Sumo Gaming World Championship 2023

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Hi there,

it has become a habit of mine over the last 15 (?) years or so to track the standings in the Sumo Gaming World Championship on a daily basis during Kyushu Basho. I also know that there are a few very dedicated fans of this routine (including myself). Therefore I can assure you that I will do my best to present daily updates for the World Championship home stretch. However, I am almost dead certain that I will not be able to do this as reliably as in previous years. Preparing and scoring everything takes about 5 hours on shonichi and between two and three hours on every other day, and it is extremely unlikely that I will always find the necessary time. Delays are almost unavoidable. I am not even sure whether I will be able to at least download the game standings on each day so that I could insert them into my standings on the next day. If someone might volunteer in providing me with standings information for some days, please step forward.

That being said, I am excited to see who our World Champ of 2023 will be. Oskanohana sported a 20 points lead over Kaito and Susanoo after Aki Basho. However, after being tied for the jun-yusho in GTB this leading margin has increased to 30 points. Will Oskanohana come through this time (last year he lost in a dramatic nailbiter against Susanoo)? Check in regularly to see how the grand finale will unfold. 

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

That's way too much time. I thought maybe you had some magical way of getting the info at lightning speed. Many thanks for all the time you put in over the years. Hopefully some others will step in. I wish I could but I am woefully analogue and would be no help at all.

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Incomplete Standings after Day 2:

I won't comment much today as the standings below are incomplete. There are no data for UDH yet so we don't know the real numbers. However, for those who want to get a glimpse into the rough shape of "The Graph" I did the analyses without UDH information, adding an ounce of pointlessness to the overall pointlessness of this whole endeavor :)

Looks like Oskanohana can buy a bottle of Cava for a potential victory celebration. But after only two days I wouldn't put the cava into the fridge, let alone open it yet.

[Ganzohnesushi 506]

Disappointing year, I'm not even close to the graph.

Ganzohnesushi

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 3:

Hooray, now we also have UDH included, giving us a complete picture for the first time this basho!

In the Kyushu Masters, chishafuwaku (58.93) and Flohru (54.50) are off to a great start. Gansekiiwa (44.08) also is in very good shape so far. Other players in the 30+ range are Terarno (36.31), Pandaazuma (33.45), Konya ga Yamada (31.04), express (30.00) and Korinokoishi (30.00).

The list above includes only a single player (Pandaazuma) who was among the Top 10 in the World Championship before the basho. Everyone else seems to have a lackluster basho up to now. That's good news for Oskanohana: while he lost momentum in the previous days, his main pursuers Susanoo and Kaito also do not fare much better.

With mediocrity among the previous Top 10, we have a number of players who entered the Top 10. chishafuwaku is in 8th place, Gansekiiwa in 9th, and Flohru in 10th.

[Oskanohana 227]

[Hoshotakamoto 256]

I can help you knock that 2-3 hours down to 10 minutes...

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 4:

Adjusted Oracle standings for Kyushu: chishafuwaku (599.5) over Beeftank and Flohru (598.5).

chishafuwaku continues to lead in the Kyushu standings (50.21), but Athenayama is on his heels (48.64). Other notable performances by Oortael (38.50), Gonzaburow (36.66), Flohru (33.17) and Pandaazuma (32.45). Gansekiiwa had an abysmal day.

Oskanohana continues to sail through Kyushu Basho. But wait, is this a shark lurking beneath the water-line? Kaito came to life and reduced Oscar's leading margin to less than 17 points. Susanoo drops to third place, barely having the upper edge over Pandaazuma and Gonzaburow.

Joaoiyama drops to the lower half of the Top 10, leading over Norizo. Kyushu leader chishafuwaku sits in 8th place, currently in no-man's land. The Top 10 are now rounded out by Athenayama and Andoreasu.

[Rocks 1,807]

3 hours ago, Randomitsuki said:

Gansekiiwa had an abysmal day.

They can't all be sunshine and roses. 

[Kaito 275]

My incredible year of Chain Gang came to end in lame fashion yesterday, as I picked Onosato, knowing there was a great risk of Chiyomaru pulling out, and failed to check the kyujo list before the deadline. I've unfortunately been too busy this tournament to prioritize sumo. I'm already in the dumpster in many games, so I don't think I'm gonna get far without those points.

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 5:

Adjusted Oracle standings: Beeftank and Pandaazuma (597) in front of chishafuwaku, Flohru, and Kaito (596).

Gonzaburow had a hell of a day, and if it weren't for a loss in Quad, he would currently vie for more than 60 Kyushu points (57.84 currently). Nobody comes even close. Other players north of 30 are Pandaazuma (37.94), Terarno (36.54), Andoreasu (32.96) and Korinokoishi (30.00).

