awm Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Stripe-Tail Ape double is when you double opponents in a making contract (usually at the five level) to prevent them from bidding a making slam. This is an occasional topic of bridge stories, and also happens sometimes by accident. Have you ever made one of these doubles on purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenrexford Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I have done this fairly frequently, especially if prepared to sac in a higher-ranking suit. For instance, I have had occasion to double a 5♥ response to RKCB, the opponents holding hearts, when I was otherwise prepared to bid 5♠. The other example, albeit technically just F-ing around, is the striped-tail-ape-and/or-check-whether-the-blues-discussed-ROPI double of 4NT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skjaeran Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I've only done this once. On the last board of the club championship in the club I played at the time (1983). We were playing one of the stronger pairs in the club. I had a near yarborough hand and early on was pretty sure they could make 6♥. So when RHO replied 5♥ to BW, I doubled, and all passed. Early on, my partner won a trick, which was ok. Then he won another, and I didn't like that at all - had I doubled them out of a non-making slam? At this point the rest of the tables had finished play and all were kibbing our table. Partner got another trick, so we set the contract. It was a Howell movement, so we soon picked up the traveller, discovering that all other tables had played 6♥..... and made it! So my double won twice! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I don't play enough in Matchpoint events. Because of that, on the few occasions that I do play in them I tend to forget the opportunity when it arises. Strictly a technique for use against intermediate opponents, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Once: The opponents had agreed ♠ and were in a cuebidding sequence, and I had Jxx xxx Jxxxx xx... finally they bid RKC, and I doubled their 5♠ bid. Partner, not knowing any better, took this as lead directing and led a small ♠. Ironically any other lead gives declarer a trick and several tables made 7... They made 6 against us, -1050 is rarely a top :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Have had several unintentional versions. One worked out fabulously well when I doubled a 0-3 RKC response (happened to be their trump suit too) causing a mixup and a missed grand. Have made one purposeful STA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfay Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilkaz Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. No kidding :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. I live on Neptune (See my profile on BBF) and we neptunians find the SOS XX extremely valuable! Maybe the martians have something against it? :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. I live on Neptune (See my profile on BBF) and we neptunians find the SOS XX extremely valuable! Maybe the martians have something against it? :rolleyes: i guess the sos XX is a sacred cow, just trying to stimulate a little thought...Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. I live on Neptune (See my profile on BBF) and we neptunians find the SOS XX extremely valuable! Maybe the martians have something against it? :rolleyes: i guess the sos XX is a sacred cow, just trying to stimulate a little thought...Bill It's not "sacred" but there is nothing to replace it and it's such a valuable tool. I don't know about your partners, but mine open very very light on their weak 2's meaning that an SOS XX comes up quite often... It has taken us from -1100 to -100 or even sometimes making! I'm not sure what you are suggesting in place of it... In fact there was just recently a thread about whether buisness XXs are valuable where Frances posted a beautiful explanation of why they are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 It's not "sacred" but there is nothing to replace it and it's such a valuable tool. I don't know about your partners, but mine open very very light on their weak 2's meaning that an SOS XX comes up quite often... It has taken us from -1100 to -100 or even sometimes making! I'm not sure what you are suggesting in place of it... In fact there was just recently a thread about whether buisness XXs are valuable where Frances posted a beautiful explanation of why they are not. ok, now that is some worthwhile commentary, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. I live on Neptune (See my profile on BBF) and we neptunians find the SOS XX extremely valuable! Maybe the martians have something against it? :rolleyes: i guess the sos XX is a sacred cow, just trying to stimulate a little thought...Bill It's not "sacred" but there is nothing to replace it and it's such a valuable tool. I don't know about your partners, but mine open very very light on their weak 2's meaning that an SOS XX comes up quite often... It has taken us from -1100 to -100 or even sometimes making! I'm not sure what you are suggesting in place of it... In fact there was just recently a thread about whether buisness XXs are valuable where Frances posted a beautiful explanation of why they are not. hey i looked up the thread, very good btw. BUT... she talks about when the business xx is worthwhile, nothing about the sos xx. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill What?! Surely you must be joking about SOS XX. guess its a different thread, but no i am not joking.What does XX mean? Pd i think we cant make the contract, lets try for something else (i have no good ideas) at a higher level.... Yes exactly. Seems very convenient to me. If you think it has no upside then you have been living on a different planet than I have. I live on Neptune (See my profile on BBF) and we neptunians find the SOS XX extremely valuable! Maybe the martians have something against it? :rolleyes: i guess the sos XX is a sacred cow, just trying to stimulate a little thought...Bill Not a sacred cow Bill, but IO also disagree with you. I have used an sos xx many times to escape a crappy fit and find a far better one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill1157 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 what about some examples of where the sos XX worked? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 what about some examples of where the sos XX worked? Bill http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30388http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=24678&hl= and others that I didn't go far back enough to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo81 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 the striped tailed ape X is almost as worthless as the SOS XX. Big downside, almost no upside. Bill I think I've unintentionally stripe-tailed ape once. I can think of at least a dozen times where an SOS redoubled worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echognome Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I remember an auction where my partner doubled the opponents at the 5-level for penalties and they bid on to 6, undoubled and made. I can't remember any more specifics than we were dead to rights in a sacrifice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I remember an auction where my partner doubled the opponents at the 5-level for penalties and they bid on to 6, undoubled and made. I can't remember any more specifics than we were dead to rights in a sacrifice. The other day against GIB I bid 4♥ and got doubled. I redoubled and they ran to 5♣. I bid 5♥ which they again doubled and I again redoubled, making 5. But in spades I was cold for 6. I have no idea how on-topic that story is to stripe tailed ape doubles, but it must be at least a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 It's called a stripe-tail extension, analogous to transfer extensions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmunte1 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 One of the greatest boards involving a "stripe-tailed ape" double happened at the local club, in my junior years, over ten years ago. It was a board where NS, held 37 HCP combined force, all red. At one table NS were a novice junior pair, and after a long bidding sequence they reached the unbeatable 6♣ contract. East, one of the local "experts" ;) made a stripe-tailed ape double, considering that the beginners will missplay it one way or another. He got redoubled by one of the juniors, who held 21 HCP over partner's 1NT opening. The juniors got a complete top by the nearest margin making an overtrick in 6♣ scoring +2230 vs +2220 at all other tables :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldman5757 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Stripe-Tail Ape double is when you double opponents in a making contract (usually at the five level) to prevent them from bidding a making slam. This is an occasional topic of bridge stories, and also happens sometimes by accident. Have you ever made one of these doubles on purpose?Sure, did it late in a Swiss in exactly the situation you describe. Doubled 5♥ before they bid 6♥. Operation successful, we got the swing, but patient died as we lost anyway, we were too far behind. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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