Friday (April 24)

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Game 1

Great Genta

April 24, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9554

In S4-0, Genta is the last dealer and is 1,000 behind 1st place Honda. Any hand will move him into 1st place (though the game will continue since he’s the dealer).

With Genta’s starting 13, he is 3-shanten with three ryanmens, looking for a pair to secure pinfu. Over his first three turns, he makes another ryanmen and pairs up the 1s. A turn later, he breaks the 1s pair for a 455s shape.

Meanwhile, Honda is trying his best to end the game. On turn 4, he gets to tenpai and waits dama on a 36m ryanmen.

At the end of the first row, Genta completes a 789s sequence and gets to iishanten. A turn later, he draws the dora 6p to complete a 456p sequence and calls riichi on a 25m ryanmen. On his ippatsu draw, he gets the 5m and wins the hand. Genta wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Pinfu/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 6,000 all, almost guaranteeing that he will win the game.

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Results

Game 23

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Game 2

Chanta

April 24, Game 2, E4-5
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9555

In E4-5, Daigo is in 3rd place, 4,900 behind 3rd place Takamiya and 26,800 behind 1st place Honda. Honda has been racking up the honba and it’s time for Daigo to stop his reign.

Daigo starts off with a very valuable 2-shanten hand with a triplet of 1m dora. Though he has a 68m block in his hand, he starts out moving back to 3-shanten. His aim is to go for chanta, giving him the ability to call to speed it up. On turn 3, he calls pon on the 1m, leaving a 13m block. With similar blocks in pinzu and souzu and well, sanshoku has now been guaranteed as well. On turn 5, he fills in the 2s kanchan.

However, before he can get to tenpai, Honda gets there first and calls riichi on a 3p kanchan. Unbeknownst to him, Sonoda has a triplet of them and one is stuck in Daigo’s hand, leaving him empty.

At the start of the second row, Daigo calls chii on a 123m sequence, discards the red 5m and waits on a 2p kanchan. Immediately after, Honda discards the 2p and deals into Daigo. Daigo wins the hand with Chanta/Sanshoku/Dora 4 for 12,000+1,500 plus a riichi stick. With the direct hit, Daigo moves into 1st place.

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Shortcut to Haneman

April 24, Game 2, S3-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10066

In S3-0, Honda is in 2nd place, trailing 1st place Takamiya (who had gotten a dealer tsumo in S1-1) by 13,000.

Honda starts out the hand at 4-shanten, not looking like he has anything at all. But, with only two pinzu tiles and a manzu not fitting in the souzu honitsu narrative, he chooses that route. After discarding the 12p shape, a 9m and a drawn 7p, Honda is rid of all off-suits. By the end of the the first row, he is 2-shanten with pairs of 4s, 7s, 8s and white dragon.

Two turns into the second row, Honda has added pairs of 1s and green dragon, putting him tenpai. He calls riichi and waits on a south tanki. Two turns later, Daigo discards the south and deals into Honda. Honda wins the hand with Riichi/Chiitoi/Honitsu for 12,000, coming within 1,000 of 1st place.

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Results

Game 24

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