diff --git a/src/engine/bank06.asm b/src/engine/bank06.asm
index 7a0f40a..3085ba7 100644
--- a/src/engine/bank06.asm
+++ b/src/engine/bank06.asm
@@ -2793,8 +2793,8 @@ HandleCardPopCommunications:
 .loop_request
 	call TryReceiveIRRequest ; receive request
 	jr nc, .execute_commands
-	bit 1, a
-	jp nz, .asm_19e7f
+	bit B_PAD_B, a
+	jp nz, .cancelled
 	call TrySendIRRequest ; send request
 	jr c, .loop_request
 
@@ -2833,7 +2833,7 @@ HandleCardPopCommunications:
 	jr nz, .fail
 
 	ld a, STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 2)
-	ld [wOtherIRCommunicationParams + 3], a
+	ld [wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString + 2], a
 	call DecideCardToReceiveFromCardPop
 	call SetCardPopRecord
 	call FillCardPopSummary
@@ -2862,12 +2862,12 @@ HandleCardPopCommunications:
 .fail
 	ld a, [wIRCommunicationErrorCode]
 	cp $01
-	jr nz, .asm_19e7f
+	jr nz, .cancelled
 	ldtx hl, CardPopModeMismatchedText ; Card Pop from one side and Rare Card Pop from the other
 	scf
 	ret
 
-.asm_19e7f
+.cancelled
 	ldtx hl, CardPopUnsuccessfulTryAgainText
 .set_carry
 	scf
@@ -2898,9 +2898,9 @@ HandleCardPopCommunications:
 	ld a, BANK("SRAM1")
 	call BankswitchSRAM
 	call CopyDataHLtoDE
-	ld a, [wOtherIRCommunicationParams + 3]
+	ld a, [wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString + 2]
 	cp STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 2)
-	jr nz, .asm_19ecb
+	jr nz, .done
 
 	; copy SRAM so that sCardPopRecords is moved $20 forward
 	ld hl, sCardPopRecords + MAX_NUM_CARDPOP_RECORDS * CARDPOP_RECORD_SIZE - 1
@@ -2918,11 +2918,11 @@ HandleCardPopCommunications:
 	ld de, sCardPopRecords
 	ld bc, CARDPOP_RECORD_SIZE
 	call CopyDataHLtoDE
-.asm_19ecb
+.done
 	xor a
 	call BankswitchSRAM
 	call DisableSRAM
-	or a
+	or a ; redundant, leftover from tcg1
 	ret
 
 ; looks up the name in wNameBuffer in wCardPopNameList
@@ -3814,7 +3814,7 @@ ENDR
 ; pressed A
 	call RestoreVBlankFunction
 	ld a, STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 2)
-	ld [wOtherIRCommunicationParams + 3], a
+	ld [wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString + 2], a
 	call HandleCardPopCommunications.success
 	call LoadCardPopSceneAndHandleCommunications.add_sram0
 	ldtx hl, ReceivedThroughCardPopText
diff --git a/src/engine/link/ir_core.asm b/src/engine/link/ir_core.asm
index 781c69e..f242df4 100644
--- a/src/engine/link/ir_core.asm
+++ b/src/engine/link/ir_core.asm
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ TrySendIRRequest:
 	pop af
 	ret
 
-; returns carry set if request was not received
+; returns carry set and the pressed button (A or B) in a if request was not received
 TryReceiveIRRequest:
 	call StartIRCommunications
 	ld hl, rRP
@@ -394,8 +394,9 @@ TryReceiveIRRequest:
 	jr z, .send_ack
 	ldh a, [rJOYP]
 	cpl
-	and JOYP_A | JOYP_B
+	and PAD_A | PAD_B
 	jr z, .wait_request
+; not received
 	scf
 	jr .close
 
