Friday (January 9)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Geki

January 9, Table A, Game 1, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11032

In E3-0, Shimoishi is in 3rd place, 10,800 behind 2nd place dealer Maatsumoto and 11,000 behind 1st place Honda.

Shimoishi starts out with a solid 3-shanten hand with two manzu ryanmens and a pair of 8s dora. Though it looked like it would be a pinfu hand at first, things shaped up differently in the first few turns. After drawing a 1m, a 9m and a 2m, Shimoishi’s hand looks more like a manzu straight. Being iishanten, Shimoishi now needs to fill a 5m kanchan and an 8m kanchan. t the end of the row, he draws the red 5m and waits dama on an 8m kanchan. A ron will be mangan and a tsumo will be haneman.

Within the go-around, he is challenged by dealer Matsumoto as he gets to a pinfu tenpai and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen.

With the value, Shimoishi keeps pushing. Just two turns later, Shimoishi draws the 8m to win the hand. Shimoishi wins with Tsumo/Ittsuu/Dora 2/Aka 1 for 3,000/6,000 plus a riichi stick, moving into 1st.

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Results

Game 185

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Table B, Game 1

Maki

January 9, Table B, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7038

In S2-0, Asami is in 3rd place, 16,500 behind 2nd place Akutsu and 17,700 behind 1st place dealer Hisato.

With Asami’s first draw, she is incredibly iishanten with a 123 sanshoku secured. Thoguh even in this incredible position, she isn’t even the first to tenpai. After a green dragon pon and a 789p chii, Hisato gets to tenpai in the middle of the first row, waiting on a 36s ryanmen.

For Asami, a bit of frustration builds as she fails to get to that elusive tenpai. She makes some shape improvements, but she is unable to find a pair for herself. Luckily for her, though, Hisato’s winning tile count goes down to 0, giving her room to breathe even if she doesn’t know it.

At the start of the third row, Asami finally gets a pair of the west dora for tenpai and she calls riichi on a 25s ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan. On her very next turn, she draws the 5s and wins the hand. Asami wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Sanshoku/Dora 2 for 3,000/6,000, enough to move into 2nd place and come within 1,500 of 1st.

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Results

Game 186

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Table A, Game 2

Setokuma

January 9, Table A, Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10037

In S1-0, Setokuma is the dealer in 3rd place, 10,400 behind 2nd place Ooi and 15,200 behind 1st place Daisuke.

Setokuma’s first draw puts him 2-shanten for a pairs hand with pairs of 6m, 7m, 6p and 4p, but his hand can still pivot towards the standard route. On turn 2, he adds a 2m pair into the mix. On turn 3, he draws a third 7m, holding onto it in case he goes for triplets.

As his hand stalls, Daisuke’s hand makes progress. With a red dragon pon near the end of the second row, Daisuke gets to tenpai on a 7s kanchan. Unfortunately, none remain in the wall.

Two turns later, Setokuma draws a a third 6m, putting him one-away from a possible yakuman.

When the 4p comes out from Miura, Setokuma decides to call pon and just take the tenpai, waiting on a 6p/2m shanpon. A tsumo will give him a dealer mangan.

On Daisuke’s turn, he make a triplet of 4m and switches to a 6s tanki, though that wait is no good either with none left in the wall.

On Miura’s turn, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 1s/7s shanpon.

With no safe tiles and a decent tenpai, Setokuma just keeps pushing. On his second-last draw, he gets the 6p and wins the hand. Setokuma wins with Toitoi/Tanyao/Sanankou for 4,000 all plus a riichi stick, moving into 1st.

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Ooi

January 9, Table A, Game 2, S1-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9035

In S1-2, Ooi is in 3rd place, 4,800 behind 2nd place Daisuke and 10,800 behind 1st place Setokuma.

Though Ooi starts off at 4-shanten, he has a secured sequence and two edge ryanmens, boding well for good advancement. By turn two, he adds a third on in the mix and is just an 8m and 6p away from a 678 sanshoku. The rest of the first row only gives him a pair, but it does guarantee him a good wait and puts him 2-shanten. At the start of the second row, he draws the 6p for a perfect iishanten.

To his left, 4th place Miura wants to climb up. In the middle of the second row, he gets to iishanten. After breaking a souzu kanchan to build around pinzu, he gets to tenpai at the end of the row on a 36p ryanmen. With a 6p tsumo, he can get a pinzu straight and get to a haneman

Immediately after, Ooi gets the 8m. Being tenpai with sanshoku secured, Ooi chases with the 1m ryanmen wait. A few turns later, he draws the 4m and wins the hand. Ooi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Sanshoku/Ura 1 for 3,000+2006,000+200 plus a riichi stick, easily moving into top spot.

