takamiya gets to tenpai on a 47p ryanmen.

A few turns later, Ooi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen. With tsumo and one uradora, he can move into 1st place.

However, within the ippatsu round, Takamiya draws the 4p and wins the hand. Takamiya wins the hand with Tanyao/Aka 2 for 1,000/2,000 plus one riichi stick, finishing the game in 1st place.

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Results

Game 164

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