diff --git a/src/lib/minigames/blackjack/tables.ts b/src/lib/minigames/blackjack/tables.ts
index de0340b..02aa21e 100644
--- a/src/lib/minigames/blackjack/tables.ts
+++ b/src/lib/minigames/blackjack/tables.ts
@@ -169,15 +169,14 @@ function scheduleTurnTimer(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
   record.turnTimer = setTimeout(() => onTurnTimeout(record), TURN_TIMEOUT_MS);
 }
 
-/** Turn timeout: sit out / decline insurance / stand for whoever is acting. */
-function onTurnTimeout(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
-  const scheduledVersion = record.turnTimerVersion;
-  record.turnTimer = null;
-  record.turnTimerVersion = null;
-  record.turnDeadlineAt = null;
-  if (scheduledVersion === null || scheduledVersion !== record.version) return;
+/**
+ * Auto-act for whoever must act: sit out / decline insurance / stand. Shared
+ * by the turn timer and by leaveTable so a mid-game leaver who is on the
+ * clock does not hold the table hostage until their timer expires.
+ */
+function resolveActingSeat(record: BlackjackTableRecord): boolean {
   const state = record.state;
-  if (!state || state.toActSeat === null) return;
+  if (!state || state.toActSeat === null) return false;
   const seat = state.toActSeat;
   let result;
   if (state.phase === "betting") {
@@ -187,12 +186,23 @@ function onTurnTimeout(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
   } else if (state.phase === "player") {
     result = applyAction(state, seat, "stand");
   } else {
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
-  if (!result.success) return;
+  if (!result.success) return false;
   record.state = result.state;
   record.version += 1;
   afterMutation(record);
+  return true;
+}
+
+/** Turn timeout: sit out / decline insurance / stand for whoever is acting. */
+function onTurnTimeout(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
+  const scheduledVersion = record.turnTimerVersion;
+  record.turnTimer = null;
+  record.turnTimerVersion = null;
+  record.turnDeadlineAt = null;
+  if (scheduledVersion === null || scheduledVersion !== record.version) return;
+  resolveActingSeat(record);
 }
 
 function scheduleNextRound(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
@@ -252,6 +262,14 @@ function onNextRoundTimeout(record: BlackjackTableRecord): void {
   while (record.seatMap.length < MAX_PLAYERS) record.seatMap.push(null);
 
   let next = startNextRound(current, dropIndexes);
+  // joinTable pre-seats a mid-game joiner into seatMap AND queues them in
+  // pendingJoins. Clear the pre-seated slot so the loop below seats each
+  // joiner exactly once; after compaction the cleared slot is the first
+  // null, so the joiner lands back on the same seat index.
+  for (const pending of record.pendingJoins) {
+    const preSeated = record.seatMap.indexOf(pending.userId);
+    if (preSeated >= 0) record.seatMap[preSeated] = null;
+  }
   for (const pending of record.pendingJoins) {
     // Paid pending joiners bring their buy-in into the engine now.
     if (record.pendingChipPaid.has(pending.userId)) {
@@ -625,9 +643,16 @@ export function forceExpireTable(tableId: string, payload: Payload): void {
   const record = tables.get(tableId);
   if (!record) throw new Error("Table not found.");
 
+  // Everyone still watching the table: seated players (leavers are already
+  // out) plus spectators, who would otherwise never learn the game ended.
+  const affected = new Set<number>();
   for (const userId of record.seatMap) {
     if (userId === null || record.leftUsers.has(userId)) continue;
+    affected.add(userId);
+  }
+  for (const spectatorId of record.spectators) affected.add(spectatorId);
 
+  for (const userId of affected) {
     broadcastToUser("blackjack-terminated", userId, {
       tableId: record.id,
       reason: "force-ended",
@@ -770,9 +795,14 @@ export function leaveTable(tableId: string, userId: number): void {
   if (!isSeatedAt(record, userId)) throw new Error("You are not seated at this table.");
   if (record.inGame) {
     // Mid-game: keep the seat visible; the player is dropped (and their
-    // session awarded) when the next betting round starts.
+    // session awarded) when the next betting round starts. When the leaver
+    // is the acting seat, resolve their turn immediately so the table is
+    // not held hostage until their timer expires.
+    const seatIndex = record.seatMap.indexOf(userId);
+    const acting = record.state !== null && record.state.toActSeat === seatIndex;
     record.leftUsers.add(userId);
     record.awayUsers.add(userId);
+    if (acting) resolveActingSeat(record);
   } else {
     const seatIndex = record.seatMap.indexOf(userId);
     record.seatMap = record.seatMap.filter((_, index) => index !== seatIndex);
diff --git a/tests/int/blackjack-tables.int.spec.ts b/tests/int/blackjack-tables.int.spec.ts
index 26a637f..ea7c4a1 100644
--- a/tests/int/blackjack-tables.int.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/int/blackjack-tables.int.spec.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { Payload } from "payload";
 
