Friday (February 27)

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Game 1

Shining Setokuma

February 27, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10051

In S4-0, Setokuma is the dealer in 2nd place, just 3,500 behind 1st place Asami.

Setokuma starts off at 4-shanten for a standard hand, 3-shanten for a pairs hand. With two dora 6s in his hand, he has enough value to move into 1st place.

In the first row, Setokuma makes a triplet of 9m and gets to 2-shanten by the end of the first row.On turn 9, he draws a third west and gets to iishanten. With a 5667s shape, he has a chance to have a good wait.

On turn 9, Asami is the first to tenpai and stays dama on a 47m ryanmen. A win here equals winning the game.

At the end of the second row, Setokuma draws a third 6s. He has a strange shape with a pair of 3s and a 56667s shape. He is tenpai but can only take the 6s for ron. He stays dama on the 3s/6s shanpon, hoping for some improvement.

In the third row, Nagai joins in and stays dama on a 14m ryanmen.

And after him, Takizawa gets to tenpai on a 5p kanchan.

Of the four players, it is Setokuma who is victorious, drawing the 6s and winning the hand. Setokuma wins with Tsumo/Sanankou/Dora 4 for 6,000 all, easily taking the lead by a wide margin.

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Results

Game 267

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Game 2

Futoshi

February 27, Game 2, E2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p7060

In E2-, Futoshi is in a tie for 2nd place, 10,000 behind 1st place Aki.

Futoshi starts out the hand at 3-shanten and is just a 3p and 4p away from a pinzu straight. However, this pan shifts as he draws a second 2p dora. Wanting to secure it, he cuts the 1p.

At the start of the second row, Hisato the dealer calls riichi and waits on a 25p ryanmen.

There might be a little trouble for Futoshi, since he has a 556789p shape, giving the possibility of dealing in if he wants the ryanmen. After cutting his 2m pair and folding a bit, Futoshi draws a third 5p, saving him (both from discarding it and it being Hisato’s last winning tile). Before the row is done, he is iishanten.

At the start of the third row, Futoshi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a strange 7p wait. Though it was a pretty bad wait with only one left in the wall, Futoshi draws it on his last turn and wins the hand. With the 2p also being the uradora, Futoshi wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Dora 2/Ura 2 for 3,000/6,000 plus a riichi stick.

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Switch

February 27, Game 2, S3-2

In S3-2, Aki is in 2nd place and is 10,300 behind 1st place dealer Futoshi. With Hagiwara and Hisato so far behind, it’s a battle between the two of them for 1st place.

Aki starts out with an annoying 5-shanten hand with seven isolated terminals and honours, but at least she has two ryanmens and a pair secured. On her second turn, she pairs up the double south. Though it is good news for a potential yaku, one has already been discarded. Her hand progresses quickly and she lucks out when Hisato draws and discards the south, allowing her to get to iishanten.

However, despite having a ryanmen-ryanmen iishanten, her hand stalls. Through the rest of the first row and through the second, she can’t get anything. Then, towards the middle of the third row, she finally gets to tenpai and waits on a 14p ryanmen.

With so long to get to tenpai, her opponents had a chance to catch up. Two turns later, Futoshi gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36p ryanmen.

However, that riichi ends up backfiring as he draws and discards the 1p two turns later and deals into Aki. Aki wins the hand with Double South/Dora 1 for 3,900+600 plus a riichi stick. With that perfect direct hit, Aki moves into 1st place going into the final hand.

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