This has some implications for the World Championship. Some vibes from last year creep up. All relaxed, Oskanohana? Again, there is an imminent danger emerging from a Japanese veteran player as Gonzaburow straddles the 200 points mark. Oscar still leads by about 11 points, and it might be that Gonzaburow is now peaking, but I wouldn't call the race off right now. Kaito drops to third, Pandaazuma remains in 4th and Susanoo falls to 5th, but this trio is divided by about 6 points only.

Norizo and Joaoiyama battle for 6th place, swapping positions in that process. Then comes a huge no-man's-territory (which was occupied by chishafuwaku yesterday). But lots of players who started great into the basho plummeted considerably (chishafuwaku, Athenayama, Gansekiiwa, Kitakachiyama). The Top 10 are rounded out by Andoreasu, chishafuwaku, and Oshirokita (who is currently without a Kyushu point).

Edited November 16, 2023 by Randomitsuki

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 6:

Adjusted Oracle standings: Beeftank (588.5) in front of chishafuwaku and Sakura (587.5).

Wow. If you really want to know how it feels to lose 32.57 Masters points on a single day, please ask Gonzaburow. Yesterday, the Japanese gaming veteran was leading the Kyushu standings by miles; today Gonzaburow isn't even in the Top 10 for Kyushu anymore. Ouch. Instead, we have another high-flying prospect to lead the standings by a mile, and that's Terarno (60.41). Other players with notable points are Andoreasu (36.47), chishafuwaku (35.85), Sakura (33.00), Pandaazuma (31.92), Athenayama (31.50), Tetsuba (30.84), and Norizo (30.33).

With Gonzaburow's downfall, the World Championship standings are back to boring. Though Oskanohana has only 2.07 Kyushu Masters points since shonichi, he still sports a clear lead over Susanoo (8.50 Kyushu points). Second place in the World Championship is quite contested though, with Pandaazuma, Kaito, and Norizo all within about 4 points distance to Susanoo.

Gonzaburow drops from 2nd to 6th place. Joaoiyama also had a very poor day, lost about 15 points, but stays in 7th. Andoreasu stays in 8th place, and chishafuwaku in 9th. 10th place is taken by Balon, but contested by Oshirokita and Golynohana at the moment.

Disclaimer: there have been other players over the basho who were moving into triple digits, but the graph would have only become less readable if I put them all onto it. I will add those players once they are within 10-points range of the Top 10. Currently, this concerns Sakura (109.21), TochiYESsshin (106.66), and Kintamayama (104.24).

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings Day 7:

Adjusted Oracle standings: GONZABUROW (593) with a notable lead over Choshu-yuki and Beeftank (587).

There seems to be a first-place curse at work: yesterday, Kyushu frontrunner GONZABUROW lost 32 points, dropping from 1st to 12th for the basho. Today, frontrunner Terarno lost 30 points and slips to 7th place for the basho. As a result, the Kyushu standings become murkier than ever, with no clear favorite in sight. Athenayama currently leads for the basho with a mediocre 45.50 points. Also in the 30+ range, we have Norizo (37.25), Choshu-yuki (37.11), GONZABUROW (35.62), Kintamayama (35.21), Andoreasu (31.26), and Terarno (30.42).

In the World Championship, Oskanohana extends his lead over second place to 32 points (more than at shonichi), thanks to a crucial win in Sumo Game and a successful gamble in Odd Sumo. A fierce fight for the jun-World Championship title now breaks out between five players: Norizo's clear upward trend over the last few days propels him to 2nd place; Kaito advances to 3rd; GONZABUROW is back in the upper half of the Top 10 (4th); Susanoo drops to 5th; and Pandaazuma now leads the lower half of the Top 10.

Joaoiyama is the only resident in no-man's land between 134 and 177 Masters points. Andoreasu defends 8th place. Golynohana jumps into the Top 10 in 9th while chishafuwaku drops to 10th place. However, there are five other players lurking just outside of the Top 10, among them an ever-improving Kintamayama who now joins the chart.

[Oskanohana 227]

Well, my smarter-than-thou picks of Oho and Nishikifuji are saddling me in the pre-basho games and in Bench and I'm not doing fine in daily in general, except for my SumoGame performance which is being average at best but I'm having luck with my opponents. And my odd "gamble" was a sure fire bet, mind you mister Rando, just as the previous ones were, ehem.

So the door was open but no one seems to be coming in. Winning by mediocrity is fine with me.

Of course, I won't leave the fans of my art hanging. Here you go.

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after nakabi:

Adjusted Oracle standings: Gonzaburow (581) over Beeftank (576) and Bunbukuchagama (575).

Salarycap standings: Sakura (873) over KonyaGaYamada (825) and Ganzohnesushi (810).

