Balatro is about trying your best in a messy situation, using a limited number of cards and modifiers to beat the dealer. A good way to gain the upper hand every time you play is to use Jokers, but not every Joker has the same value. Some are frankly better.
When choosing your ideal Jokers, they won’t always be the same ones you’ve used in previous Balatro games. You might need to adjust your strategy based on the deck you’re using, the cards you’ve drawn, and the other Joker cards you already have in your deck. However, there are some Joker cards that stick out as the best choices and can be used in nearly every situation. These are some of the best Joker cards you can use in Balatro.
The 10 best Joker cards in Balatro
There are 150 Joker cards you can unlock in Balatro. These are best of those choices, and what makes them powerful for any deck.
10) Misprint
On the bottom of this top 10 list is the Misprint Joker. This is a card that can be great, but it can also be terrible. It’s entirely random what it will be every time you use it in Balatro, where the multiplier changes every time you score. For those who don’t want to rely on random chance, it’s likely better to avoid using Misprint. However, the strength of the random multiplier from Misprint can be fantastic when it works for you. Still, you want to have other Jokers that increase your Chips and multiplier, and the Misprint can serve as a happy bonus you get, regardless of how big or small it is.
9) Ceremonial Dagger
The Ceremonial Dagger is another early-game Joker you want to grab when you’re ready to sacrifice the ones you don’t plan to take to the end of your Balatro run. The Ceremonial Dagger destroys any Joker to its right, permanently adding double its sell value to its multiplier. You’ll need to micromanage and rearrange your Joker hand often, which might be cumbersome but is exceptionally helpful if you want to take the Ceremonial Dagger with you. Eventually, you want to put the Ceremonial Dagger to the far right side so you’re not using it anymore, so it doesn’t destroy your best Jokers.
8) Hiker
The Hiker Joker is another card that plays better the longer you use it, and that means you want to grab it early. If you can, definitely add it to your deck. It does take some doing to take off, though, and it mainly feeds into enhancing your deck. The Hiker Joker card will increase the Chip amount of any card you play by five when they score. Specific cards might become stronger than others, but they encourage you to keep using them. This might go against your Balatro deck if you’re consistently grabbing more cards and adding them to your deck, but it’s still a good Joker to enhance your deck. However, you only want to hold onto it for a while. It’s a good one to sell and swap out as you continue playing.
7) Flash Card
The Flash Card Joker is another one where you need to consider your choices carefully during your Balatro run. It’s a Joker that gets a plus two multiplier for each reroll you make in the shop. If you don’t have the money to spend on rerolls, chances are you haven’t done it too often. However, there are vouchers to make this mechanic cheaper, which might influence whether you pick up this card or not. The multiplier can get high depending on how often you do this, but only if you’ve gone out of your way to grab them.
6) Abstract
The Abstract is an all-around fantastic Joker card because it supports the amount of Joker cards you have during your run. The Abstract Joker gets a plus three multiplier for each Joker card you own, so you have five Joker cards and a plus 15 multiplier. That’s great for every deck you use in Balatro. However, it might be more complicated to use as you progress through the game, so you need a Joker card that multiplies your cards.
5) Spare Trousers
Spare Trousers is an interesting Joker. This Joker gets a plus two multiplier for every played hand with a Two Pair. Because Two Pair hands are relatively common in Balatro, this can stack up quickly. Grabbing it certainly comes down to whether you’ve been playing hands that have Two Pair and how large of a modifier you have when you purchase it. If you grab it early enough in your game, Spare Trousers can become exceptionally useful. It’s a solid Joker that works with most decks.
4) Bull
The Bull Joker is a bit situational, and its success comes down to how you’re spending your money—but if you’re hurting on Chips, you can’t go wrong with it. The Bull Joker gives you two Chips for every dollar you own, meaning you have more money in your bank. If you’re spending a lot of money or things are costly, it’s better to avoid using the Bull Joker. However, as you progress further in your Balatro run, cash begins to stack up, and it could become a solid Joker to grab the longer you play.
3) Constellation
Like picking up new cards, you’ll want to grab Planet boosters and add them to your deck. These enhance the Chips and modifiers you get when you play certain hands throughout your Balatro run. The Constellation Joker leans into this, giving you a starting 1.0x modifier, and it goes up by 0.1x each time you use a Planet card. You can’t go wrong having the Constellation Joker on your side.
2) Hologram
One big thing you’ll want to do throughout your time playing a Balatro run is enhance your deck with additional cards. In most runs, you find yourself adding new cards to your deck with distinct enhancements and different effects. The Hologram Joker feeds off that, receiving a 0.25x multiplier each time you do that, adding a new card to your deck. Unless you’re specifically creating a deck or going through a run where you’re not doing this, Hologram is a great Joker card to pick up to support you throughout your game.
The best Joker in Balatro: Blueprint
The last and best card on our top 10 list is the Blueprint Joker. Blueprint is a fantastic Joker card because it plays off any other Joker you already have in your hand. When you have Blueprint, it copies the Joker’s ability to its right. What card you trigger this for may vary as you progress through your game. While potent, it relies on other Joker cards you’ve collected. Still, if you need a higher multiplier or more Chips, place Blueprint next to a Joker that enhances any of those categories, and you can get more of whatever you need.
