diff --git a/packages/web/src/App.svelte b/packages/web/src/App.svelte
index 427beab..a9f6d21 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/App.svelte
+++ b/packages/web/src/App.svelte
@@ -468,6 +468,13 @@
   const wideQuery = typeof matchMedia === "undefined" ? null : matchMedia("(min-width: 901px)");
   let wideScreen = $state(wideQuery?.matches ?? true);
   wideQuery?.addEventListener("change", (e) => (wideScreen = e.matches));
+  /** A wide, short screen — a laptop in landscape — stands the hand beside
+   * the board unless the player has said otherwise: a tall maze under a
+   * bottom hand leaves a postage stamp, and a first turn deserves better. */
+  const shortWideQuery = typeof matchMedia === "undefined" ? null : matchMedia("(min-width: 1180px) and (max-height: 820px)");
+  let shortWide = $state(shortWideQuery?.matches ?? false);
+  shortWideQuery?.addEventListener("change", (e) => (shortWide = e.matches));
+  const handLeftOn = $derived(prefs.handLeftChosen ? prefs.handLeft : shortWide);
   const castPanelOn = $derived(wideScreen && !local.active &&
     (selectedCard != null || (youMustRespond && !!view?.stack)));
 
@@ -497,7 +504,7 @@
    * width, capped so the full hand still fits without a scrollbar. */
   let handEl = $state<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
   function fitHandCards(el: HTMLDivElement) {
-    if (!prefs.handLeft) { el.style.removeProperty("--card-zoom"); return; }
+    if (!handLeftOn) { el.style.removeProperty("--card-zoom"); return; }
     // Card.svelte is the source of truth for the card's box: 8.2rem wide,
     // 11.4rem tall. 5rem covers the masthead and the column's padding.
     const rem = 16;
@@ -518,7 +525,7 @@
   });
   $effect(() => {
     void view?.yourHand.length;
-    void prefs.handLeft;
+    void handLeftOn;
     const el = handEl;
     if (el) requestAnimationFrame(() => fitHandCards(el));
   });
@@ -1665,7 +1672,7 @@
     {:else if net.roomId}
       <button class="mast-room" title="copy the invite link — friends can join, or watch once it's begun"
         onclick={copyInvite}>
-        {net.spectating ? "watching" : "invite friends · room"} <b>{net.roomId}</b>{inviteCopied ? " — link copied!" : ""}
+        {#if net.spectating}watching{:else}<span class="mast-invite">invite friends · </span>room{/if} <b>{net.roomId}</b>{inviteCopied ? " — link copied!" : ""}
       </button>
       {#if net.audience > 0}
         <span class="mast-audience" title="the Peanut Gallery">👁 {net.audience}</span>
@@ -1902,9 +1909,9 @@
           <span>Instant replay: notable chronicle lines offer a 👁 that relives the turn</span>
         </label>
         <label class="pref-row pref-check">
-          <input type="checkbox" checked={prefs.handLeft}
-            onchange={(e) => setPref("handLeft", e.currentTarget.checked)} />
-          <span>Hand at the left: your cards stand in a column beside the board (wide screens)</span>
+          <input type="checkbox" checked={handLeftOn}
+            onchange={(e) => { setPref("handLeft", e.currentTarget.checked); setPref("handLeftChosen", true); }} />
+          <span>Hand at the left: your cards stand in a column beside the board (wide screens; a wide, short window does this on its own until you choose)</span>
         </label>
         <label class="pref-row pref-check">
           <input type="checkbox" checked={prefs.stepLightAlways}
@@ -2465,7 +2472,7 @@
       </div>
     </section>
   {:else if view}
-    <div class="game" class:hand-left={prefs.handLeft}>
+    <div class="game" class:hand-left={handLeftOn}>
       {#snippet tableGuidance()}
         {#if youMustRespond || selectedDef || selectedCreature || youMustDiscard || discardMode || discardSelection.size > 0}
           <div class="hint-strip">
@@ -3479,7 +3486,9 @@
     color: #3a2f1f;
     margin: 0.2rem 0 0.1rem;
   }
-  .view-toggle { display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; margin: 0 0 0.3rem; }
+  /* The eyes toggle floats over the board's corner so it costs the maze no height. */
+  .board-zone { position: relative; }
+  .view-toggle { position: absolute; top: 0.25rem; right: 0.25rem; z-index: 3; }
   .boxlid-tag {
     font-size: 0.95rem;
     color: #6b5a41;
@@ -3777,9 +3786,27 @@
    * the strip dissolves into the grid so its children place themselves.
