Double Tag is a crucial tag in Balatro. If you pick it up, the next tag you choose after skipping another Blind will have its effect doubled. Though this sounds simple, the way Double Tag interacts with other tags can be confusing. Let’s dive into how it works.
What are Tags and Double Tag in Balatro?
Tags in Balatro are bonuses you get for skipping a Blind, which come at the cost of missing the shop that comes after. Tags can either activate right away, like card pack ones (e.g. the Charm Tag), or under certain conditions, such as beating a Boss Blind with the Investment Tag, or getting free cards from a shop with the Coupon Tag. This gives you a decision at the start of each round: play the Blind and risk losing to gain cash and shop access, or skip it for a bonus but miss out on potential round bonuses and shopping.
Double Tag simply doubles the effect of the next tag you choose, except for another Double Tag. It doesn’t have to be the next Blind you encounter; it’s the next Tag you pick after Double Tag regardless of the Blind. For example, if you choose Double Tag at Ante one and play all Blinds up to the Small Blind of Ante seven, when you choose to Skip to use a new Tag, the Double Tag’s effect will apply then, giving you twice the benefits of the Ante seven Tag.
How Double Tag interacts with other Tags in Balatro
If you pick more than one Double Tag in a row, their effects add up instead of multiplying. For example, if your first tag is a Double Tag and your next tag is another Double Tag, the third tag you choose will activate three times—as long as it’s not another Double Tag. It’s not doubled twice but added together. So, if you choose the Ethereal Tag after two Double Tags, which usually opens one Spectral Pack, you’ll instead open three different ones in a row: one for the base effect of the Ethereal Tag, one for the first Double Tag, and another for the second Double Tag. Here is how all Tag effects work when you use Double Tag:
| Tag | Interaction with Double Tag |
|---|---|
| Uncommon | In the next Shop, two Uncommon Jokers are guaranteed. |
| Rare | In the next Shop, two Rare Jokers are guaranteed. |
| Negative | The next two base edition Joker you find in a Shop becomes Negative (+1 joker slot). |
| Foil | The next two base edition Joker you find in a Shop becomes Foil (+50 Chips). |
| Holographic | The next two base edition Joker you find in a Shop becomes Holographic (+10 Mult). |
| Polychrome | The next two base edition Joker you find in a Shop becomes Polychrome (x1.5 Mult). |
| Investment | Gain $30 after defeating the next Boss Blind. |
| Voucher | Adds two Vouchers to the next Shop. If the current voucher hasn’t been bought yet, you will have three to choose from. |
| Boss | Re-rolls the next Boss Blind twice. |
| Standard | Immediately open two free Mega Standard Packs. |
| Charm | Immediately open two free Mega Arcana Packs. |
| Meteor | Immediately open two free Mega Celestial Packs. |
| Buffoon | Immediately open two free Mega Buffoon Packs |
| Handy | Gain $2 for each hand played this run. |
| Garbage | Gain $2 for each unused discard this run. |
| Ethereal | Immediately open two free Spectral Packs. |
| Coupon | In the next two shops, initial Jokers and Booster Packs are free ($0). Vouchers, rerolls, and Jokers from re-rolls keep their usual cost. |
| Double | Doesn’t consume your previous Double Tag. Instead, adds a new one with the same effect that will trigger with the original at once. |
| Juggle | +6 Hand Size for the next round only. |
| D6 | In the next two Shops, re-rolls start at $0 (going up $1 per re-roll as normal). |
| Top-up | Create up to 4 Common Jokers (if you have space). |
| Speed | Gives $10 for each Blind you’ve skipped this run (including the Blind skipped to gain this Tag). |
| Orbital | Upgrades tag’s Poker Hand by six levels. |
| Economy | Doubles your money twice, adding a maximum of $40 each doubling effect. |
