Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-648 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Two More Inches Rules

In Two More Inches, each player is dealt five cards face down and decides whether to stay in or drop out. Players who stay receive two more cards face up and make their best five-card hand from seven. The best hand takes the pot, and every losing player must match the pot for the next deal.

Players: Up to 7 (4 or more recommended)
Type: Match pot, in or out
Wild cards: None (optional)
Cards: 5 down, then 2 up
Pot: High only; losers match the pot

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Two More Inches is played by up to seven players with a standard 52-card deck. At least four players are recommended.

1.2

No wild cards are used unless the dealer announces the wild-card variation (rule 5.1).

1.3

The object is to hold the best five-card poker hand among the players who stay in. Hands rank according to the standard poker hand rankings.

1.4

Two More Inches is a match pot game: a player who stays in and loses must pay the size of the pot into the next pot.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Each player places the agreed ante in the pot before the first deal.

2.2

The dealer deals each player five cards face down.

Article 3In or out

3.1

After looking at their five cards, each player declares whether they are in or out. A player who declares out folds their hand and takes no further part in that deal.

3.2

The published rules do not say whether players declare in turn or all at once. The dealer shall announce the method before the deal. Many tables use the simultaneous declaration common in Guts, where each player holds a chip in a closed hand to show they are in.

3.3

The dealer deals two more cards face up to each player who declared in.

3.4

If every player declares out, the deal ends, the pot stays, and all players ante again for a new deal.

3.5

The published rules do not cover the case where only one player declares in. The dealer shall announce before the deal how this is settled.

Article 4Showdown and matching the pot

4.1

Every player who declared in shows their hand and announces their best five cards from the seven they hold.

4.2

The best hand wins the pot.

4.3

Each player who stayed in and lost shall pay an amount equal to the pot they lost into the pot for the next deal. Players who declared out pay nothing.

4.4

The published rules set no limit on the match. Many groups agree a maximum payment before play begins, and if so the dealer shall announce it.

Example

One winner, one loser

The pot holds 20. Players A and B declare in; everyone else declares out.

Player A: K♠K♦9♣4♥2♠ down, then K♥7♦ up. Best hand: three kings.

Player B: Q♣Q♦8♠8♥3♣ down, then 8♣5♠ up. Best hand: a full house, eights full of queens.

A full house beats three of a kind, so B wins the 20. A pays 20 into the next pot.

Article 5Variations

5.1

Wild card and kill card. The dealer may name a wild rank before the deal. A card of that rank dealt to a player face up is wild. A card of that rank among a player's face-down cards is a kill card, and that player's hand is dead.

5.2

The dealer shall make clear before the deal whether a player holding a kill card is still liable to match the pot.

Article 6Strategy notes

You decide with only five of your seven cards. Two more cards can improve a hand, but they may not.
The cost of losing grows with the pot. As the pot builds, a player needs a stronger five-card start to justify staying in.

Article 7Frequently asked questions

How many cards do you get in Two More Inches?

Seven if you stay in: five face down at the start and two face up after you declare in. You use the best five.

What does it mean to match the pot?

A player who stays in and loses must pay the same amount as the pot into the next pot. Players who declared out pay nothing.

What happens if everyone goes out?

The deal ends with no winner. Everyone antes again and the cards are dealt afresh.

Final authority

Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.

Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.

Two More Inches Rules · OPR-648 · officialpokerrules.com/two-more-inches/

OPR-648Uncontrolled when printed