Id agree with the view you expressed the one club opener should be artifical showing any hand with a stiff club. Bid diamonds with any other with no 5cM.
Seriously though, having not really played 5cM much i can only offer advise on what i know from wht we did in America for the individual. The convention there was to open the better minor unless both were 3-3 in which case clubs were to be opened allways, the only way a 3 card diamond suit could be opened would be if you were 4432. This allowed the responder to treat diamonds as a 4 card suit at all times with relative safety whilst clubs would have at minimum three cards.
Yet i would also say that opening 1c on a 2 card suit is also annoying for the opponents as often they feel they cannot double as they have long clubs and short diamaonds possibly saving you some IMPs. The same applies when the opponents suit is clubs.
Guess that dosent help huh? Well heres what John Matheson plays in case that sways you.
He plays better minor, allways at least a three card suit an dimaonds can be opened on a 4333 pattern apparently. He also suggests that these should be opened with very strong hands which can be dificult to discribe over a 2c opener. He also says that reponses to the minor, when you have 2 cards in the suit should be perpared to respond super weak on
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xxx
xx
xxx
say. So just normal reponses for you Gyles
Seriously though, having not really played 5cM much i can only offer advise on what i know from wht we did in America for the individual. The convention there was to open the better minor unless both were 3-3 in which case clubs were to be opened allways, the only way a 3 card diamond suit could be opened would be if you were 4432. This allowed the responder to treat diamonds as a 4 card suit at all times with relative safety whilst clubs would have at minimum three cards.
Yet i would also say that opening 1c on a 2 card suit is also annoying for the opponents as often they feel they cannot double as they have long clubs and short diamaonds possibly saving you some IMPs. The same applies when the opponents suit is clubs.
Guess that dosent help huh? Well heres what John Matheson plays in case that sways you.
He plays better minor, allways at least a three card suit an dimaonds can be opened on a 4333 pattern apparently. He also suggests that these should be opened with very strong hands which can be dificult to discribe over a 2c opener. He also says that reponses to the minor, when you have 2 cards in the suit should be perpared to respond super weak on
Qxxxx
xxx
xx
xxx
say. So just normal reponses for you Gyles