Thursday (January 29)

Table A

Table B

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Table A, Game 1

Mizuhara Might

January 29, Table A, Game 1, S2-1
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10540

In S2-1, Mizuhara is the dealer in 4th place, 7,200 behind 3rd place Okada, 15,400 behind 2nd place Matsumoto and 20,200 behind 1st place Honda.

Mizuhara starts out the hand drawing a red 5m to get to 3-shanten with a floating dora 1m as well. With theat red 5m draw, she creates a 369m three-sided wait in manzu. Despite this width, however, she isn’t able to complete it in the first row. In fact, the first row only gets her to 2-shanten. But, she does add value by pairing up the 1m dora.

In the second row, the three-sided wait doesn’t finish, but something else happens instead. With two straight 7m draws, she creates a 456m sequence and a 7m triplet instead. Drawing a third 1m in the middle of the second row, Mizuhara gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25s ryanmen.

To her left, Okada is at iishanten with a ryanmen in hand. After a bit of reorg to stay safe, Okada gets to tenpai in the middle of the third row and calls riichi on a 69p ryanmen.

Two turns later, Mizuhara gets luckuy and draws the red 5s, winning the hand. Mizuhara wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 3/Aka 2 for 6,000+100 all plus a riichi stick, instantly moving her into 1st place.

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Okada Opposition

January 29, Table A, Game 1, S2-2
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p8043

In S2-2, Okada is in 4th place, 9,200 behind 3rd place Matsumoto, 14,000 behind 2nd place Honda and 19,200 behind 1st place dealer Mizuhara. From the start, Okada is 2-shanten with all but two tiles being souzu. On turn 2, she cuts that down to just one tile. On her third turn, she gets to tenpai and calls riichi on an 8s/white dragon shanpon, guaranteed at least a mangan if she wins. Though there are no winning tiles left in the wall, the early riichi is hard to defend, Surely enough, with the white dragon having come out just before Okada’s riichi, Mizuhara discards it right after and deals into Okada. Okada wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Honitsu/White Dragon for 12,000+600, enough to move into 2nd place.

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Matsumoto Might

January 29, Table A, Game 1, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9039

In S3-0, Matsumoto is the dealer in 3rd place, 3,400 behind 2nd place Okada and 4,400 behind 1st place Honda.

Matsumoto starts out the hand at 2-shanten with the main blocker being the 7s penchan. Within the first turn, Okada calls kan on the north. Though the new south dora doesn’t help Matsumoto (and actually gives Mizuhara a pair of dora), it does give every a chance for extra uradora. On Matsumoto’s next turn, he fills in 7s penchan. On his third turn, he makes a 1s triplet and gets to tenpai on a 6m tanki, but stays dama and looks for improvement.

During the go-around, Mizuhara calls pon on the dora south, adding danger to the table, But, it shifts the wall perfectly for Matsumoto. On his next turn, he gets hte improvement and calls riichi on a 23s wait. On his very next draw, he gets the 2s and wins the hand. With his 2m triplet incredibly being uradora (because of the kan), plus an additional uradora with the 8s, Matsumoto wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Ura 4 for 6,000 all, moving into 1st.

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Honda Highlight

Jaunary 29, Table A, Game 1, S4-5
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10047

In S4-5, the game has really been tense, with the last four hands all going to a draw. As a result, there are now four riichi sticks and five honba, meaning that the next winner will get 5,500.

Honda starts out the hand with a decent 2-shanten hand with two dora 8s. By turn 5, Honda is rid of all terminals and honours and is at iishanten. On his very next turn, he draws a third 8s and gets to tenpai on a 58s/6m wait. With mangan already guaranteed, he stays dama to catch someone off guard. Approaching the middle of the second row, Okada discards the 8s and deals into Honda. Honda wins the hand with Tanyao/Dora 4 for 8,000+1,500 plus four riichi sticks, moving him from 24,900 to 42,400.

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Results

Game 217

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Table B, Game 1

Takaki Has Come Back

Jaunary 29, Table B, Game 1, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9538

In E2-0, Takaki is playing in his first game in over a month after suffering from a cerebrovascular incident. Currently, he is in 2nd place and is 11,000 behind 1st place Nakada.

Takaki starts out the hand pairing up the yakuhai west to get to 3-shanten. He also has a red 5p for value. In the first row, he makes a pair of 1m, 5p, as well as making a 3m triplet for iishanten.

As Takaki looks for that west at the very least, Asami gets to tenpai on an 8p dora tanki.

At around the same time, Takaki switches the 1m pair for a 2s pair. At the start of the third row, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a west/2s shanpon.

