diff --git a/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/PokerPopups.tsx b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/PokerPopups.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72ad490
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/PokerPopups.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import type { ActivePokerPopup } from "./usePokerPopups";
+
+export function PokerPopupBubble({ popup }: { readonly popup: ActivePokerPopup }) {
+  return (
+    <span aria-hidden="true" className={cn("poker-popup", `poker-popup-${popup.tone}`)}>
+      {popup.text}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/pokerPopups.ts b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/pokerPopups.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6376801
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/pokerPopups.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+import type { PokerActionKind, PublicPlayerView } from "@/lib/minigames/poker";
+import { BLIND_STAGGER_MS, type PokerSoundSnapshot } from "./pokerSoundEvents";
+
+export type PokerPopupTone = "action" | "wager" | "win" | "fold" | "leave";
+
+export interface PokerPopupEvent {
+  readonly key: string;
+  readonly seatId: number;
+  readonly text: string;
+  readonly tone: PokerPopupTone;
+  /** ms to wait before this popup appears (staggered blind sequence), default 0. */
+  readonly delay?: number;
+}
+
+function playerBySeat(
+  players: readonly PublicPlayerView[],
+  seatId: number,
+): PublicPlayerView | null {
+  return players.find((player) => player.seatId === seatId) ?? null;
+}
+
+function wagerAction(
+  previousBet: number,
+  nextBet: number,
+): Extract<PokerActionKind, "bet" | "call" | "raise"> {
+  if (previousBet === 0 && nextBet > 0) return "bet";
+  if (nextBet > previousBet) return "raise";
+  return "call";
+}
+
+function wagerLabel(
+  action: Extract<PokerActionKind, "bet" | "call" | "raise">,
+  amount: number,
+  allIn: boolean,
+): string {
+  const formatted = `+${amount.toLocaleString()}`;
+  if (allIn) return `All-in ${formatted}`;
+  if (action === "bet") return `Bet ${formatted}`;
+  if (action === "raise") return `Raise ${formatted}`;
+  return `Call ${formatted}`;
+}
+
+export function popupEventsForTransition(
+  previous: PokerSoundSnapshot | null,
+  next: PokerSoundSnapshot,
+): readonly PokerPopupEvent[] {
+  if (!previous || previous.version === next.version) return [];
+
+  const previousView = previous.you;
+  const nextView = next.you;
+  if (!nextView) return [];
+  const events: PokerPopupEvent[] = [];
+  const transitionKey = `${next.version}:${nextView.handNumber}:${nextView.phase}:${nextView.street}`;
+
+  const sameHandAndStreet =
+    previousView !== null &&
+    previousView.handNumber === nextView.handNumber &&
+    previousView.street === nextView.street;
+
+  // New hand: present the blind posts as a staggered mini-sequence (small
+  // blind, then big blind) so the hand opens with a readable flow before the
+  // first real turn. The previous view may be the waiting room (no seat view
+  // yet) when this is the game's first dealt hand.
+  if (
+    nextView.phase === "betting" &&
+    (previousView === null || nextView.handNumber > previousView.handNumber)
+  ) {
+    events.push({
+      key: `${transitionKey}:popup:blind-sb`,
+      seatId: nextView.smallBlindSeat,
+      text: `Small blind +${nextView.config.smallBlind.toLocaleString()}`,
+      tone: "wager",
+      delay: 0,
+    });
+    events.push({
+      key: `${transitionKey}:popup:blind-bb`,
+      seatId: nextView.bigBlindSeat,
+      text: `Big blind +${nextView.config.bigBlind.toLocaleString()}`,
+      tone: "wager",
+      delay: BLIND_STAGGER_MS,
+    });
+    return events;
+  }
+
+  if (!previousView) return events;
+
+  if (sameHandAndStreet && previousView.phase === "betting" && nextView.phase === "betting") {
+    for (const nextPlayer of nextView.players) {
+      const previousPlayer = playerBySeat(previousView.players, nextPlayer.seatId);
+      if (!previousPlayer) continue;
+
+      if (!previousPlayer.folded && nextPlayer.folded) {
+        events.push({
+          key: `${transitionKey}:popup:fold:${nextPlayer.seatId}`,
+          seatId: nextPlayer.seatId,
+          text: "Fold",
+          tone: "fold",
+        });
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (nextPlayer.folded) continue;
+
+      // Same committed-growth rule as the sound mapper: blinds post on a new
+      // hand (handNumber differs), so any mid-street increase is the player's
+      // own wager, even when they already acted earlier in the street.