In the Kyushu Masters, Athenayama managed to defend first place (45.10). But there are many other contestants for the Green Mawashi. At the moment, Gonzaburow (40.42), Kamibaka (39.83), Andoreasu (39.53), Tetsuba (38.29), Pandaazuma (32.97), Beeftank (31.75), and Konya ga Yamada (31.38) stick out.

Oskanohana extends his lead over second place to more than 35 points now. That looks very promising for him now. 

The battle for second place continues: currently Gonzaburow is 2nd, Pandaazuma is 3rd, Kaito is 4th, Norizo is 5th, and Susanoo 6th.

Joaoiyama and Andoreasu firmly remain in 7th and 8th, respectively. Golynohana stays 9th while Athenayama has squeezed himself into 10th place. Other players who might have a shot at the Top 10 at the moment are Oshirokita, Balon, ScreechingOwl, and chishafuwaku. Not-charted players in triple digits are Bunbukuchagama (107.71) and TochiYESshin (103.61).

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings Day 9:

Adjusted Oracle standings: Gonzaburow (586) in front of Beeftank (580), and chishafuwaku/Norizo/ScreechingOwl (577).

In the Kyushu Masters, Athenayama lost his leading position after dropping 7 points in Salarycap Sumo (9 SCS points for today...). At the same time, Andoreasu surged and now leads with 50.50 points. He is pursued by Beeftank (40.00), Kintamayama (40.00), Norizo (39.61), Gonzaburow (37.40), Athenayama (37.00), Terarno (36.21) and Tetsuba (30.71).

Not that much to report in the World Championships. Except for Pandaazuma and Gonzaburow who dropped some points, all Top 6 players slightly improved. Behind distant Oskanohana, Norizo, Kaito, Gonzaburow, Susanoo, and Pandaazuma continue to fight for second place. No changes between places 7 to 10. Lurking outside of the Top 10 are Oshirokita, Kintamayama, ScreechingOwl, and Athenayama.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Randomitsuki

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 10:

Salarycap standings: Sakura (1080) in front of Joaoiyama (1038) and Ganzohnesushi (1014).

Adjusted Oracle standings: Gonzaburow (569.5) in front of Norizo (565.5), followed by Pandaazuma and ScreechingOwl (564.5). It's fascinating to see how adjusted standings can be thrown into turmoil when rikishi go kyujo or return to the dohyo...

In the Kyushu Standings, Terarno gained over 30 points today, currently giving him a commanding lead over the rest (66.71). However, Andoreasu (57.67) is also climbing steadily. Other players with a strong basho are Beeftank (44.50), Golynohana (42.41), Kintamayama (36.00), Gonzaburow (34.88), and Norizo (33.39).

Oskanohana (or Oskahanada - which name would you want to see on the trophy?) has gained many wins in Sumo Game, now being tied for the lead. That alone is probably enough to win out this year. The quintet fighting for Vice-World Championship might have turned into a sextet as reigning champion Joaoiyama gained some momentum today. For now, Kaito (2nd) has the upper hand over Norizo (3rd), Gonzaburow (4th), Susanoo (5th), Pandaazuma (6th) and Joaoiyama (7th).

For Andoreasu in 8th the only way has been up over previous days. Same goes for Golynohana in 9th. As Balon lost a few points today, "pointless" Oshirokita moves back into 10th place. Other Top 10 prospects are Balon, Kintamayama, ScreechingOwl, and Kitakachiyama.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Randomitsuki

[Oskanohana 227]

1 hour ago, Randomitsuki said:

Oskanohana (or Oskahanada - which name would you want to see on the trophy?) has gained many wins in Sumo Game, now being tied for the lead.

It'd be Oskanohana as I would have overcome all the hurdles and finally deserved the honor of taking my ancestor's name and leave behind my Hanada given name...wait, no, that's not me, that's not even my given name, that's the two fellas...the rockstars from the 90's...Wakatakamoto or something...

BTW, I can perfectly see what you're trying to do, you're just trying to jinx it, but as Hakuho is my witness, I'll never trust Kagayaki again.

[Sumo Spiffy 535]

2 hours ago, Randomitsuki said:

Adjusted Oracle standings: Gonzaburow (569.5) in front of Norizo (565.5), followed by Pandaazuma and ScreechingOwl (564.5). It's fascinating to see how adjusted standings can be thrown into turmoil when rikishi go kyujo or return to the dohyo...

I've been trying to figure this out since the start of the thread: how do you figure out adjusted Oracle standings?

[Bunbukuchagama 688]

1 hour ago, Sumo Spiffy said:

I've been trying to figure this out since the start of the thread: how do you figure out adjusted Oracle standings?

Good question. If you look at raw standings, players that submitted unreasonably low win numbers will be at the top initially, and those who picked unreasonably high numbers will be at the bottom; as the basho progresses, the first group will move down and the second up, but actual winners should stay somewhere in the middle and only rise to the top of the standings in the last days, I assume.

