Balatro is the latest roguelike deck-building card game to grace the gaming world, but instead of fantasy-themed questing like in Slay the Spire or adventuring for gold in The Quest for El Dorado, we’re just playing for the best poker hand possible.
There are many ways to enhance each hand of Balatro we play, from huge score multipliers with Jokers to enhancing hand types with Planets. However, many players overlook the power Tarot Cards can have on each hand. With the right Tarot Card, you will be able to immensely improve your score and stack the deck in your favor.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tarot Cards in Balatro.
Using Tarot Cards in Balatro, a guide
Tarot Cards in Balatro are one-time-use cards with an instant effect. Like Jokers, you can start a hand of Balatro with a couple on standby, but where they differ is the power they have over the deck and hand itself.
Tarot Cards can change cards. From adding multiplier bonuses to increasing the rank or changing the suit, you can use Tarot Cards to manipulate your hand and deck into exactly what you want at any given time. Tarot Cards can also buff your Jokers, grant you money, or even destroy cards in your deck to ensure you only draw what you need to win.
There are many ways you can obtain Tarot Cards in Balatro:
- Opening Arcana Booster Packs.
- Discarding a card with a Purple Seal.
- Generating them with selected Jokers.
- Purchasing them from the Shop.
Opening Tarot Cards with Arcana Booster Packs
When you open an Arcana Pack, you will draw to your hand size and will be given the option to pick from a random selection of Tarot Cards. You must use the chosen Tarot Card(s) immediately. To do this, select the Tarot Card you wish to purchase and click “Use.” If the Tarot Card manipulates other cards, like The Sun (converts three selected cards into Hearts), then you must pick a number of cards before hitting Use.
Be careful when using Tarot Cards that manipulate your deck! If you convert an Ace of Spades into an Ace of Hearts, that Ace of Spades is gone forever! Hopefully that extra Ace of Hearts is useful for you!
Using Tarot Cards from your hand
You can hold up to two Tarot Cards in your hand which you can use in the middle of a Blind if needed. Do you have two Hearts and need three more to complete a Flush? Select any other three cards and use The Sun Tarot Card to convert them into Hearts immediately.
Other active effects can be applied too: The Death card converts one card to copy of another, The Empress applies a Mult bonus to two cards, and The Wheel of Fortune upgrades the rarity of a random Joker—all in the middle of a Blind.
All Tarot Cards in Balatro
There are 22 Tarot Cards in Balatro. After playing a Tarot Card during an unseeded run, you’ll unlock the Tarot Card for your Collection.
| Card | Effect |
| The Fool (0) | Creates a copy of the last Tarot or Planet Card played this run (excluding itself). |
| The Magician (I) | Enhances one selected card into a Lucky Card. |
| The High Priestess (II) | Creates two random Planet Cards (must have space in hand). |
| The Empress (III) | Enhances two selected cards into Mult cards (+4 Mult). |
| The Emperor (IV) | Creates two random Tarot Cards (must have space in hand). |
| The Hierophant (V) | Enhances two selected cards into Bonus cards (+50 Chips). |
| The Lovers (VI) | Enhances one selected card into a Wild Card (can be used as any suit). |
| The Chariot (VII) | Enhances one selected card into a Steel Card (can be held in hand for a bonus 1.5x Mult). |
| Justice (VIII) | Enhances one selected card into a Glass Card (Grants a 2x Mult but has a one in four chance of destroying itself after use). |
| The Hermit (IX) | Doubles your total money (up to $20 maximum). |
| The Wheel of Fortune (X) | One in four chance of upgrading a random Joker to Foil, Holographic, or Polychrome edition. |
| Strength (XI) | Increases the rank (number) on two selected cards by one. |
| The Hanged Man (XII) | Destroys up to two selected cards. |
| Death (XIII) | Select two cards, then convert the left card into a copy of the right card. |
| Temperance (XIV) | Gives money equal to the total sale value of all current Jokers (up to $50). |
| The Devil (XV) | Enhances one selected card into a Gold Card (if the Gold Card is in your hand at the end of a Blind, gain $3). |
| The Tower (XVI) | Enhances one selected card into a Stone Card (loses rank and suit, but when played, adds 50 Chips). |
| The Star (XVII) | Converts three selected cards into Diamonds. |
| The Moon (XVIII) | Converts three selected cards into Clubs. |
| The Sun (XIX) | Converts three selected cards into Hearts. |
| Judgement (XX) | Creates a random Joker card (must have space in your hand). |
| The World (XXI) | Converts three selected cards into Spades. |
