Friday (December 26)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Nice Nagai

December 26, Table A, Game 1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7539

In S2-1, Nagai is in 4th place, 11,800 behind 3rd place Futoshi and 12,600 behind 2nd place Nakada.

Nagai starts out with a messy 3-shanten hand, but does have a pair of white dragons and the foundation for a possible 789 sanshoku, needing a 9m, an 8s and an 8p. In the first row, Nagai draws the 8s and creates a 345p sequence, getting him to iishanten.

As he waits, Setokuma gets to tenpai first in the middle of the second row, staying dama on a 9p tanki.

A few turns later, Nagai draws the 8p and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen, wanting the 9m for mangan minimum.

With the riichi by Nagai, 1st place Setokuma decides to fold. Nakada, however, pushes a a 7s penchan during the ippatsu round, holding a mangan tenpai.

In the third row, Nagai draws the desired 9m and wins the hand. Nagai wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Sanshoku/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 3000+100/6,000+100, moving up to 2nd place, putting him 6,400 from 1st.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7540

In S3-0, Nagai starts out with pairs of north, west, 5m (includng the red 5m). With a lone white dragon as well, there is a route for a very valuable hand. On his second turn, he draws the red 5s for his fifth pair. A turn later, he gets to tenpai with the white dragon draw. Calling riichi, he waits on a 7m tanki. With the 4m discarded on turn 2, he has the suji trap set and is guaranteed at least a haneman. If he draws it himself, he gets a baiman.

On turn 8, Nagai draws the 7m and wins the hand. Nagai wins with a Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Dora 2/Aka 2 for a 4,000/8,000 baiman, easily moving him into 1st place.

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Results

Game 173

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Table B, Game 1

Simply Shibukawa

December 26, Table B, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8034

In S2-0, Shibukawa is the dealer in 3rd place, 2,800 behind 2nd place Genta and 8,400 behind 1st place Hinata.

Shibukawa starts off with a beautiful staring hand, Getting to iishanten with his very first draw and guaranteed a good wait. However, aside from a little increased flexibility, nothing seems to want to come. During these moments of misses, it gives Kobayashi an opportunity to get to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 3m penchan.

With all the good waits and the dealership, Shibukawa pushes. In the middle of the second row, he calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan if he wins. On his very next draw, he gets the red 5p and wins the hand. Shibukawa wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 2 for 6,000 all, moving into 1st.

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Results

Game 174

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Table A, Game 2

Ippatsu

December 26, Table A, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7035

In E2-0, Taro is in 2nd place and is 300 behind 1st place Hagiwara.

Taro starts out the hand at 3-shanten with two ryanmens and two red fives in hand. Within the first three turns, Taro fills in a 7p penchan and completes a 123m sequence to get to iishanten. On turn 7, he gets himself to a perfect iishanten and a turn later, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen. With a hand this quick it’s no surprise that Taro is able to draw the 7m on his next turn and win the hand. Taro wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Aka 2/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000.

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Shortcut to Haneman

December 26, Table A, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10036

In E3-0, Hagiwara is the dealer in 2nd place and is 14,700 behind 1st place Taro.

Hagiwara starts out the hand pairing up the 9p, joining the 5m dora, 5s and 7s pairs in his hand. With so many middle tile pairs in his hand, he is almost forced to go for seven pairs. On turn 2, he pairs up the south for iishanten. At the start of the second row, he pairs up the 3m and waits dama on a red dragon tanki. After a few turns of waiting and seeing his opponents make progress, Hagiwara decides to call a tsumogiri riichi at the end of the second row.

With Hagiwara’s next draw being the 3p, Taro cals pon and gets to tenpai on a 5s kanchan.

However, this shifts the wall in Hagiwara’s favour and gives him the red dragon on his very next turn. Hagiwara wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Dora 2 for 6,000 all, moving into 1st.

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Taro Triumph

December 26, Table A, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7036

In S4-0, Taro is in 2nd place and is 8,100 behind 1st place Hagiwara. With a 3/40 direct hit, a mangan tsumo or a haneman ron, Taro can get his first 1st of the season.

Taro starts out the hand at 2-shanten, but his only value is a connected red 5s. Within the first row, it’s clear that he has competitors this hand. With both Shimoishi and Uchikawa both trying to avoid 4th place, both having call options to try for a faster hand. With a 2m pon in the second row, Shimoishi is the first to tenpai and waits on a 3p kanchan.

Soon after, Uchikawa gets to tenpai on a 2s/3p shanpon.

Sitting at iishanten, Taro just keeps pushing. In his sights is a 4s dora, which would add both a dora and a guaranteed 456 sanshoku, giving him mangan minimum. At the end of the second row, he gets that 4s and waits dama on a 5m kanchan, needing the tsumo or the direct hit. On his very next draw, he gets that 5m and wins the hand. Taro wins with Tsumo/Sanshoku/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000, securing his first 1st place of the season.

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Results

Game 175

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Table B, Game 2

Fine With Furiten

December 26, Table B, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8035

In E2-0, Akutsu is tied for 2nd place and is 3,900 behind 1st place Kayamori.

Akutsu starts off at 3-shanten with a pair of 1m dora. Within the first four turns, Akutsu gets himself to iishanten and draws a red 5s for a 567s sequence. With a choice between a 3s (near a 567s sequence), a 6p (near a 234p sequence) and an 8m, Akutsu discards the floating 8m. However, this comes to bite him as he draws a 6m and a 7m right after another. Even though he is at a furiten 58m ryanmen tenpai, Akutsu still decides to call riichi, hoping to tsumo. Three turns later, he does exactly that with the 5m and wins the hand. Akutsu wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 3,000/6,000, moving into 1st.

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Matsumoto Movement

December 26, Table B, Game 2, S2-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9033

In S2-1, Matsumoto is the dealer in 2nd place and is 12,300 behind 1st place Akutsu.

Matsumoto starts off already iishanten with his first draw. With a 3s dora, a red 5p and a pair of red dragons, he has the big value as well. Just two turns later, Matsumoto fills in a 2s kanchan and calls riichi on a red dragon/5s shanpon. Two turns after that, Nakabayashi discards the red dragon and deals into Matsumoto. Matsumoto wins with Riichi/Red Dragon/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 12,000+300, putting him tied with Akutsu for 1st place.

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Results

Game 176

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