diff --git a/board-svg-tokens.png b/board-svg-tokens.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98f9971
Binary files /dev/null and b/board-svg-tokens.png differ
diff --git a/packages/server/src/index.ts b/packages/server/src/index.ts
index f30f2cc..dcc6c85 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/index.ts
@@ -52,11 +52,10 @@ import {
   redactFor,
   roomCount,
   runCommand,
-  seatTokenValid,
   SPECTATOR,
   type CatchUpStep,
   startGame,
-  summarize,
+  peekSummary,
   viewForPlayer,
   type Room,
   kickSeat,
@@ -846,14 +845,17 @@ wss.on("connection", (socket) => {
           const voided: string[] = [];
           for (const seat of seats) {
             if (typeof seat !== "object" || seat === null) continue;
-            const room = getRoom(String(seat.roomId ?? ""));
-            if (!room) continue;
+            const roomId = String(seat.roomId ?? "").toUpperCase();
             const name = String(seat.name ?? "");
-            if (!seatTokenValid(room, name, typeof seat.token === "string" ? seat.token : null)) {
-              voided.push(`${room.id}:${name}`);
+            // A peek, never a wake: the 45-second poll must not keep every
+            // held room warm or drag sleeping ones out of their ledgers.
+            const result = peekSummary(roomId, name, typeof seat.token === "string" ? seat.token : null);
+            if (result === null) continue;
+            if (result === "badToken") {
+              voided.push(`${roomId}:${name}`);
               continue;
             }
-            games.push(summarize(room, name));
+            games.push(result);
           }
           send(socket, { type: "games", games, voided });
           break;
diff --git a/packages/server/src/rooms.ts b/packages/server/src/rooms.ts
index 390cf56..4694ed2 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/rooms.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/rooms.ts
@@ -63,12 +63,7 @@ function hashToken(raw: string): string {
   return createHash("sha256").update(raw).digest("hex");
 }
 
-/** Public seat check for protocol handlers (timing-safe under the hood). */
-export function seatTokenValid(room: Room, playerId: PlayerId, raw: string | null): boolean {
-  return tokenMatches(room, playerId, raw);
-}
-
-function tokenMatches(room: Room, playerId: PlayerId, raw: string | null): boolean {
+function tokenMatches(room: { tokens: Map<PlayerId, string> }, playerId: PlayerId, raw: string | null): boolean {
   if (!raw) return false;
   const stored = room.tokens.get(playerId);
   if (!stored) return false;
@@ -142,6 +137,7 @@ export function getRoom(id: string): Room | undefined {
     if (!room) return undefined;
     room.touchedAt = Date.now();
     rooms.set(code, room);
+    sleepingStubs.delete(code);
     return room;
   } catch (e) {
     console.error(`could not wake room ${code}:`, e);
@@ -163,12 +159,64 @@ export function evictIdleRooms(hasSockets: (roomId: string) => boolean): number
     const idle = now - (room.touchedAt ?? now);
     const allowance = room.state?.phase === "finished" ? FINISHED_MS : IDLE_MS;
     if (idle < allowance) continue;
+    sleepingStubs.set(id, stubOf(room));
     rooms.delete(id);
     evicted++;
   }
   return evicted;
 }
 
