Friday 28th July: Kenyon Plummets Back into the Red

Two Kokushimusou , one yakitori, one loser! On the Grand Accumulated Results Table only Noda, who did not play tonight, is in the black on a stratospheric +666.

After meeting Tim at Kemby's for a couple of preliminary beers and a plate of pasta the four regular or semi-regular foreign players ambled over to Kodama. Only one other table was occupied - by a group of lads who we'd never seen before. Mama was muttering about the lack of custom and wondering what had happened to everybody - perhaps the Yawner had finally fallen into a deep and not to be disturbed slumber.

Ray made the early running, winning the first game and coming in a healthy second-and-in-the-black on +58 in the second game, but by then the baton had been handed over to David who finished top on +97, chiefly at Kenyon's expense.

In the third game the initiative was with Ray at first, who went out on Kokushimusou as Oya on a tile given away by Kenyon. I think it was in this game that Kenyon threatened for a while to make a come-back and at one stage completed a Suuanko hand. However, it was nowt but a flash in the pan as Jaime was in the process of staging a recovery that saw him extricate himself from trouble and end up second-and-in-the-black on +61 for the evening, helped on his way by David. Kenyon had gone Riichi and thrown a 6-Bamboo. David had a couple of 9-Bamboo in his hand so threw one at which point Jaime went out on Kokushimusou. Despite that setback David finished the fourth game second-and-in-the-black.

In the fifth and final game Kenyon's tray rapidly emptied as Ray, then David (twice in a row) took advantage of his discards. In the last case David went Riichi and Kenyon attempted an Okake-Riichi with the 9-Coins - just what David was waiting for! The Human Computer blew a circuit and the customary sound of "freakin'" suffered a temporary glitch which turned the "reak" into an "uck"!! At several points in the evening Jaime had suggested that he indulge in a beer or two to oil the wheels, but, like his fellow countryman, Kenyon

...took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Ray had been giving away his early winnings and in the last hand of the game both he and Kenyon still had their Yakitori tesserae on the table so David and Jaime were guaranteed a bonus from one or other of the two. As it turned out, Kenyon saved his Yakitori for the third time in the evening when David gave him the tile and so it was Ray who had to pay out the Yakitori fine.

Nevertheless, for all that, Ray came in third-and-in-the-black and so the Gaijin Old Guard all finished over the bar at the expense of the Human Computer, who achieved the distinction of recording the biggest single loss of the year.

Here is the score sheet:

David -25, +97, -13, +25, +62 = +146
Jaime +6, -43, +24, +48², +26 = +61
Ray +32, +58, -6¹, -21, -43³ = +20
===
Kenyon -13, -112, -5, -52, -45 = -227

1 Kenyon gives Ray (Oya) Kokushimusou.
2 David gives Jaime Kokushimusou.
3 Ray is Yakitori.


David Hurley
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