Within the go-around, Date gets to tenpai as well and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen.

Immediately after, Nakada discards the west and deals into Takaki. Takaki wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/West/Aka 1 for 8,000 plus a riichi stick, moving into 1st place.

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Results

Game 218

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Table A, Game 2

Shousangen

Jaunary 29, Table A, Game 2, S1-3
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10541

In S1-3 Yu is the dealer in 1st place with a 1,400 lead over 2nd place. Three riichi sticks and three honba are in the pot.

Yu starts off at pretty uninteresting 4-shanten hand with a pair of white dragons and a connected red 5m for value. But, that quickly changes. After having only the white dragon pair and the red dragon in his first 13 tiles, Yu ends up pairing up all the dragons by the third row. If he manages to call all of them, he would have a yakuman.

On turn 4, he draws a 4m to create a 456m sequence, getting him to iishanten. But, with two sequences already completed, his prospects of a yakuman are gone unless he chooses to take a step back. With the hand already in mangan ranged and with so many sticks on the table, Yu chooses to be satisfied with the shousangen. On turn 5, he calls pon on the white dragon for the dragon shanpon tenpai. Within the go-around, Setokuma discards the green dragon and deals into Yu. Yu wins the hand with Shousangen/White Dragon/Green Dragon/Aka 1 for 12,000+900 plus three riichis ticks, moving up to 47,900

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Results

Game 219

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Table B, Game 2

Takame Time

January 29, Table B, Game 2, S1-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s80_p2879

In S1-0, Daigo is the dealer in 4th place, but is oonly 4,400 behind 1st place Takamiya.

Daigo starts out the hand at 3-shanten with two ryanmens. By turn 2, he adds a third ryanmen, only looking for a pair now to guarantee a good wait. By his fourth turn, he gets that guarantee.

Though things are looking up for Daigo, it’s Takamiya who gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 47p ryanmen.

Two turns later, Daisuke gets there with a 6p kanchan.

After him, Daigo finally gets to tenpai stays dama on a 69m ryanmen. If he wins on the 6m, his hand will be boosted by 3 han.

And right after him, Sonoda calls riichi on a 7s penchan.

With the danger of three riichi calls, Daisuke decides to fold. But for Daigo, the helplessness of his opponents gives him an opportunity to call riichi for extra points. The timing is perfect as Sonoda discards the 6m immediately after and deals into Daigo. Daigo wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Pinfu/Tanyao/Sanshoku for 18,000 plus two riichi stick, easily moving him into 1st place.

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Daisuke

January 29, Table B, Game 2, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p11040

In S3-0, Daisuke is in 3rd place, 800 behind 2nd place Daigo and 9,000 behind 1st dealer Takamiya.

Daisuke starts out the hand 2-shanten with a strong leaning towards chanta, needing only one more block. Drawing a 2p and 3p in the first four turns, Daisuke gets to iishanten and needs a 1p to get the chanta. At the end of the first row, he draws the 1p and calls riichi on a south/9m shanpon. Immediately after, he draws the 9m and wins the hand. Daisuke wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Chanta/Dora 1 for 3,000/6,000, moving into top spot.

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Daigo Does It Again

Jaunary 29, Table B, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9539

In S4-0, Daigo is in 3rd place, 5,200 behind 2nd place Takamiya and 14,200 behind 1st place dealer Daisuke. Though a regular mangan would give a nice 2nd place, a mangan direct hit off Daisuke, a haneman tsumo or a baiman ron would give him a cool 1st place.

Daigo starts out the hand at 2-shanten with a ryanmen in pinzu and a three-sided wait in manzu. In the first row, Daigo breaks his two souzu penchans to creat a three-sided wait in pinzu.

While there’s hope for Daigo, Sonoda gets to tenpai on turn 8 and calls riichi on a 7p/green dragon shanpon.

Creating a ryanmen in souzu, Daigo breaks his pair of wests to both giving him a chance at tanyao and to stay safe. As he gets back to iishanten, Daigo now has 11 tiles to get to tenpai, 6 of them being a good wait. On his third-last draw, he has a chance to take a 5s or 6s tanki, but instead chooses to discard the 1p, hoping for that lucky draw to get to a good wait tenpai, even as time is running out.

On his next turn, he draws a 6s. Though he only has one more draw left and he is furiten because of the discarded 1p, Daigo takes the plunge. Incredibly, on his very next turn, Daigo gets a winning 4p and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Haitei/Ura 1 for 3,000/6,000 plus a riichi stick, finishing the game in 1st place.

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Results

Game 220

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