Sometimes I sit down at a table, the game starts, and one of the other players is not actually present. They time out every turn, the game drags on, and eventually they get booted. This is not fun for anyone, and it is especially bad when the missing player is my partner. All the more so if I specifically chose to sit there because I wanted to partner with that player.

This situation could be resolved by adding a “start game” button that can only be pressed when all seats are filled, and the game does not begin until all players click the button. That way if a player is not actually present, the game will not start.

There should be a timer, perhaps 30 seconds or 1 minute, in which to click “start game” after all seats are filled. A player who does not click the button within that time should be booted from the table because they are not present.