diff --git a/src/components/GameTable.tsx b/src/components/GameTable.tsx
index 33138ff..d1805a6 100644
--- a/src/components/GameTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/GameTable.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { AnimatePresence, motion } from "framer-motion";
 import { Crown, Flag, LogOut, SmilePlus, Volume2, VolumeX, Zap } from "lucide-react";
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
-import { useGameStore } from "@/lib/game-store";
+import { useGameStore, viewerRot } from "@/lib/game-store";
 import { useSoundStore } from "@/lib/sound-store";
 import { Avatar } from "@/components/online/Avatar";
 import { legalMoves } from "@/lib/hokm/engine";
@@ -776,8 +776,10 @@ function Reactions() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const unsub = getService().onReaction((seat, emoji) => {
-      const id = `${seat}-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`;
-      setBubbles((b) => [...b, { id, seat, emoji }]);
+      // Reactions carry the sender's ABSOLUTE seat — rotate into this viewer's frame.
+      const local = viewerRot(useGameStore.getState().mySeat).seat(seat) ?? seat;
+      const id = `${local}-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`;
+      setBubbles((b) => [...b, { id, seat: local, emoji }]);
       setTimeout(() => setBubbles((b) => b.filter((x) => x.id !== id)), 2600);
     });
     return unsub;
diff --git a/src/lib/game-store.ts b/src/lib/game-store.ts
index 11ef8de..5daee73 100644
--- a/src/lib/game-store.ts
+++ b/src/lib/game-store.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ interface GameStore {
   forfeitRequest: ForfeitRequest | null;
   /** a fresh online match just started — play the "players joining the table" intro once. */
   matchIntroPending: boolean;
+  /** the viewer's ABSOLUTE seat on the live server (for rotating server-absolute
+   *  events like reactions into the local frame). null offline. */
+  mySeat: Seat | null;
 
   newMatch: (settings: GameSettings) => void;
   newOnlineMatch: (cfg: OnlineMatchConfig) => void;
@@ -142,42 +145,69 @@ function mapCard(c: { suit: string; rank: number; id: string }): Card {
 }
 
 /** Map a server GameStateDto onto the client GameState. */
+/** Local seat = absolute seat rotated so the viewer (mySeat) sits at seat 0. */
+export function viewerRot(mySeat: number | null | undefined) {
+  const v = (((mySeat ?? 0) % 4) + 4) % 4;
+  return {
+    v,
+    /** absolute seat → local seat (viewer → 0) */
+    seat: (a: number | null | undefined): Seat | null =>
+      a == null ? null : ((((a - v) % 4) + 4) % 4) as Seat,
+    /** absolute team value → local team value */
+    team: (t: number | null | undefined): Team | null =>
+      t == null ? null : (((t + v) % 2) as Team),
+    /** re-index a [team0, team1] absolute array into the viewer's local frame */
+    teamArr: (arr: number[]): [number, number] => [arr[v % 2] ?? 0, arr[(1 + v) % 2] ?? 0],
+  };
+}
+
 function mapServerState(s: ServerGameState): GameState {
-  const players: Player[] = s.players.map((p) => ({
-    seat: p.seat as Seat,
-    name: p.name,
-    isHuman: p.isHuman,
-    team: p.team as Team,
-    hand: p.hand
-      ? p.hand.map(mapCard)
-      : Array.from({ length: p.handCount }, (_, i) => ({
-          suit: "spades" as Suit,
-          rank: 2 as Rank,
-          id: `hidden-${p.seat}-${i}`,
-        })),
-  }));
+  // The server is authoritative with ABSOLUTE seats; every client must rotate so
+  // it sits at the bottom (local seat 0) — otherwise only absolute-seat-0 can play
+  // and the turn highlight is identical for everyone.
+  const r = viewerRot(s.mySeat);
+  const bySeat: Record<number, ServerGameState["players"][number]> = {};
+  for (const p of s.players) bySeat[p.seat] = p;
+
+  const players: Player[] = ([0, 1, 2, 3] as const).map((l) => {
+    const p = bySeat[(l + r.v) % 4];
+    return {
+      seat: l as Seat,
+      name: p?.name ?? "",
+      isHuman: p?.isHuman ?? false,
+      team: (l % 2) as Team,
+      hand: p?.hand
+        ? p.hand.map(mapCard)
+        : Array.from({ length: p?.handCount ?? 0 }, (_, i) => ({
+            suit: "spades" as Suit,
+            rank: 2 as Rank,
+            id: `hidden-${l}-${i}`,
+          })),
+    };
+  });
+
   return {
     phase: s.phase as Phase,
     players,
     deck: [],
-    hakem: s.hakem as Seat | null,
+    hakem: r.seat(s.hakem),
     trump: (s.trump as Suit) ?? null,
-    turn: s.turn as Seat | null,
-    currentTrick: s.currentTrick.map((pc) => ({ seat: pc.seat as Seat, card: mapCard(pc.card) })),
-    leadSeat: s.leadSeat as Seat | null,
-    roundTricks: [s.roundTricks[0] ?? 0, s.roundTricks[1] ?? 0],
-    matchScore: [s.matchScore[0] ?? 0, s.matchScore[1] ?? 0],
-    lastTrickWinner: s.lastTrickWinner as Seat | null,
+    turn: r.seat(s.turn),
+    currentTrick: s.currentTrick.map((pc) => ({ seat: r.seat(pc.seat)!, card: mapCard(pc.card) })),
+    leadSeat: r.seat(s.leadSeat),
+    roundTricks: r.teamArr(s.roundTricks),
+    matchScore: r.teamArr(s.matchScore),
+    lastTrickWinner: r.seat(s.lastTrickWinner),
     lastRoundResult: s.lastRoundResult
       ? {
-          winningTeam: s.lastRoundResult.winningTeam as Team,
-          tricks: [s.lastRoundResult.tricks[0], s.lastRoundResult.tricks[1]],
+          winningTeam: r.team(s.lastRoundResult.winningTeam) as Team,
+          tricks: r.teamArr(s.lastRoundResult.tricks),
           kot: s.lastRoundResult.kot,
           points: s.lastRoundResult.points,
         }
       : null,
-    matchWinner: s.matchWinner as Team | null,
-    hakemDraw: s.hakemDraw.map((pc) => ({ seat: pc.seat as Seat, card: mapCard(pc.card) })),
+    matchWinner: r.team(s.matchWinner),
+    hakemDraw: s.hakemDraw.map((pc) => ({ seat: r.seat(pc.seat)!, card: mapCard(pc.card) })),
     targetScore: s.targetScore,
     dealId: s.dealId,
   };
@@ -322,6 +352,7 @@ export const useGameStore = create<GameStore>((set, get) => {
     forfeited: false,
     forfeitRequest: null,
     matchIntroPending: false,
+    mySeat: null,
 
