Thursday (January 22)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Nagai Northward

January 22, Table A, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7550

In S2-0, Nagai is in 3rd place and is 5,800 behind 1st place dealer Asami.

Nagai starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a pair of 5m dora and two red fives. On turn 2, he makes the 5m pair into a triplet. Over the next few turns, he shifts the hand towards all simples, calling a 6s kanchan for iishanten. With a 678m chii, Nagai gets to tenpai and waits on a 2p tanki.

Within the go-around, Asami reaches tenpai as well and calls riichi on a 3p kanchan.

As Nagai pushes, he is able to improve to a 47p ryanmen. Towards the end of the row, Yu joins in and calls riichi on a 69m ryanmen.

But soon after, Asami draws and discards the 7p and deals into Nagai. Nagai wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 3/Aka 2 for 12,000 plus two riichi sticks, moving into 1st.

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Yu Up

January 22, Table A, Game 1, S4-0

In S4-0, Yu is the dealer in 2nd place and is 7,500 behind 1st place Nagai.

Yu starts out the hand at 4-shanten, lacking in significantly good shapes or value. In the first row, he creates a 4p triplet and a souzu block, getting him to 2-shanten.

As Yu continues to try to build, Asami gets to tenpai on turn 8 and calls riichi on a 4m kanchan. Only a single one remains int he wall.

To remain safe, Yu stays dafe by discarding his north pair. At the start of the third row, Matsumoto gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 6m kanchan.

During the ippatsu round, Yu gets to iishanten and has a relatively safe route to push. After breaking his 8s pair, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47s ryanmen. Though time is short, Yu manages to get the 4s on his last draw and wins the hand. With an uradora hit, Yu wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Ura 1 for 2,000 all plus two riichi sticks, putting Yu 2,500 ahead of Nagai.

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Results

Game 205

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Table B, Game 1

Dora Aka Ura

January 22, Table B, Game 1, E1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8040

In E1-0, Okada is the starting dealer and starts off at 4-shanten with no good shapes. In her first four turns, she gets to 2-shanten with a bunch of kanchans. On turn 5, she draws a 4p dora to replace one of the kanchans.

In the second row, Okada replaces another ryanmen. After filling in both of them, Okada gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 5m kanchan. Two turns later, Shibata discards the red 5m trying to call riichi on mangan-minimum three-sided wait and deals into Okada. Getting an uradora, Okada wins the hand with Riichi/Dora 1/Aka 1/Ura 1 for 12,000.

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Daigo

January 22, Table B, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9536

In S4-0, Daigo is in 2nd place and is 7,000 behind 1st place Okada. To finish in 1st place, Daigo needs a 3/30 direct hit, a 3/50 or 4/25 tsumo, or a mangan ron.

Daigo starts out the hand at a nice 3-shanten hand with some good shapes a secured red 5p and a floating 8p dora. Somehow, Daigo isn’t able to go beyond 3-shanten in the first row, but he does have a bunch of strong and flexible shapes to go forward with. In the second row, he draws a red 5m to create a pair.

During the go-around, Okada getws to tenpai first and waits on a 6m kanchan, wanting to get it to win his hand. A bit later, she switches to a 4m kanchan.

In the middle of the second row, Daigo gets to a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten, setting him up for a mangan tenpai. Towards the end of the row, Shibata gets to tenpai on a 147s three-sided wait, but has no yaku. His red dragon pair needs to be upgraded to a triplet to get a yaku.

On Daigo’s turn, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen. On Shibata’s next turn, he discards the 6p and deals into Daigo. With an uradora hit, Daigo wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Aka 2/Ura 1 for 12,000, winning the game.

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Results

Game 206

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Table A, Game 2

Ippatsu

January 22, Table A, Game 2, E4-0

In E4-0, Shiratori is the dealer in 1st place with a small 2,200 lead.

Shiratori starts out the hand at 3-shanten with two ryanmens. With every honour or terinal discard, Shiratori draws a simple tile, almost always advancing his hand. Before the row is done, Shiratori gets to tenpai and stays dama on a 36m ryanmen, wanting the 3m for a mangan. On his next turn, he switches to a 25m/6m wait and calls riichi. Immediately after, Kobayashi discards the 2m trying to keep a wide iishanten and deals into Shiratori. Shiratori wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 12,000.

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Sanankou

January 22, Table A, Game 2, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7551

In S3-0, Katsumata is in 3rd place, 21,600 behind 2nd place Shiratori and 22,800 behind 1st place dealer Sonoda.

Katsumata starts out the hand at chiitoi 2-shanten with pairs of the 2m dora, 1p, 2p and east. Before the row is done, he adds a 9s pair to get to iishanten. On consecutive turns, Katsumata draws a third 1p and a third 9s, now putting him iishanten for a potential yakuman.

As Katsumata looks for the perfect draws, Shiratori gets to tenpai first and waits on a south/8s shanpon.

With Shiratori’s 2p discard, Katsumata calls pon on it and waits on a 2m/east shanpon. Winning by tsumo will give him a haneman. At the end of the row, he draws the east and wins the hand. Katsumata wins with Toitoi/Sanankou/Dora 2 for 3,000/6,000, putting Katsumata within 6,600 from 1st place.

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Results

Game 207

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Table B, Game 2

Akutsu

January 22, Table B, Game 2, E3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8041

In E3-0, Akutsu is the dealer in 2nd place and is 1,400 behind 1st place Kayamori.

Akutsu starts out the hand at 3-shanten with a ryanmen in hand. In the first row, Akutsu makes a pair of 9s and a three-sided wait in souzu. By turn 5, he is iishanten with a guaranteed good wait. On turn 8, Akutsu gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 258s wait. On his very next turn, he draws the dora 8s and wins the hand. Akutsu wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Dora 1 for 4,000 all, moving into the lead.

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Kazuma

January 22, Table B, Game 2, E3-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11539

In E3-1, Kazuma is in 3rd place, 7,200 behind 2nd place Kayamori and 21,800 behind 1st place dealer Akutsu.

Kazuma starts out the hand at 4-shanten with a pair of norths. Though the hand looks like it would be a yakuhai pon, Kazuma chooses not to call pon. Through the first row, Kazuma ends up moving towards a pairs hand. Starting from two pairs, he adds a south dora pair and a 1s pair to get to 2-away. A few turns later, he pairs up the red 5s to get to iishanten.

In the middle of the second row, Daisuke gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14p nobetan

Because Kazuma has the flexible pairs hand, he is able to push relatively comfortably. At the start of the third row, Kazuma gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 7m tanki. Two turns later, Kazuma draws the 7m and wins the hand. Kazuma wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Aka 1 for 2,000+100/4,000+100 plus one riichi stick, moving him to 2nd and within 2,400 of 1st place.

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Results

Game 208

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