SRJ

So-called Marmic-hands with a 4-4-4-1 distrubution can be a pain to bid. With my regular partner I have agreed to open all 11-19 point Marmic hands with 1♦ - even if the singleton is ♦. Depending on the answering bid from my partner, I am mostly able to show the hand in the next bidding round, either by supporting my partners suit, bidding a new suit or by bidding NT. I am sure there are many similar agreements in other systems. Naturally you have to alert the 1♦ bid, but my question is: is this kind of opening bid illegal (or what I think is called "highly artificial"), since the hand might hold a singleton ♦?

I play a system where opening 1♥ or 1♠ shows a 5 card suit and 8-14 points. With 15-19 points I open 1♣ with any dstribution. My CC is always posted when I play this system. My question is: do I have to alert these light openings? IMO the bid is natural, and I don't know of any rules that requires 12 points for an opening. But am I wrong here? A recent opponent seemed to think so.