+      const committedDelta = nextPlayer.totalCommitted - previousPlayer.totalCommitted;
+      if (committedDelta > 0) {
+        events.push({
+          key: `${transitionKey}:popup:wager:${nextPlayer.seatId}:${committedDelta}`,
+          seatId: nextPlayer.seatId,
+          text: wagerLabel(
+            wagerAction(previousView.currentBet, nextView.currentBet),
+            committedDelta,
+            nextPlayer.allIn,
+          ),
+          tone: "wager",
+        });
+      } else if (!previousPlayer.hasActed && nextPlayer.hasActed) {
+        events.push({
+          key: `${transitionKey}:popup:check:${nextPlayer.seatId}`,
+          seatId: nextPlayer.seatId,
+          text: "Check",
+          tone: "action",
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Leaving is any of: a vanished seat (removed between hands), a mid-game
+  // leaver whose view flips the left flag immediately, or the later eliminated
+  // forfeit. Busted stacks are never eliminated or left, so they never read
+  // as a leave; the left||eliminated pair fires exactly once per player.
+  for (const previousPlayer of previousView.players) {
+    const nextPlayer = playerBySeat(nextView.players, previousPlayer.seatId);
+    if (!nextPlayer) {
+      events.push({
+        key: `${transitionKey}:popup:leave:${previousPlayer.seatId}`,
+        seatId: previousPlayer.seatId,
+        text: `${previousPlayer.name} left the table`,
+        tone: "leave",
+      });
+      continue;
+    }
+    const leftBefore = previousPlayer.left || previousPlayer.eliminated;
+    const leftNow = nextPlayer.left || nextPlayer.eliminated;
+    if (leftNow && !leftBefore) {
+      events.push({
+        key: `${transitionKey}:popup:leave:${previousPlayer.seatId}`,
+        seatId: previousPlayer.seatId,
+        text: `${previousPlayer.name} left the table`,
+        tone: "leave",
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  // A hand ends in exactly one of showdown or hand-complete, and both phases
+  // carry showdown results, so every winner gets one "+N" popup, never twice.
+  const handEnded =
+    (nextView.phase === "hand-complete" && previousView.phase !== "hand-complete") ||
+    (nextView.phase === "showdown" && previousView.phase !== "showdown");
+  if (handEnded && nextView.showdown) {
+    for (const result of nextView.showdown.results) {
+      if (result.chipsWon <= 0) continue;
+      events.push({
+        key: `${transitionKey}:popup:win:${result.seatId}:${result.chipsWon}`,
+        seatId: result.seatId,
+        text: `+${result.chipsWon.toLocaleString()}`,
+        tone: "win",
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  return events;
+}
diff --git a/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/usePokerPopups.ts b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/usePokerPopups.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a0c734
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/frontend/minigames/poker/usePokerPopups.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import type { PokerSnapshot } from "@/app/(frontend)/minigames/poker/actions";
+import { popupEventsForTransition, type PokerPopupEvent } from "./pokerPopups";
+import type { PokerSoundSnapshot } from "./pokerSoundEvents";
+
+export type ActivePokerPopup = PokerPopupEvent;
+
+const POPUP_LIFETIME_MS = 1500;
+const LEAVE_POPUP_LIFETIME_MS = 3000;
+const MAX_ACTIVE_POPUPS = 12;
+const MAX_SEEN_KEYS = 256;
+
+const POPUP_LIFETIMES_MS: Record<PokerPopupEvent["tone"], number> = {
+  action: POPUP_LIFETIME_MS,
+  wager: POPUP_LIFETIME_MS,
+  win: POPUP_LIFETIME_MS,
+  fold: POPUP_LIFETIME_MS,
+  leave: LEAVE_POPUP_LIFETIME_MS,
+};
+
+export function usePokerPopups(snapshot: PokerSnapshot | null): readonly ActivePokerPopup[] {
+  const [popups, setPopups] = useState<readonly ActivePokerPopup[]>([]);
+  const previousSnapshotRef = useRef<PokerSoundSnapshot | null>(null);
+  const seenKeysRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set());
+  const timersRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>[]>([]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!snapshot) {
+      previousSnapshotRef.current = null;
+      return;
+    }
+    const previousSnapshot = previousSnapshotRef.current;
+    if (previousSnapshot) {
+      const fresh = popupEventsForTransition(previousSnapshot, snapshot).filter((event) => {
+        if (seenKeysRef.current.has(event.key)) return false;
+        seenKeysRef.current.add(event.key);
+        return true;
+      });
+      while (seenKeysRef.current.size > MAX_SEEN_KEYS) {
+        const oldest = seenKeysRef.current.values().next().value;
+        if (typeof oldest !== "string") break;
+        seenKeysRef.current.delete(oldest);
+      }
+      if (fresh.length > 0) {
+        const immediate: ActivePokerPopup[] = [];
+        for (const event of fresh) {
+          const delay = event.delay ?? 0;
+          if (delay > 0) {
+            timersRef.current.push(
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                setPopups((current) => [...current, event].slice(-MAX_ACTIVE_POPUPS));
+                timersRef.current.push(
+                  setTimeout(() => {
+                    setPopups((current) => current.filter((popup) => popup.key !== event.key));
+                  }, POPUP_LIFETIMES_MS[event.tone]),
+                );
+              }, delay),
+            );
+          } else {
+            immediate.push(event);
+            timersRef.current.push(
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                setPopups((current) => current.filter((popup) => popup.key !== event.key));
+              }, POPUP_LIFETIMES_MS[event.tone]),
+            );
+          }
+        }
+        if (immediate.length > 0) {
+          setPopups((current) => [...current, ...immediate].slice(-MAX_ACTIVE_POPUPS));
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    previousSnapshotRef.current = snapshot;
