diff --git a/ui/src/screens/Lobby.svelte b/ui/src/screens/Lobby.svelte
index d80af3e..89df2cf 100644
--- a/ui/src/screens/Lobby.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/screens/Lobby.svelte
@@ -55,7 +55,11 @@
     void load();
   });
   $effect(() => {
-    if (app.lastEvent) void load();
+    // Refetch on a real game event only — not the 10 s keep-alive heartbeat. Refetching on every
+    // heartbeat turned the lobby into a 10 s poll whose REST view of a just-committed opponent move
+    // could update (and blink) a card seconds before the matching your_turn event/toast arrived
+    // over the slower live stream; gating it keeps the card, its blink and the toast on one event.
+    if (app.lastEvent && app.lastEvent.kind !== 'heartbeat') void load();
   });
 
   const myId = $derived(app.session?.userId ?? '');