Tuesday (January 20)

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Game 1

Hagiwara

January 20, Game 1, E2-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10044

In E2-2, Hagiwara is the dealer in 1st place with an 8,900 lead over 2nd place Genta. A riichi stick and two honba are in the pot.

Hagiwara starts out the hand at 4-shanten with a pair of easts. Within the first four turns, Hagiwara pairs up the south and the west as well. With two manzu blocks in his hand as well, Hagiwara aims for a manzu honitsu, even as the 4p dora in his hand is the dora. Towards the end of the row, Hagiwara pairs up the red dragon to get to one-away from seven pairs.

However, this high-potential hand is faced with difficulty as Date calls riichi on turn 8 and waits on a 14m ryanmen.

As much as Hagiwara wants to call all of the honours, it is a bit too dangerous. To avoid the riichi, Hagiwara breaks his south pair. Towards the end of the row, he calls pon on the red dragon for a standard iishanten. Right after, he calls pon on the east and gets to tenpai on a 58m ryanmen, guaranteed a mangan if he wins. In the middle of the third row, he draws the 8m and wins the hand. Hagiwara wins with Honitsu/Double East/Red Dragon for 4,000+200 all plus two riichi stick, movin him up to 48,600.

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Shibata Show

January 20, Game 1

In S1-1, Shibata is the dealer in 4th place, 10,300 behind 3rd place Genta and 14,300 behind 2nd place Date. A stick is in the middle.

Shibata starts out the hand at 4-shanten for a standard hand with no good shapes, but he does have a red 5m for value. With such bad shapes, Shibata actually goes back a step and breaks his shapes in favour of floating tiles and flexible shapes. This gamble goes quite well with Shibata, getting him to 2-shanten with the ability to accept the 8p dora.

In the second row, Shibata creates a 123s sequence and secures the red 5m with a 6m kanchan. Being tenpai, Shibata calls riichi on an 8p dora kanchan. On his very next turn, Shibata draws the 8p and wins the hand. Shibata wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 4,000+100 plus a riichi stick, moving up to 2nd place and trails 1st place Hagiwara by 11,000.

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Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11537

With Shibata’s first draw in S1-2, he is already 2-shanten with a pair of dora 5m (including the red 5m). By turn 2, he already has two ryanmens. One turn after another, he fills them in. On turn 4, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a north/5m shanpon. Three remain in the wall.

Though some players make some good shapes, nobody has anything to fight with. As the turns go on, Shibata’s three winning tiles remain in the wall. As the wall shrinks, the fear is that all of his waits are deadwalled. Then, on his second-last draw, Shibata draws the dora 5m and wins the hand. Shibata wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 6,000+200 all, moving Shibata into 1st with 43,400.

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Date

January 20, Game 1, S3-4
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8545

In S3-4, Date is the dealer and is in 3rd place. She has already made a dent in the lead after hitting Shibata with a 3-han hand, pushing him down into 2nd place. Date is now 13,200 behind 2nd place and 14,800 behind 1st place Hagiwara.

Date starts out the hand at 3-shanten for both a pairs and standard hand. In the first row, Date makes a three-sided wait in manzu, allowing her to break her 9m pair (an extra block). At the start of the second row, Date has a chance to be tenpai on a 6p kanchan or a 7p/west shanpon, but instead chooses to break her west pair to go for all simples. On her very next turn, she gets that upgrade for tanyao and pinfu and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen. In the third row, Date draws the 3p and wins the hand. With an uradora hit, Date wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Ura 1 for 4,000+400 all, moving into 1st place.

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Results

Game 203

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Game 2

50k

January 20, Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11538

In S1-0 Miura is in 1st place with a 4,200 lead over 2nd place Daigo.

Miura starts out the hand at 2-shanten and already guaranteed tanyao with his hand. On turn 2, he fills in a ryanmen for iishanten. On turn 5, Miura completes another one and calls riichi on an 8m/7p shanpon, needing one more han for a mangan.

Despite the early riichi, Hisat pushes a little bit because he has already called pon on the double south and a pair of 7s dora. With some reorganization and some lucky draws, Hisato gets to tenpai in the third row on a 4m kanchan.

However, Hisato won’t get another draw. Within the go-around, Honda discards the 8m tyring to call riichi and deals into Miura. With an uradora hit, Miura wins the hand with Riichi/Tanyao/Dora 1/Ura 1 for 8,000, getting Miura up to 50,200.

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Results

Game 204

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