diff --git a/client/app.js b/client/app.js
index 1188704..9769e2d 100644
--- a/client/app.js
+++ b/client/app.js
@@ -3107,10 +3107,8 @@ class GolfGame {
         this.heldCardFloating.style.height = `${cardHeight}px`;
 
         // Position discard button attached to right side of held card
-        const scaledWidth = cardWidth * 1.15; // Account for scale transform
-        const scaledHeight = cardHeight * 1.15;
-        const buttonLeft = cardLeft + scaledWidth / 2 + cardWidth / 2; // Right edge of scaled card (no gap)
-        const buttonTop = cardTop + (scaledHeight - cardHeight) / 2 + cardHeight * 0.3; // Vertically centered on card
+        const buttonLeft = cardLeft + cardWidth; // Right edge of card (no gap)
+        const buttonTop = cardTop + cardHeight * 0.3; // Vertically centered on card
         this.discardBtn.style.left = `${buttonLeft}px`;
         this.discardBtn.style.top = `${buttonTop}px`;
 
diff --git a/client/card-animations.js b/client/card-animations.js
index 6183c3a..fd8b97a 100644
--- a/client/card-animations.js
+++ b/client/card-animations.js
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ class CardAnimations {
             card.style.top = rect.top + 'px';
             card.style.width = rect.width + 'px';
             card.style.height = rect.height + 'px';
+            // Scale font-size proportionally to card width
+            const front = card.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
+            if (front) front.style.fontSize = (rect.width * 0.5) + 'px';
         }
 
         // Apply deck color to back
@@ -448,10 +451,6 @@ class CardAnimations {
         const deckColor = this.getDeckColor();
 
         const animCard = this.createAnimCard(rect, true, deckColor);
-        // Match source card's font-size (opponent cards are smaller than default)
-        const srcFontSize = getComputedStyle(cardElement).fontSize;
-        const front = animCard.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
-        if (front) front.style.fontSize = srcFontSize;
         this.setCardContent(animCard, cardData);
 
         // Apply rotation to match arch layout
@@ -607,10 +606,6 @@ class CardAnimations {
         const deckColor = this.getDeckColor();
 
         const animCard = this.createAnimCard(rect, true, deckColor);
-        // Match source card's font-size (opponent cards are smaller than default)
-        const srcFontSize = getComputedStyle(sourceCardElement).fontSize;
-        const front = animCard.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
-        if (front) front.style.fontSize = srcFontSize;
         this.setCardContent(animCard, discardCard);
 
         if (rotation) {
@@ -1164,6 +1159,9 @@ class CardAnimations {
             });
 
             // Hand card arcs to discard (apply counter-rotation to land flat)
+            const handFront = travelingHand.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
+            const heldFront = travelingHeld.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
+
             timeline.add({
                 targets: travelingHand,
                 left: discardRect.left,
@@ -1178,6 +1176,16 @@ class CardAnimations {
                 easing: this.getEasing('arc'),
             }, `-=${T.lift / 2}`);
 
+            // Scale hand card font to match discard size
+            if (handFront) {
+                timeline.add({
+                    targets: handFront,
+                    fontSize: (discardRect.width * 0.5) + 'px',
+                    duration: T.arc,
+                    easing: this.getEasing('arc'),
+                }, `-=${T.arc}`);
+            }
+
             // Held card arcs to hand slot (apply rotation to match hand position)
             timeline.add({
                 targets: travelingHeld,
@@ -1193,6 +1201,16 @@ class CardAnimations {
                 easing: this.getEasing('arc'),
             }, `-=${T.arc + T.lift / 2}`);
 
+            // Scale held card font to match hand size
+            if (heldFront) {
+                timeline.add({
+                    targets: heldFront,
+                    fontSize: (handRect.width * 0.5) + 'px',
+                    duration: T.arc,
+                    easing: this.getEasing('arc'),
+                }, `-=${T.arc}`);
+            }
+
             // Settle with gentle overshoot
             timeline.add({
                 targets: [travelingHand, travelingHeld],
@@ -1404,6 +1422,9 @@ class CardAnimations {
         card.style.top = rect.top + 'px';
         card.style.width = rect.width + 'px';
         card.style.height = rect.height + 'px';
+        // Scale font-size proportionally to card width
+        const front = card.querySelector('.draw-anim-front');
+        if (front) front.style.fontSize = (rect.width * 0.5) + 'px';
 
         if (rotation) {
             card.style.transform = `rotate(${rotation}deg)`;
@@ -1444,9 +1465,8 @@ class CardAnimations {
         try {
             anime({
                 targets: element,
-                scale: [0.5, 1.25, 1.15],
-                opacity: [0, 1, 1],
-                duration: 300,
+                opacity: [0, 1],
+                duration: 200,
                 easing: 'easeOutQuad'
             });
         } catch (e) {
diff --git a/client/style.css b/client/style.css
index 332fddd..e6842ac 100644
--- a/client/style.css
+++ b/client/style.css
@@ -1156,10 +1156,8 @@ input::placeholder {
     top: 0;
     left: 0;
     z-index: 100;
-    transform: scale(1.15);
-    transform-origin: center bottom;
     border: 3px solid #f4a460 !important;
-    box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 0 25px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.7) !important;
+    box-shadow: 0 8px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4), 0 0 20px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.6) !important;
     pointer-events: none;
     /* No transition - anime.js handles animations */
 }
@@ -1523,11 +1521,11 @@ input::placeholder {
 
 @keyframes heldCardPulse {
     0%, 100% {
-        box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 0 25px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.7);
+        box-shadow: 0 8px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4), 0 0 20px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.6);
     }
     50% {
-        box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 0 35px rgba(244, 164, 96, 1),
-                    0 0 50px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.5);
+        box-shadow: 0 8px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4), 0 0 30px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.9),
+                    0 0 45px rgba(244, 164, 96, 0.4);
     }
 }