+import * as bus from "@/lib/realtime/bus";
+import { TURN_TIMEOUT_MS } from "@/lib/minigames/blackjack/constants";
 import {
   applyBlackjackAction,
   clearTablesForTests,
   createTable,
+  forceExpireTable,
   getSnapshotFor,
   joinTable,
   leaveTable,
+  NEXT_ROUND_DELAY_MS,
   renameTable,
   spectateTable,
   startGame,
@@ -187,3 +192,94 @@ describe("blackjack table registry: table management", () => {
     expect(() => getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11001)).toThrow("Table not found.");
   });
 });
+
+describe("blackjack table registry: mid-game leavers", () => {
+  it("resolves the acting seat immediately when the leaver is on the clock", () => {
+    const tableId = createTable(11101, "Host");
+    joinTable(tableId, 11102, "Guest");
+    startGame(tableId, 11101);
+    // Seat 0 (the host) acts first in the betting phase.
+    expect(getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11102).you?.activeSeat).toBe(0);
+
+    leaveTable(tableId, 11101);
+
+    const guest = getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11102);
+    expect(guest.you?.activeSeat).toBe(1);
+    expect(guest.you?.players.find((player) => player.seatId === 0)?.sittingOut).toBe(true);
+    expect(guest.turnDeadline).not.toBeNull();
+    // The guest is on the clock right away; their bet is accepted.
+    expect(() => applyBlackjackAction(tableId, 11102, "bet", 10)).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("does not advance the turn when a non-acting player leaves mid-game", () => {
+    const tableId = createTable(11151, "Host");
+    joinTable(tableId, 11152, "Guest");
+    startGame(tableId, 11151);
+    const before = getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11151);
+    const deadline = before.turnDeadline;
+
+    leaveTable(tableId, 11152);
+
+    const after = getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11151);
+    expect(after.you?.activeSeat).toBe(0);
+    expect(after.turnDeadline).toBe(deadline);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("blackjack table registry: mid-game joins", () => {
+  it("seats a mid-game joiner exactly once at the next round", () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const tableId = createTable(11201, "Host");
+      startGame(tableId, 11201);
+      joinTable(tableId, 11202, "Latecomer");
+
+      // Host times out of betting (empty round settles), then the next-round
+      // pause applies the pending join.
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(TURN_TIMEOUT_MS);
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(NEXT_ROUND_DELAY_MS);
+
+      const snapshot = getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11201);
+      expect(snapshot.seats.filter((id) => id === 11202)).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(snapshot.seats).toHaveLength(6);
+      const latecomerPlayers = (snapshot.you?.players ?? []).filter(
+        (player) => player.name === "Latecomer",
+      );
+      expect(latecomerPlayers).toHaveLength(1);
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe("blackjack table registry: force end", () => {
+  it("terminates every seated player and spectator", async () => {
+    const broadcastSpy = vi.spyOn(bus, "broadcastToUser");
+    const tableId = createTable(11301, "Host");
+    joinTable(tableId, 11302, "Guest");
+    startGame(tableId, 11301);
+    spectateTable(tableId, 11303);
+    // The notification write is stubbed out; only the broadcast is asserted.
+    const payloadStub = {
+      logger: { error: vi.fn() },
+      create: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error("notifications unavailable")),
+    } as unknown as Payload;
+
+    forceExpireTable(tableId, payloadStub);
+
+    expect(broadcastSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("blackjack-terminated", 11301, {
+      tableId,
+      reason: "force-ended",
+    });
+    expect(broadcastSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("blackjack-terminated", 11302, {
+      tableId,
+      reason: "force-ended",
+    });
+    expect(broadcastSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("blackjack-terminated", 11303, {
+      tableId,
+      reason: "force-ended",
+    });
+    expect(() => getSnapshotFor(tableId, 11301)).toThrow("Table not found.");
+    broadcastSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+});