diff --git a/src/engine/link/ir_functions.asm b/src/engine/link/ir_functions.asm
index 0a98278..0fa5c27 100644
--- a/src/engine/link/ir_functions.asm
+++ b/src/engine/link/ir_functions.asm
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ ClearRPAndRestoreVBlankFunction:
 ; prepares IR communication parameter data
 ; a = a IRPARAM_* constant for the function of this connection
 InitIRCommunications:
-	ld hl, wOwnIRCommunicationParams
+	ld hl, wOwnIRCommunicationMode
 	ld [hl], a
 FOR n, IR_MAGIC_STRING_SIZE
 	inc hl
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ PrepareSendCardOrDeckConfigurationThroughIR:
 .request_success
 	call ExchangeIRCommunicationParameters
 	ret c
-	ld a, [wOtherIRCommunicationParams + 3]
+	ld a, [wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString + 2]
 	cp STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 2)
 	jr nz, SetIRCommunicationErrorCode_Error
 	or a
@@ -116,16 +116,16 @@ ExchangeIRCommunicationParameters:
 	ld c, IR_PARAMS_STRUCT_SIZE
 	call RequestDataTransmissionThroughIR
 	jr c, .error
-	ld hl, wOtherIRCommunicationParams + 1
+	ld hl, wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString
 	ld a, [hli]
 	cp STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 0)
 	jr nz, .error
 	ld a, [hli]
 	cp STRBYTE("{IR_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 1)
 	jr nz, .error
-	ld a, [wOwnIRCommunicationParams]
-	ld hl, wOtherIRCommunicationParams
-	cp [hl] ; do parameters match?
+	ld a, [wOwnIRCommunicationMode]
+	ld hl, wOtherIRCommunicationMode
+	cp [hl] ; does the mode parameter match?
 	jr nz, SetIRCommunicationErrorCode_Error
 
 ; receives wDefaultText from other device
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ SetIRCommunicationErrorCode_Error:
 	ret
 
 SetIRCommunicationErrorCode_NoError:
-	ld hl, wOwnIRCommunicationParams
+	ld hl, wOwnIRCommunicationMode
 	ld [hl], NONE
 	ld de, wIRCommunicationErrorCode
 	ld c, 1
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ _SendCard:
 	jr c, .fail
 	call ExecuteReceivedIRCommands
 	jr c, .fail
-	ld a, [wOwnIRCommunicationParams + 1]
+	ld a, [wOwnIRCommunicationMagicString]
 	cp STRBYTE("{IR_ACK_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 0)
 	jr nz, .fail
 	call PlayCardPopSong
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ _ReceiveCard:
 	call TryReceiveCardOrDeckConfigurationThroughIR
 	jr c, .fail
 	ld a, STRBYTE("{IR_ACK_MAGIC_STRING_TCG2}", 0)
-	ld [wOwnIRCommunicationParams + 1], a
+	ld [wOwnIRCommunicationMagicString], a
 	ld hl, wOwnIRCommunicationParams
 	ld e, l
 	ld d, h
diff --git a/src/wram.asm b/src/wram.asm
index 7e3ddfb..e9523ec 100644
--- a/src/wram.asm
+++ b/src/wram.asm
@@ -94,10 +94,16 @@ wIRCommunicationErrorCode:: ; c5ea
 ; and received from the other device respectively
 ; these must match for successful communication
 wOwnIRCommunicationParams:: ; c5eb
-	ds IR_PARAMS_STRUCT_SIZE
-wOtherIRCommunicationParams:: ; c5ef
-	ds IR_PARAMS_STRUCT_SIZE
+wOwnIRCommunicationMode:: ; c5eb
+	ds $1
+wOwnIRCommunicationMagicString:: ; c5ec
+	ds IR_MAGIC_STRING_SIZE
 
+wOtherIRCommunicationParams:: ; c5ef
+wOtherIRCommunicationMode:: ; c5ef
+	ds $1
+wOtherIRCommunicationMagicString:: ; c5f0
+	ds IR_MAGIC_STRING_SIZE
 
 ; stores the result from LookUpNameInCardPopNameList
 ; is $ff if name was found in the Card Pop! list