+  }, [snapshot]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      for (const timer of timersRef.current) clearTimeout(timer);
+      timersRef.current = [];
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  return popups;
+}
diff --git a/tests/int/poker-popups.int.spec.ts b/tests/int/poker-popups.int.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3280936
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/int/poker-popups.int.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,330 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { PublicPlayerView, ShowdownOutcome } from "@/lib/minigames/poker";
+import {
+  popupEventsForTransition,
+  type PokerPopupEvent,
+} from "@/components/frontend/minigames/poker/pokerPopups";
+import {
+  isTopSeatPosition,
+  seatPosition,
+} from "@/components/frontend/minigames/poker/seatPosition";
+import type { PokerSoundSnapshot } from "@/components/frontend/minigames/poker/pokerSoundEvents";
+
+function player(seatId: number, overrides: Partial<PublicPlayerView> = {}): PublicPlayerView {
+  return {
+    seatId,
+    name: `Player ${seatId + 1}`,
+    stack: 1000,
+    committed: 0,
+    totalCommitted: 0,
+    folded: false,
+    allIn: false,
+    hasActed: false,
+    eliminated: false,
+    left: false,
+    holeCards: null,
+    cardCount: 2,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function view(overrides: Partial<PokerSoundSnapshot["you"]> = {}): PokerSoundSnapshot["you"] {
+  return {
+    communityCards: [],
+    config: { startingStack: 1000, smallBlind: 10, bigBlind: 20, turnTimeoutMs: 30000 },
+    currentBet: 0,
+    smallBlindSeat: 0,
+    bigBlindSeat: 1,
+    finalPlacements: null,
+    handNumber: 1,
+    phase: "betting",
+    players: [player(0), player(1)],
+    showdown: null,
+    street: "preflop",
+    toActSeat: 0,
+    viewerSeat: 0,
+    yourTurn: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function snapshot(
+  version: number,
+  nextView: PokerSoundSnapshot["you"] = view(),
+): PokerSoundSnapshot {
+  return { version, you: nextView };
+}
+
+function showdown(results: Array<{ seatId: number; chipsWon: number }>): ShowdownOutcome {
+  return {
+    pots: [],
+    results: results.map((item) => ({
+      seatId: item.seatId,
+      handRank: null,
+      bestHand: null,
+      chipsWon: item.chipsWon,
+      netChange: item.chipsWon,
+      placement: 1,
+    })),
+  };
+}
+
+function bySeat(events: readonly PokerPopupEvent[], seatId: number): PokerPopupEvent | undefined {
+  return events.find((event) => event.seatId === seatId);
+}
+
+describe("poker popup transition events", () => {
+  it("labels folds, checks, and wagers with amounts over the acting seat", () => {
+    const events = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(1, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(
+        2,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 20,
+          players: [
+            player(0, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20, hasActed: true }),
+            player(1, { folded: true, hasActed: true }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+    const checks = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(1, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(3, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { hasActed: true })] })),
+    );
+
+    expect(bySeat(events, 0)).toEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "Bet +20", tone: "wager", seatId: 0 }),
+    );
+    expect(bySeat(events, 1)).toEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "Fold", tone: "fold", seatId: 1 }),
+    );
+    expect(checks).toEqual([expect.objectContaining({ text: "Check", tone: "action", seatId: 1 })]);
+  });
+
+  it("distinguishes calls from raises and calls out all-ins", () => {
+    const raise = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(
+        4,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 20,
+          players: [player(0, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20, hasActed: true }), player(1)],
+        }),
+      ),
+      snapshot(
+        5,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 60,
+          players: [
+            player(0, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20, hasActed: true }),
+            player(1, { committed: 60, totalCommitted: 60, hasActed: true }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+    const call = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(
+        6,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 60,
+          players: [player(0, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20, hasActed: true }), player(1)],
+        }),
+      ),
+      snapshot(
+        7,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 60,
+          players: [
+            player(0, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20, hasActed: true }),
+            player(1, { committed: 60, totalCommitted: 60, hasActed: true }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+    const allIn = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(8, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(
+        9,
+        view({
+          currentBet: 1000,
+          players: [
+            player(0),
+            player(1, { committed: 1000, totalCommitted: 1000, hasActed: true, allIn: true }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    expect(bySeat(raise, 1)?.text).toBe("Raise +60");
+    expect(bySeat(call, 1)?.text).toBe("Call +60");
+    expect(bySeat(allIn, 1)?.text).toBe("All-in +1,000");
+  });
+
+  it("pops winnings over every winning seat on showdown and hand-complete", () => {
+    const multiWinner = showdown([
+      { seatId: 0, chipsWon: 120 },
+      { seatId: 1, chipsWon: 0 },
+      { seatId: 2, chipsWon: 340 },
+    ]);
+    const showdownEvents = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(1, view({ players: [player(0), player(1), player(2)] })),
+      snapshot(
+        2,
+        view({
+          phase: "showdown",
+          players: [player(0), player(1), player(2)],