    * Phones keep the bottom hand; the one-column flow re-orders anyway. */
   @media (min-width: 901px) {
+    /* Bottom hand: the table fills the window — board and rail on top,
+     * the rail scrolling in place, the hand and its buttons pinned in
+     * view beneath. The board takes whatever height the row allows. */
+    .game {
+      flex: 0 0 auto;
+      height: calc(100dvh - 5.3rem);
+      grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
+    }
+    .paper-rail { overflow-y: auto; min-height: 0; padding-right: 2px; }
+    .board-zone { flex-direction: column; align-items: stretch; min-height: 0; }
+    .table-stack { flex: 1 1 0; min-height: 0; }
+    .board-frame { flex: 1 1 0; min-height: 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; }
+    .board-viewport { height: auto; flex: 1 1 0; min-height: 0; }
+    .fpv-primary .board-viewport { flex: 0 0 30dvh; }
+    .game:not(.hand-left) .table-edge { margin-top: 0.5rem; }
     .game.hand-left {
       grid-template-columns: minmax(17.4rem, 24rem) minmax(340px, 1fr) minmax(250px, 330px);
+      grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr) repeat(5, auto);
+      row-gap: 0.4rem;
     }
+    .game.hand-left .paper-rail { grid-row: 1 / span 6; }
     .game.hand-left .hand :global(.card) { zoom: var(--card-zoom, 1); }
     .game.hand-left .table-edge { display: contents; }
     .game.hand-left .table-edge > * { grid-column: 2; min-width: 0; }
@@ -3793,17 +3820,12 @@
       justify-content: center;
       align-content: start;
       align-self: start;
-      position: sticky;
-      top: 0.5rem;
-      max-height: calc(100dvh - 5rem);
+      max-height: 100%;
       overflow-y: auto;
       padding: 0.3rem 0.3rem 0.9rem;
     }
     .game.hand-left .board-zone { grid-column: 2; grid-row: 1; }
-    .game.hand-left .paper-rail { grid-column: 3; grid-row: 1; }
-    /* With the hand out of the bottom strip, the map claims the height. */
-    .game.hand-left .board-viewport { height: calc(100dvh - 11rem); }
-    .game.hand-left .fpv-primary .board-viewport { height: 30dvh; }
+    .game.hand-left .paper-rail { grid-column: 3; }
   }
   /* The first-person pane wears exactly the board's width, right above
    * it: the stack shrink-wraps to the board, and width:0 + min-width
@@ -4363,6 +4385,10 @@
     align-items: flex-end;
   }
 
+  /* A short desktop window: smaller cards under the board so the maze keeps its height. */
+  @media (min-width: 901px) and (max-height: 820px) {
+    .game:not(.hand-left) .hand :global(.card) { zoom: 0.78; }
+  }
   @media (max-width: 900px) {
     /* One-column phone flow: board, then your controls and hand, THEN the
        paperwork — cards must never hide below the chronicle. */
@@ -4384,6 +4410,7 @@
     .hotseat-row .stamp, .claim-row .stamp { flex: 0 0 auto; }
     .mast-title { font-size: 1.05rem; white-space: nowrap; }
     .mast-sub { display: none; }
+    .mast-invite { display: none; }
     .mast-leave { font-size: 0.72rem; }
   }
 </style>
diff --git a/packages/web/src/prefs.svelte.ts b/packages/web/src/prefs.svelte.ts
index 2984591..756b77d 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/prefs.svelte.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/prefs.svelte.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ export interface Prefs {
   /** The hand of cards stands in a column at the board's left instead of
    * lying along the bottom (wide screens only). */
   handLeft: boolean;
+  /** The hand's side was picked by hand; until then a wide, short screen
+   * stands the cards beside the board on its own. */
+  handLeftChosen: boolean;
   /** The first-turn coaching slip has been read and dismissed. */
   coached: boolean;
   /** The automaton tier was picked by hand (so a finished game leaves it alone). */
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ const KEY = "wizwar-prefs";
 function load(): Prefs {
   const fallback: Prefs = {
     art: "photo", autoGrab: false, flourishes: true, wizardName: "", color: null,
-    cautions: true, botTier: "apprentice", instantReplay: true, liveFp: false, handLeft: false,
+    cautions: true, botTier: "apprentice", instantReplay: true, liveFp: false, handLeft: false, handLeftChosen: false,
     coached: false, tierChosen: false, finishedGames: 0, stepLightAlways: false,
   };
   try {
@@ -62,6 +65,7 @@ function load(): Prefs {
       instantReplay: p.instantReplay !== false,
       liveFp: p.liveFp === true,
       handLeft: p.handLeft === true,
+      handLeftChosen: p.handLeftChosen === true || p.handLeft === true,
       coached: p.coached === true,
       tierChosen: p.tierChosen === true,
       finishedGames: typeof p.finishedGames === "number" ? p.finishedGames : 0,