     newMatch: (settings) => {
       clearPending();
@@ -423,18 +454,24 @@ export const useGameStore = create<GameStore>((set, get) => {
       const prev = get().game;
       const next = mapServerState(s);
       const me = useSessionStore.getState().profile;
-      const seatPlayers: SeatPlayer[] = [...s.seatPlayers]
-        .sort((a, b) => a.seat - b.seat)
-        .map((sp) => ({
-          name: sp.name,
-          avatar: avatarEmoji(sp.avatar),
-          avatarId: sp.avatar,
-          avatarImage: sp.avatarImage ?? null,
-          level: sp.level,
-          id: sp.userId,
-          isBot: sp.isBot,
-          title: sp.userId && me && sp.userId === me.id ? me.title ?? null : null,
-        }));
+      // Rotate the seat roster into the viewer's frame too, so local seat 0 = you,
+      // 2 = partner, 1/3 = opponents (matches the rotated game state above).
+      const r = viewerRot(s.mySeat);
+      const bySeat: Record<number, ServerGameState["seatPlayers"][number]> = {};
+      for (const sp of s.seatPlayers) bySeat[sp.seat] = sp;
+      const seatPlayers: SeatPlayer[] = ([0, 1, 2, 3] as const).map((l) => {
+        const sp = bySeat[(l + r.v) % 4];
+        return {
+          name: sp?.name ?? "",
+          avatar: avatarEmoji(sp?.avatar ?? "a-fox"),
+          avatarId: sp?.avatar,
+          avatarImage: sp?.avatarImage ?? null,
+          level: sp?.level ?? 0,
+          id: sp?.userId,
+          isBot: sp?.isBot,
+          title: sp?.userId && me && sp.userId === me.id ? me.title ?? null : null,
+        };
+      });
 
       // accumulate the reward tally when the match score grows (a round ended)
       const prevTotal = prev.matchScore[0] + prev.matchScore[1];
@@ -454,9 +491,10 @@ export const useGameStore = create<GameStore>((set, get) => {
       set({
         game: next,
         seatPlayers,
+        mySeat: (s.mySeat ?? null) as Seat | null,
         matchMeta: { ranked: s.ranked, stake: s.stake, speed: false },
         turnDeadline: s.turnDeadline ?? null,
-        disconnectedSeat: (s.disconnectedSeat ?? null) as Seat | null,
+        disconnectedSeat: r.seat(s.disconnectedSeat),
         reconnectDeadline: s.disconnectedSeat != null ? Date.now() + RECONNECT_MS : null,
       });
     },
@@ -558,6 +596,7 @@ export const useGameStore = create<GameStore>((set, get) => {
         forfeited: false,
         forfeitRequest: null,
         matchIntroPending: false,
+        mySeat: null,
         seatPlayers: [],
         tally: freshTally(),
         turnDeadline: null,