diff --git a/backend/clients/myTischtennisClient.js b/backend/clients/myTischtennisClient.js
index 89baa595..509d51d5 100644
--- a/backend/clients/myTischtennisClient.js
+++ b/backend/clients/myTischtennisClient.js
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
       }
       const captchaHost = page.locator('private-captcha').first();
       const hasCaptchaHost = (await captchaHost.count()) > 0;
+      let captchaReadyDetected = !hasCaptchaHost;
       if (hasCaptchaHost) {
         try {
           await page.waitForTimeout(1200);
@@ -433,7 +434,31 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
           });
           console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] evaluate interaction result:', interaction);
 
-          // Wait for a visual captcha state change in Shadow DOM (not only hidden fields).
+          // Wait until hidden captcha fields are populated by site scripts.
+          try {
+            await page.waitForFunction(() => {
+              const captchaField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha"]');
+              const clickedField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha_clicked"]');
+              const captchaValue = (captchaField && captchaField.value ? captchaField.value.trim() : '');
+              const clickedValue = (clickedField && clickedField.value ? clickedField.value.toLowerCase() : '');
+              return captchaValue.length > 80 && (clickedValue === 'true' || clickedValue === '1');
+            }, { timeout: 20000 });
+            const captchaState = await page.evaluate(() => {
+              const captchaField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha"]');
+              const clickedField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha_clicked"]');
+              return {
+                captchaLen: captchaField?.value?.length || 0,
+                captchaClicked: clickedField?.value || null
+              };
+            });
+            console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha value ready:', captchaState);
+            captchaReadyDetected = true;
+          } catch (_waitErr) {
+            // Keep going; some flows still succeed without explicit hidden field update.
+            console.warn('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha value not ready in time');
+          }
+
+          // Optional diagnostic only: visual state change should never block submit.
           try {
             await page.waitForFunction((beforeState) => {
               const host = document.querySelector('private-captcha');
@@ -455,57 +480,11 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
                 || current.checkboxChecked !== !!beforeState?.checkboxChecked
                 || current.checkboxAriaChecked !== (beforeState?.checkboxAriaChecked || '');
 
-              const positiveSignals = [
-                current.hostClass,
-                current.hostDataState,
-                current.checkboxClass,
-                String(current.checkboxAriaChecked)
-              ].join(' ').toLowerCase();
-
-              return visualChanged && (
-                current.checkboxChecked
-                || current.checkboxAriaChecked === 'true'
-                || /success|solved|verified|checked|active|complete|done/.test(positiveSignals)
-              );
-            }, captchaVisualStateBefore, { timeout: 30000 });
-
-            const captchaVisualStateAfter = await page.evaluate(() => {
-              const host = document.querySelector('private-captcha');
-              const checkbox = host?.shadowRoot?.querySelector('#pc-checkbox');
-              return {
-                hostClass: host?.className || null,
-                hostDataState: host?.getAttribute?.('data-state') || null,
-                checkboxClass: checkbox?.className || null,
-                checkboxChecked: !!checkbox?.checked,
-                checkboxAriaChecked: checkbox?.getAttribute?.('aria-checked') || null
-              };
-            });
-            console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha visual state changed:', captchaVisualStateAfter);
+              return visualChanged;
+            }, captchaVisualStateBefore, { timeout: 1500 });
+            console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha visual state changed');
           } catch (_visualWaitErr) {
-            console.warn('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha visual state did not change in time');
-          }
-
-          // Wait until hidden captcha fields are populated by site scripts.
-          try {
-            await page.waitForFunction(() => {
-              const captchaField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha"]');
-              const clickedField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha_clicked"]');
-              const captchaValue = (captchaField && captchaField.value ? captchaField.value.trim() : '');
-              const clickedValue = (clickedField && clickedField.value ? clickedField.value.toLowerCase() : '');
-              return captchaValue.length > 80 && (clickedValue === 'true' || clickedValue === '1');
-            }, { timeout: 30000 });
-            const captchaState = await page.evaluate(() => {
-              const captchaField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha"]');
-              const clickedField = document.querySelector('input[name="captcha_clicked"]');
-              return {
-                captchaLen: captchaField?.value?.length || 0,
-                captchaClicked: clickedField?.value || null
-              };
-            });
-            console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha value ready:', captchaState);
-          } catch (_waitErr) {
-            // Keep going; some flows still succeed without explicit hidden field update.
-            console.warn('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha value not ready in time');
+            // no-op: widget often keeps "ready" class despite solved token
           }
         } catch (captchaError) {
           console.warn('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Captcha interaction warning:', captchaError?.message || captchaError);
@@ -529,6 +508,7 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
           const clickedValue = (clickedField && clickedField.value ? clickedField.value.toLowerCase() : '');
           return captchaValue.length > 80 && (clickedValue === 'true' || clickedValue === '1');
         });
+        captchaReadyDetected = captchaReadyDetected || isCaptchaReadyNow;
 
         if (!isCaptchaReadyNow) {
           try {
@@ -538,7 +518,8 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
               const captchaValue = (captchaField && captchaField.value ? captchaField.value.trim() : '');
               const clickedValue = (clickedField && clickedField.value ? clickedField.value.toLowerCase() : '');
               return captchaValue.length > 80 && (clickedValue === 'true' || clickedValue === '1');
-            }, { timeout: 45000 });
+            }, { timeout: 12000 });
+            captchaReadyDetected = true;
           } catch (_captchaNotReadyErr) {
             return {
               success: false,
@@ -548,6 +529,13 @@ class MyTischtennisClient {
         }
       }
 
+      // Human-like pause only after captcha was actually solved (2-6s).
+      if (captchaReadyDetected) {
+        const postCaptchaDelayMs = 2000 + Math.floor(Math.random() * 4001);
+        await page.waitForTimeout(postCaptchaDelayMs);
+        console.log('[myTischtennisClient.playwright] Waited after solved captcha:', postCaptchaDelayMs);
+      }
+
       // Submit form
       const submitButton = page.locator('button[type="submit"], input[type="submit"]').first();
       if (await submitButton.count()) {