[Oskanohana 227]

1 hour ago, Sumo Spiffy said:

I've been trying to figure this out since the start of the thread: how do you figure out adjusted Oracle standings?

If I remember correctly, they calculate expected wins for a certain rikishi as the number of wins they actually have plus half of the days left in the basho (as if each rikishi would win half the bouts they have left). That way is more accurate than the raw method in the actual standings of the Oracle Game, where it calculates the results as if the basho had ended that same day. And that also explains the half points Rando gives in the adjusted Oracle standings that will never appear in the final leaderboard.

I assume when a guy goes kyujo, the calculation stops at his actual number of wins as he's not expected to come back. With this basho shenanigans in that regard, the calculations deviate more on a daily basis.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Oskanohana
Extra info

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings after Day 11:

Salarycap Standings: Sakura (1179) over Ganzohnesushi (1149) and Joaoiyama (1140).

Adjusted Oracle standings (perfectly explained yesterday by Oskanohana): again, quite a change in standings with Takanosho's kyujo - Gonzaburow (573) over Pitinosato (567) over Kishikaisei and Athenayama (563).

Terarno was already leading the standings quite clearly after Day 6, followed by a meltdown on Day 7. After Day 10, Terarno was in the lead again, but this time the meltdown was much smaller (about 15 points). Nonetheless, with 49.21 Masters points he dropped to 2nd place overall. This is also due to a very strong showing of Andoreasu who added another 12+ points to his already impressive tally which now stands at 70.07 points. Other players north of 30 points are Beeftank (44.50), Golynohana (44.28), Athenayama (40.50), Gonzaburow (36.35), Kintamayama (33.17), and Tetsuba (32.38).

Not much to report with regard to the World Championship, except to say that the battle for 2nd place overall currently has seven (yesterday six, the day before five) contestants. However, Kaito already sports a 10-points lead over Susanoo and Gonzaburow who have a 7 to 12.5 points lead over Pandaazuma (5th), Andoreasu (6th), Norizo (7th), and Joaoiyama (8th). The "rat race" (courtesy of gentleman Oscar) is quite exciting...

By the way: I said before the basho that there will be days where I cannot guarantee to provide updates. These days are now coming. Keep your fingers crossed for reports on Thursday (Day 12) and Friday (Day 13)...

[Kaito 275]

Missed my last chance to win Odd yesterday when Asanoyama couldn't pull the upset to finish a 60-pointer. All 10 of my bets were to move into first. 6 of them missed by a single leg. The story of my Odd career. If my luck ever evens out, I'll win it 3 times some year soon.

[Asashosakari 18,784]

5 minutes ago, Kaito said:

Missed my last chance to win Odd yesterday when Asanoyama couldn't pull the upset to finish a 60-pointer. All 10 of my bets were to move into first. 6 of them missed by a single leg. The story of my Odd career. If my luck ever evens out, I'll win it 3 times some year soon.

That's what all degenerate gamblers say. 

[Randomitsuki 2,768]

Standings Day 12 (managed it...):

Salarycap standings: Sakura (1263) in front of Joaoiyama (1254) and Ganzohnesushi (1239).

Adjusted Oracle standings: Gonzaburow (567) in front of chishafuwaku, Kishikaisei, and Pandaazuma (560)

Golynohana had a very strong day, and all of a sudden and with only three days to go it looks like we could have an interesting duel for the Green Mawashi. Andoreasu lost some steam (61.64) but still keeps Golynohana (58.98) at bay. Meanwhile, many other players joined the 30+ Masters points club: Athenayama (40.75), Gonzaburow (35.85), Terarno (34.71), Tetsuba (34.29), Oskanohana (31.36), Pandaazuma (30.60), Kintamayama (30.50), and chishafuwaku (30.48).

I think it's now safe to say that a first World Championship title for Oskanohana is a done deal. Or at least I lack imagination of what could possibly go all wrong to endanger his commanding lead. Though Kaito shows some steady improvement over the last few days, the same obviously could be said about Oskanohana. 3rd place is hotly contested between Pandaazuma (3rd), Gonzaburow (4th) and Susanoo (5th) at the moment, but this could change in a whim. Norizo is in a tiny no-man's territory on the chart, followed by another triplet between Andoreasu (7th), Joaoiyama (8th), and Golynohana (9th). chishafuwaku overtook Oshirokita to take 10th place for the moment. He currently has two more players in pursuit within 10 points distance: Oshirokita and Athenayama. 

For the moment, there are four more players not on the chart (for readability purposes), but actually in triple digits: Bill (109.88), Kishikaisei (104.21), TochiYESshin (102.61), and Unkonoyama (100.04).