diff --git a/api/__init__.py b/api/__init__.py
index 2f95570..9ba14f1 100644
--- a/api/__init__.py
+++ b/api/__init__.py
@@ -214,7 +214,13 @@ class CardStatusEncoder(JSONEncoder):
 
 
 def public_games() -> list:
-    """Public lobby view — no sids, no reconnect tokens."""
+    """Public lobby view — no sids, no reconnect tokens.
+
+    A game that finished naturally (all 4 series played out) stays in the
+    `games` dict for reconnect purposes (e.g. a reload while still on the
+    GameOver screen), but it has nothing left to offer the lobby — drop it
+    here rather than have it linger forever as a "started"/resumable entry.
+    """
     return [
         {
             "gid": g.gid,
@@ -231,6 +237,7 @@ def public_games() -> list:
             ],
         }
         for g in games.values()
+        if g.bridzik_core is None or not g.bridzik_core.is_completed()
     ]
 
 
@@ -704,6 +711,11 @@ async def play_card(sid, card_key):
     await send_game_status(game.gid)
     for player in game.players:
         await send_player_cards(game.gid, player.order, player.sid)
+    # A naturally-finished game (all 4 series played out) has nothing left to
+    # offer the lobby -- refresh the list so it drops out immediately instead
+    # of lingering as "started"/resumable until someone happens to leave it.
+    if core.is_completed():
+        await broadcast_lobby()
 
 
 # --- history (read-only) --------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlayerCircle.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlayerCircle.tsx
index 0924ee0..da82c35 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlayerCircle.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlayerCircle.tsx
@@ -12,25 +12,34 @@ interface Props {
 export default function PlayerCircle({ name, won, guess, active, size = 52 }: Props) {
   const nameFont = Math.max(9, Math.round(size * 0.17));
   const valueFont = Math.round(size * 0.32);
-  // Oval: width = size, height a touch shorter so it reads as an ellipse.
+  // Oval: height a touch shorter than size so it reads as an ellipse. Width
+  // starts at `size` (a circle for short names) but grows with the name via
+  // fit-content + padding, up to a cap beyond which the name is ellipsised
+  // rather than wrapping (wrapping would break the fixed height/oval shape).
   const height = Math.round(size * 0.78);
+  const hPad = Math.round(size * 0.16);
+  const maxWidth = Math.round(size * 2);
 
   return (
     <div
       // Only the active player is highlighted (gold ring + glow) — colors come
       // from the velvet-table palette tokens (tailwind.config.js), not literals.
-      className={`flex flex-col items-center justify-center rounded-[50%] ${
+      className={`flex flex-col items-center justify-center rounded-full ${
         active ? 'bg-circle-active border-2 border-gold' : 'bg-circle border-[1.5px] border-gold/20'
       }`}
       style={{
-        width: size,
+        width: 'fit-content',
+        minWidth: size,
+        maxWidth,
         height,
+        paddingLeft: hPad,
+        paddingRight: hPad,
         boxShadow: '0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,.45)',
         animation: active ? 'ar 2.2s ease-in-out infinite' : undefined,
       }}
     >
       <span
-        className={`uppercase leading-tight text-center ${active ? 'text-gold' : 'text-green-circle'}`}
+        className={`uppercase leading-tight text-center overflow-hidden text-ellipsis whitespace-nowrap max-w-full ${active ? 'text-gold' : 'text-green-circle'}`}
         style={{
           fontFamily: '"DM Sans",sans-serif',
           fontSize: nameFont,
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/GameTable.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/GameTable.tsx
index af1951e..a340e27 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/GameTable.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/GameTable.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useGameStore } from '../store/gameStore';
 import { emit } from '../lib/socket';
@@ -46,6 +46,17 @@ export default function GameTable() {
     ? `${previousStash.first_player}:${JSON.stringify(previousStash.cards)}`
     : null;
 
+  // On first load of an already-running game (reconnect / restore-on-startup) a
+  // completed trick is already present; adopt it as "already swept" so we don't
+  // replay a stale sweep over the live board. A freshly started game has no
+  // completed trick at this point, so its very first trick still animates.
+  const booted = useRef(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (booted.current || !gameStatus) return;
+    booted.current = true;
+    if (previousStashKey) setDismissedKey(previousStashKey);
+  }, [gameStatus, previousStashKey]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!previousStashKey) return;
     setCollecting(false);
@@ -83,13 +94,15 @@ export default function GameTable() {
   const myTurnToPlay = isPlayPhase && active_player === myOrder;
 
   const activeCards = active_stash ? Object.keys(active_stash.cards).length : 0;
-  // Once a player leads, that live trick always wins the centre. Otherwise, if a
-  // just-completed trick hasn't been swept away yet, keep it face-up. Reading
-  // `previousStash` synchronously (rather than a state set in an effect) means
-  // the pile never blinks to empty on the frame the 4th card lands — the last
-  // card simply joins the three already there, then the whole pile is collected.
-  const finishing =
-    previousStashKey !== null && previousStashKey !== dismissedKey && activeCards === 0;
+  // A just-completed trick that hasn't been swept away yet always wins the centre
+  // — even once the winner has already led the next trick. The engine reveals that
+  // lead card (and, at a round boundary, the next bidding phase) the instant the
+  // 4th card lands, so without holding the pile here the sweep would be cut off
+  // after every trick. Reading `previousStash` synchronously (rather than a state
+  // set in an effect) also means the pile never blinks to empty on the frame the
+  // 4th card lands — the last card simply joins the three already there, then the
+  // whole pile is collected before the next trick takes over.
+  const finishing = previousStashKey !== null && previousStashKey !== dismissedKey;
   const displayedStash: StashData | null = finishing
     ? previousStash
     : activeCards > 0 && active_stash
@@ -102,7 +115,11 @@ export default function GameTable() {
       ? COLLECT_BY_OFFSET[(stashWinner(previousStash) - myOrder + 4) % 4]
       : null;
 
-  const playableKeys = myTurnToPlay && active_stash
+  // Block play until the previous trick's sweep animation has finished — otherwise
+  // the winner could lead the next card while the pile is still visibly clearing.
+  const canPlayNow = myTurnToPlay && !finishing;
+
+  const playableKeys = canPlayNow && active_stash
     ? computePlayable(hand, active_stash.cards[String(active_stash.first_player)]?.color ?? null)
     : undefined;
 
@@ -185,7 +202,11 @@ export default function GameTable() {
   );
 
   // Center of the oval: trick during play, guess controls during bidding.
-  const ovalContent = isPlayPhase ? (
+  // `finishing` also keeps the trick on screen while the round's *last* stash is
+  // swept away: the engine advances to the next round's bidding the instant the
+  // 4th card lands, so `isPlayPhase` flips to false immediately — without this,
+  // that final trick would vanish straight into the guess controls with no sweep.
+  const ovalContent = isPlayPhase || finishing ? (
     <div style={collectAnim ? { animation: `${collectAnim} ${COLLECT_MS}ms ease-in both` } : undefined}>
       <Trick stash={displayedStash} players={players} myOrder={myOrder} />
     </div>
@@ -222,7 +243,7 @@ export default function GameTable() {
   );
 
   const handArea = (
-    <Hand hand={hand} myTurn={myTurnToPlay} isPlayPhase={isPlayPhase} playableKeys={playableKeys} desktop={desktop} />
+    <Hand hand={hand} myTurn={canPlayNow} isPlayPhase={isPlayPhase} playableKeys={playableKeys} desktop={desktop} />
   );
 
   // ── DESKTOP LAYOUT ───────────────────────────────────────────────