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Cappalligator
(prehistoric animal of noble extract who, when provoked, feigns
to run away, then turns against his aggressor; he has developed
this technique to combat his traditional enemies, the
Cappellettians)
by Bernard Marcoux, Sainte-Adèle
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One school of
thought tells to double 1NT with a hand of equivalent strength,
or stronger.
Practitioners of
Cappelletti will then double, penalty, only to hear their
partner take it out because they have no points.
Very good
question, in my opinion: if Cappelletti is for penalty, why does
your partner take it out? All Cappellettians will answer:
-
Because he has no points.
-
Then the double is not penalty.
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Yes, it is.
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So why doesn’t your partner leave it?
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Because he has no points.
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So it is not penalty, it is optional.
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No, it’s penalty.
-
So, I say, a bit irritated, if your partner has 20 points
and his RHO opens 1nt, 8-10, 10-12, 11-14, 12-14, 14-16, 15-17,
16-18, whatever, he will double and you will take it out because
you have no points????
Discussion with Cappellettians never ends. So I repeat my
question:
- Is Cappelletti for penalty or not?
Like the woman who played Lavinthal in defense, but not
always she added (!), Cappelletti, as played by the majority
of players, is penalty, but not always.
And if you have:
Axx
KQJ109x
Ax
xx
You won’t double 1NT for penalty? You are certain to beat 1NT
(unless declarer has 6 club tricks and the Ace of hearts), will
you pass because you don’t have as many points as the 1NT
opener? Here is a good occasion to repeat that bridge is about
tricks, not only points.
You open 1NT 15-17 with:
Jx
KQJ10
J10
AQJ10x
I know, I know, it is not perfect. Your LHO, Cappellettian of
good family, doubles.
Your partner passes and RHO, also
Cappellettian of good standing, starts to think.
You thank
Heaven, Cappelletti himself and all the saints in paradise. At
bridge, when a player starts to think after a Cappelletti double
by his partner, it is always a good sign. Cappellettian
daughter (they really look like mother and daughter) ends up
bidding 2, you pass, Cappellettian mother passes and your
partner doubles.
You Cappellettian mother Partner
Cappellettian daughter
1NT double
p 2
P p
double
Cappellettian daughter asks about the double.
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Cappalligator! You reply.
-
I’m sorry ?
You resist the urge to explain her the noble origins of this
extraordinary animal, skipping all the historic part, and go
right to the point:
- My partner thinks we will kill you.
- Come again…
- Penalty!
You lead the heart King. Here is dummy, cause of Cappellettian
mother’s double:
Dummy
Kx
Axxx
KQx
Kxxx
You
Jx
KQJ10
J10
AQJ10x
Isn’t that a Cappelletti of good extraction? Would not all
Cappellettians double with this hand?
The heart King wins and you continue heart for dummy’s Ace, your
partner signaling doubleton.
Declarer then plays small club to
her hand (!), you win the 10 and play Heart and Heart, your
partner signalling diamond on the 3rd heart, declarer
ruffing the 4th heart.
Declarer then plays another
club, you win the Ace. You play the diamond Jack for the king
and Ace from your partner.
She plays back a diamond.
Dummy wins the Queen. Declarer continues with the club King,
partner ruffs with the spade 9, over ruffed with the Queen!!
Declarer plays diamond, you ruff with the spade Jack, under
ruffed by partner, and we have now the famous coup, the
Alligator Coup, or Cappaligator. The Alligator coup is a
small cousin of the Crocodile Coup. This last coup consists of
playing a big honour, Ace or King, to overtake partner’s stiff
honour, to avoid him being end played.
Cappaligator,
which I have invented, consists of ruffing with the Jack, to
allow partner to underruff. Rare, you say ? Very rare.
Cappalligator is a very, very rare animal.
You play back a spade, your partner takes the rest, +800.
Cappellettian mother
Kx
Axxx
KQx
Kxxx
You
Partner
Jx
A109xx
KQJ10
xx
J10
A9xx
AQJ10x
xx
Cappellettian daughter
Q8xx
xxx
xxxx
xx
Poor Cappellettians! Cappaligator’s revenge is really
terrible, no?
Believe me, if you play Cappelleti penalty, but not always,
you will have one day to face the wrath of Cappaligator, and you
will repent!
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