+/** What the games ledger needs from a sleeping room, snapped at eviction —
+ * a sleeping room cannot change, so its stub stays true until it wakes. */
+interface RoomStub {
+  tokens: Map<PlayerId, string>;
+  turnHolder: PlayerId | null;
+  waitKind: "counteract" | "discard" | "interrupt" | null;
+  playing: boolean;
+  base: Omit<GameSummary, "name" | "yourTurn" | "attention">;
+}
+const sleepingStubs = new Map<string, RoomStub>();
+
+function stubOf(room: Room): RoomStub {
+  const { active, turnHolder, waitKind } = turnFacts(room.state);
+  return {
+    tokens: new Map(room.tokens),
+    turnHolder,
+    waitKind,
+    playing: room.state?.phase === "playing",
+    base: {
+      roomId: room.id,
+      players: [...room.players],
+      started: room.state !== null,
+      finished: room.state?.phase === "finished",
+      winner: room.state?.winner ?? null,
+      activePlayerId: active,
+      round: room.state?.turn.round ?? null,
+      lastMoveAt: room.log.length > 0 ? room.log[room.log.length - 1]!.at : null,
+      chatCount: room.chat.length,
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/** The games ledger looks without waking: a live room answers live, a
+ * sleeping one answers from its stub, and neither look counts as a
+ * touch — polling must never keep a room warm or drag one out of bed. */
+export function peekSummary(
+  roomId: string, playerId: PlayerId, token: string | null,
+): GameSummary | "badToken" | null {
+  const code = roomId.toUpperCase();
+  const live = rooms.get(code);
+  if (live) {
+    if (!tokenMatches(live, playerId, token)) return "badToken";
+    return summarize(live, playerId);
+  }
+  const stub = sleepingStubs.get(code);
+  if (!stub) return null;
+  if (!tokenMatches(stub, playerId, token)) return "badToken";
+  const yourTurn = stub.playing && stub.turnHolder === playerId;
+  return { ...stub.base, name: playerId, yourTurn, attention: yourTurn ? (stub.waitKind ?? "turn") : null };
+}
+
 export function joinRoom(
   room: Room,
   playerId: PlayerId,
@@ -404,20 +452,27 @@ export interface GameSummary {
 }
 
 /** A seat-holder's one-line view of a room, for the lobby ledger. */
-export function summarize(room: Room, playerId: PlayerId): GameSummary {
-  const s = room.state;
+/** Who holds the table's attention, and why — the summary's turn facts. */
+function turnFacts(s: GameState | null): {
+  active: PlayerId | null;
+  turnHolder: PlayerId | null;
+  waitKind: "counteract" | "discard" | "interrupt" | null;
+} {
   const active = s && s.phase === "playing" ? s.players[s.turn.activeIndex]!.id : null;
   const waitingOn = s?.stack?.waitingOn ?? s?.pendingDiscard ?? s?.chaosPending?.queue[0] ?? s?.outOfTurnWindow?.playerId ?? null;
-  const turnHolder = waitingOn ?? active;
-  let attention: "turn" | "counteract" | "discard" | "interrupt" | null = null;
-  if (s?.phase === "playing" && turnHolder === playerId) {
-    attention =
-      s.stack?.waitingOn === playerId ? "counteract"
-      : s.chaosPending?.queue[0] === playerId ? "counteract"
-      : s.pendingDiscard === playerId ? "discard"
-      : s.outOfTurnWindow?.playerId === playerId ? "interrupt"
-      : "turn";
-  }
+  const waitKind = s == null ? null
+    : s.stack?.waitingOn != null ? "counteract" as const
+    : s.pendingDiscard != null ? "discard" as const
+    : s.chaosPending?.queue[0] != null ? "counteract" as const
+    : s.outOfTurnWindow?.playerId != null ? "interrupt" as const
+    : null;
+  return { active, turnHolder: waitingOn ?? active, waitKind };
+}
+
+export function summarize(room: Room, playerId: PlayerId): GameSummary {
+  const s = room.state;
+  const { active, turnHolder, waitKind } = turnFacts(s);
+  const yourTurn = s?.phase === "playing" && turnHolder === playerId;
   return {
     roomId: room.id,
     name: playerId,
@@ -426,8 +481,8 @@ export function summarize(room: Room, playerId: PlayerId): GameSummary {
     finished: s?.phase === "finished",
     winner: s?.winner ?? null,
     activePlayerId: active,
-    yourTurn: s?.phase === "playing" && turnHolder === playerId,
-    attention,
+    yourTurn,
+    attention: yourTurn ? (waitKind ?? "turn") : null,
     round: s?.turn.round ?? null,
     lastMoveAt: room.log.length > 0 ? room.log[room.log.length - 1]!.at : null,
     chatCount: room.chat.length,
diff --git a/token-sheet.png b/token-sheet.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..121c90f
Binary files /dev/null and b/token-sheet.png differ