+          showdown: multiWinner,
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+    const foldOutEvents = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(3, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(
+        4,
+        view({
+          phase: "hand-complete",
+          players: [player(0), player(1, { folded: true })],
+          showdown: showdown([{ seatId: 0, chipsWon: 45 }]),
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    expect(showdownEvents).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "+120", tone: "win", seatId: 0 }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "+340", tone: "win", seatId: 2 }),
+    ]);
+    expect(foldOutEvents).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "+45", tone: "win", seatId: 0 }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("stays silent on identical versions and plays the blind sequence at a new hand", () => {
+    const current = snapshot(7, view({ yourTurn: true }));
+    expect(popupEventsForTransition(current, current)).toEqual([]);
+
+    const blinds = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(5),
+      snapshot(
+        6,
+        view({
+          handNumber: 2,
+          currentBet: 20,
+          players: [
+            player(0, { committed: 10, totalCommitted: 10 }),
+            player(1, { committed: 20, totalCommitted: 20 }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    expect(blinds).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        text: "Small blind +10",
+        tone: "wager",
+        seatId: 0,
+        delay: 0,
+      }),
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        text: "Big blind +20",
+        tone: "wager",
+        seatId: 1,
+        delay: 700,
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("plays the blind sequence for the game's first hand out of the waiting room", () => {
+    const waitingRoom: PokerSoundSnapshot = { version: 1, you: null };
+    const events = popupEventsForTransition(waitingRoom, snapshot(2, view({ handNumber: 1 })));
+
+    expect(events).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "Small blind +10", seatId: 0, delay: 0 }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "Big blind +20", seatId: 1, delay: 700 }),
+    ]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("player leave detection", () => {
+  it("announces players who vanish from the table between transitions", () => {
+    const events = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(1, view({ players: [player(0), player(1), player(2)] })),
+      snapshot(2, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+    );
+
+    expect(events).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        text: "Player 3 left the table",
+        tone: "leave",
+        seatId: 2,
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("announces a mid-game leaver the moment the left flag flips", () => {
+    const events = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(3, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(4, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { left: true })] })),
+    );
+
+    expect(events).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        text: "Player 2 left the table",
+        tone: "leave",
+        seatId: 1,
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("announces the eliminated forfeit only when the player was not already marked left", () => {
+    const forfeitOnly = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(5, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(6, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { eliminated: true })] })),
+    );
+    const alreadyLeft = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(7, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { left: true })] })),
+      snapshot(8, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { left: true, eliminated: true })] })),
+    );
+
+    expect(forfeitOnly).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "Player 2 left the table", tone: "leave", seatId: 1 }),
+    ]);
+    expect(alreadyLeft).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("never mistakes a busted stack for a leaver", () => {
+    const events = popupEventsForTransition(
+      snapshot(5, view({ players: [player(0), player(1)] })),
+      snapshot(6, view({ players: [player(0), player(1, { stack: 0 })] })),
+    );
+
+    expect(events).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("isTopSeatPosition", () => {
+  it("marks top-row arc classes as top seats", () => {
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-center")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-center-left")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-center-right")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("marks side and corner arc classes as non-top seats", () => {
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-left")).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-right")).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-far-left")).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition("poker-seat-arc-far-right")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("matches real seat layouts: one and three opponents put a seat on top, two do not", () => {
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(0, 1))).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(0, 2))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(1, 2))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(1, 3))).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(0, 3))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(2, 3))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(1, 4))).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(2, 4))).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(0, 4))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTopSeatPosition(seatPosition(3, 4))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});