Continuing the team match, I pick up:

2 / Q865 / AJ943 / AKJ in 2nd at favorable.

Righty passes, I open 1 Diamond, Lefty's in for a spade, pard bids 2 Spades, Righty passes and it's up to me.

I have a nice hand.  If my queen of hearts is the king, I have an easy splinter.  Should I give up on 3NT and splinter anyway?  When we find a minor suit fit, I usually shape out below 3N (to try to get to 3N) and cuebid above 3N, so I figured my choices were 4 Spades or 3 Hearts.  I didn't want to bid 3 Spades because that sounds too much like 'bid 3N with a spade stopper'.

Anyway, I ended up bidding 3 Hearts.  Partner now bid 3 Spades.

I like the auction again.  Now I can cuebid 4 Clubs and partner can hopefully take over.

After my 4 Club bid, partner jumped to game in diamonds.

Thanks pard!

With new partners, when in doubt I usually pass.  I didn't know the heart situation.  He could have something like AXX XX KQXX QXXX (2 Spades didn't show more than a limit raise) and even if he has Axx Ax QXXX QXXX slam is on the diamond hook (since your heart loser isn't going anywhere.)

The good news is that slam wasn't laydown, but it was on one of two finesses and you definitely want to be there.

Partner held

A63 / AJ / QT86 / Q873

2 / Q865 / AJ943 / AKJ

Opps only got to 3N, so we only lost 2.  (Harmless, right?)

I'm just going to have to put 'I don't play 5 of a minor unless we stop in 4 and get pushed there.' on my card.