Game #16
For the final game, the seating order is set as the reverse standings order (4th → 3rd → 2nd → 1st)
Kadokawa
Sakura Knights
EX Furinkazan
Akasaka
Drivens
U-Next Pirates
Shingo Quick
May 17, Game 2, E2-0
In E2-0, Hori is in 4th place and 4,500 behind 2nd place dealer Katsumata. Considering the standings, Katsumata is his only target.
Hori starts out with a pretty good starting hand, sitting 3-shanten with a floating 8s dora and a path to tanyao. In his first few draws, simple tiles started coming and good shapes started forming naturally. By turn 4, Hori was iishanten and the 8s was more of a burden than a benefit. On turn 5, he secures a 345m iipeikou to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 47p nobetan. Just two turns later, he draws the 4p and wins the hand. Hori wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Tanyao/Iipekou for 2,000/4,000, moving ahead of Katsumata.
4th to 1st
May 17, Game 2, E3-0
In E3-0, Sonoda is the dealer in 4th place, 10,500 behind 1st place Nakabayashi.
Sonoda starts out the hand 3-shanten with a connected dora 2m. The first row provides Sonoda with a pair of green dragons, though the other pair is stuck with Nakabayashi. Still, it is a pair and it helps him get to iishanten on turn 3. On turn 5, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 14m ryanmen. On his very next draw, Sonoda gets the 4m and wins the hand. Sonoda wins with Riichi/Ippatsu/Tsumo/Dora 1 for 4,000 all, taking him to 1st place.
O Kei
May 17, Game 2, E3-1
In E3-1, Nakabayashi is in 2nd place and 5,500 behind 1st place Sonoda.
Nakabayashi has a decent chiitoi 2-shanten hand (3-shanten for a standard hand) to start with, which includes a pair of 6s dora. In the first row, Nakabayashi makes two sequences to shift his hand to a standard iishanten. On turn 6, he makes a triplet of wests and calls riichi on a 7s penchan. In the second row, he draws the fourth west and calls a concealed kan, guaranteeing him at least a mangan if he wins, even without the extra dora he gained from the kan. A few turns later, Katsumata discards the 7s trying to accept a decent iishanten and deals into Nakabayashi. Nakabayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Dora 3 for 8,000, moving into 1st and pushing Katsumata further into 4th place.
3s Shortcut
May 17, Game 2, E4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p2068
In E4-0, Sonoda is in 2nd place and 2,800 behind 1st place Nakabayashi.
With his first 13 tiles, he is already iishanten for seven pairs and has a chance to call a double riichi on a 7m, south or 3s draw. He doesn’t get any of them on his first draw, but he is still iishanten.On turn 3, he draws the 7m and calls riichi on a 3s tanki. Two turns later, he draws the 3s and wins the hand. With the uradora connecting, Sonoda instantly has a haneman. Sonoda wins the hand with Riichi/Tsumo/Chiitoi/Ura 2 for 3,000/6,000, taking the lead going into the second half of the game.
Drivens
May 17, Game 2, S1-0
In S1-0, Sonoda is in 1st place with a decent lead over the rest of the pack. Winning the next few hands can push the game to completion and secure a 2nd place team finish. With extremely good luck, they could theoretically challenge for 1st.
Sonoda’s starting hand is really good at 2-shanten. With a 2345678s shape with a red 5s in the middle, the chances of a good wait are good. By turn 4, Sonoda has a good iishanten and almost guaranteed a good wait. Despite this, he still holds onto a floating 3p, hoping to connect it with a 2p dora. As Sonoda waits, Nakabayashi gets to tenpai first and calls riichi on a 3m/9s shanpon.
During the ippatsu round, Sonoda gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 25p ryanmen, hoping for the 2p dora or the red 5p. Just a turn and a bit later, Nakabayashi draws and discards the red 5p and deals into Sonoda. Sonoda wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Aka 2 for 8,000 plus one riichi stick.
Push
May 17, Game 2, S2-0
In S2-0, Hori is in 2nd place, 15,800 ahead of 4th place dealer Katsumata. The lead is pretty good, but Katsumata’s dealership could spell trouble.
On Hori’s side, he is 4-shanten with a pair of green dragons. On Katsumata’s side, he is 2-shanten with a connected dora 7s. By turn 2, he is already iishanten with two ryanmens. As Katsumata looks for the quick win, the wall gifts Hori with a third green dragon and callable shapes. By the end of the row, he is also iishanten. With a pon of the 8m and the 6m in the second row, Hori is the first to tenpai and waits on an 8s kanchan.
Near the end of the second row, Katsumata finally gets to tenpai after drawing the red 5p and calls riichi on a 69s ryanmen. If he wins on the 6s, he is guaranteed at least a mangan.
During the ippatsu round, Hori draws the 7p. The 7p is still unseen on the board and there are not many pinzu in general on the board. The only pinzu tiles in Katsumata’s tiles are a pair of 1p. The 7p is very dangerous.
However, if Hori chooses to fold here, Katsumata’s dealership will go uncontested and it will give him time for a comeback. Plush, if Katsumata wins a mangan, Hori would already drop below him. Hori must stop Katsumata. After almost a whole minute, Hori takes the big risk and discards the 7p to stay in tenpai. Hori survives.
Hori’s bravery is immediately rewarded as Katsumata draws the 8s and deals into Hori.
Hori wins the hand with Green Dragon/Dora 1 for 2,600.
The Final Hand
May 17, Game 2, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s60_p3043
In S4-0, Nakabayashi is the final dealer. All he has to do is let this hand end and the U-Next Pirates will be the M-League champions.
At the start, Nakabayashi is 3-shanten with a very nice pinzu honitsu. The first seven turns give him a bunch of pinzu and by turn 7, he is actually tenpai on a south/west shanpon.
Two turns later, Hori discards the south. However, Nakabayashi does not call ron.
Though winning points is nice and it would move him up in placement, his team is already in championship position. If he wins, it just brings another opportunity for someone to push him into 4th with a freak accident. If he minimizes the number of hands he plays, he minimizes the chances of a poor result this game. Nakabayashi chooses not to push the game further and end the game with this hand, with his opponents cognisant of this fact as well and playing around this.
On Sonoda turn, he gets to tenpai on a 5p dora kanchan. Near the end of the second row, Sonoda draws the 5p and wins the hand. Sonoda wins with Tanyao/Dora 1/Aka 1 for 1,000/2,000, finishing the game in 1st and securing the 2nd place for his team
Final Scores
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s60_p262
Twitter: https://x.com/m_league_jikkyo/status/1791425291493195839
Standings
With the final results in, the U-Next Pirates are officially the M-League 2023-24 champions, the first team ever two win two championships! With Sonoda’s win this game, the Akasaka Drivens were able to hold on and finish in 2nd place, their first time winning prize money since the very 1st season. After an intense battle between the Kadokawa Sakura Knights and the EX Furinkazan, and an incredible push by Hori, the Kadokawa Sakura Knights round out the podium and finish in 3rd place. Unfortunately for the EX Furinkazan, this is their second year in a row finishing in 4th place.
As all the others leave, Nakabayashi stays behind and he is greeted by his teammates. With smiles on their faces and a round of applause, they gather around the plate to celebrate.
Intro | Game #15 | Game #16
Awards Ceremony | Final Thoughts
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