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Setokuma

January 9, Table A, Game 2, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10038

In S3-0, Setokuma is back in 3rd place, 2,200 behind 2nd place Daisuke and 19,400 behind 1st place Ooi.

Setokuma starts off the hand drawing a red 5p to get him to 2-shanten. With a secured red 5m in hand as well, he is set to at least go up to 2nd. In the first row, he advances to iishanten and shifts himself to tanyao, but is still looking for a pair. At the start of the second row, he pairs up the 4s, instrumental for getting him to a pinfu iishanten hand. In the middle of the row, Setokuma gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen, guaranteed at least 5 han. With a 6m win or an uradora, he will have haneman minimum.

To his right, Daisuke gets to iishanten during the ippatsu round. On his next turn, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi ona 47s ryanmen.

In the middle of the third row, Setokuma draws the 3m and wins the hand. Setokuma wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 2 for 3,000/6,000, moving into 2nd place and coming within 3,400 of 1st.

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Daisuke

January 9, Table A, Game 2, S4-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11033

In S4-1, Daisuke is in 3rd place, 14,800 behind 2nd place Setokuma and 22,200 behind 1st place dealer Ooi. Though 2nd place is a lofty goal, a mangan direct hit, a haneman tsumo or a baiman ron aren’t out of the picture. If he really wants to set his sights high, then a baiman tsumo is what he needs for 1st place.

Daisuke’s hand is down at 4-shanten, but he is blessed with value in the form of a green dragon dora pair and a red dragon pair. In the first row, he calls pon on the red dragon to get things started. Though Daisuke gets a 7p pair early on, he chooses to cut it, trying to go for a souzu honitsu for the haneman. At the end of the row, he gets to iishanten.

In the middle of the second row, Daisuke gets to tenpai on a 5s kanchan. With a souzu straight added in, he has haneman guaranteed. When Miura discards the green dragon to take a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten Daisuke calls pon and switches to a wider 69s nobetan. A turn later, he switches to a 25s ryanmen. A red 5s is still in the wall. Drawing it would be enough for 1st place.

With five winning tiles in the wall it’s only a matter of time. In the middle of the third row, aisuke draws the regular 5s and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Honitsu/Green Dragon/Red Dragon/Dora 3 for 3,000+100/6,000+100. It’s not enough for 1st, but it lets him finish the game in a solid 2nd place.

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Results

Game 187

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Table B, Game 2

Wide Wait

January 9, Table B, Game 2, E3-2

In E3-2, Shibukawa is the dealer in 1st place, only holding a 2,100 lead over 2nd place Futoshi.

Shibukawa starts out the hand at 5-shanten for a standard hand and 4-shanten for pairs. Despite this unfavourable position, though, most of his tiles are manzu and honours, giving hope for a half flush. Towards the end of the first row, Shibukawa calls pon on the east to get things started. By the end of the row, Shibukawa is iishanten, though the half flush is hampered by a pair of 6s.

To his left, Futoshi has already called pon on the green dragon and is iishanten. After making a 789p chii, Futoshi gets to tenpai and waits on a 147p three-sided wait. A 1p wait will give him a pinzu straight. For an added bonus, he draws a fourth green dragon and calls kan. With the kandora flip, the green dragon is the new dora and he is instantly upgraded to a haneman.

Back to Shibukawa, he started to break his 6s pair and is aiming for the manzu half flush. On his next draw, he gets to tenpai on a 4m kanchan, though none remain in the wall. At the start of his third row, he calls a 123m chii and drastically improves his hand to a 4578m wait, guaranteed a mangan. Within the go-around, Futoshi discards the 5m and deals into Shibukawa. Shibukawa wins the hand with Double East/Honitsu for 12,000+600.

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Date

January 9, Table B, Game 2, S4-1

In S4-1, Date is the dealer in 2nd place, 1,600 behind 1st place Shibuawa. Any hand is enough to move into top spot.

Date starts out the hand with a cool 2-shanten hand, holding two triplets and a connected dora 4m. On turn 5, she make a 445s shape (which could be a sequence or her pair or turn into a triplet for sanankou) to get to iishanten. Two turns later, she creates a 456m sequence, secures the 4s as her pair and calls riichi on a 7m penchan.

Within the go-around, Shibukawa calls a 234p chii and gets to tenpai on a 7s kanchan.

But, this shifts the wall to Date’s favour as she draws the 7m on her very next turn. Date wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 1 for 2,600+100 all, moving into 1st with a 9,200 lead.

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Results

Game 188

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