You’re probably here because you just lost another run to a boss blind that disabled your favorite Joker, and honestly, that’s just the Balatro experience. It’s a poker-themed roguelike, but calling it "poker" is kind of a lie. It’s actually a math-based engine builder where the cards are just a vehicle for massive, screen-shaking numbers. Developed by LocalThunk and released to massive acclaim, the game is less about knowing how to bluff and more about knowing how to break the rules.
If you want to learn how to play Balatro, you have to stop thinking like a Vegas regular. In this game, a Flush isn't just a good hand; it's a foundation you can manipulate until it’s worth more than a Royal Flush. You’re going to fail. A lot. But once you understand how the Jokers interact with your deck, the game shifts from a struggle for survival into a quest for "Naninf" scores.
The Basic Loop: Blinds, Rounds, and Cash
Every run of Balatro is divided into Antes. Each Ante has three stages: the Small Blind, the Big Blind, and the Boss Blind. Your goal is simple: reach a specific score (Chips) by playing hands. You have a limited number of "Hands" to play and "Discards" to find the cards you need.
Winning a blind earns you money. Skipping a blind gives you a "Tag," which is a specific bonus like a free Mega-Buffoon Pack or doubling your next payout. Beginners often skip too much. Don't do that. You need the shop visits that come after playing a round. The shop is where the real game happens. It's where you buy Jokers, Tarot cards, Planet cards, and Spectral packs. This is your engine. Without a solid engine, you won't even make it past Ante 4.
Understanding the Scoring Formula
The math is straightforward but vital. Every hand has a base score consisting of Chips × Mult.
- Chips: These come from the rank of the cards you play (an Ace is 11, a 10 is 10) plus the base chips for the hand type.
- Mult: This is the multiplier. A pair might start with a 2x Mult, while a Straight starts much higher.
The secret to high scores isn't just getting more Chips; it's the order of operations. Balatro calculates scores from left to right. If you have a Joker that adds +10 Mult and another that multiplies your total Mult by 2, you want the additive one on the left. If you swap them, you’re losing out on massive value. It's basic arithmetic, but in the heat of a high-stakes Boss Blind, it’s the easiest thing to mess up.
Why Your Jokers Are Everything
Jokers are the heart of your strategy. You have five slots. That’s it. Choosing which ones to keep and which to sell is the hardest part of the game.
Some Jokers are "Scalable." Take Busker or Green Joker. These get stronger every time you play a hand or meet a condition. If you find these in Ante 1, you're set for a long run. Then there are "Economy" Jokers like Rocket or Cloud 9 that give you interest or flat cash. You need money to buy the better Jokers later.
But eventually, you need the "X Mult" Jokers. These don't just add to your score; they multiply the entire thing. The Duo, The Trio, or the legendary Snecko can turn a mediocre hand into a round-winner. Honestly, if you don't have at least one X Mult Joker by Ante 6, you’re probably going to hit a wall. The score requirements jump exponentially. You can't just "plus-ten" your way to victory forever.
Tarot Cards and Planet Cards: The Silent Heroes
People ignore Planet cards because they seem boring. "Oh, my Three of a Kind gets +20 chips and +2 mult? Who cares?" You should care.
If you use a Jupiter card, it levels up your Flush. Leveling up a hand increases its base stats permanently for that run. If you level up Flushes to level 10, even a junk Flush with low-value cards becomes a powerhouse. This is how you build consistency. If your deck is a mess, focus on one hand type and spam those Planet cards.
Tarot cards, found in Arcana Packs, let you manipulate the deck itself.
- The Hanged Man: Deletes two cards. This is huge. A smaller deck is a more predictable deck.
- The Death: Turns one card into a copy of another. Want five Aces of Spades? This is how you do it.
- The Sun/Moon/Star/World: Changes card suits.
Most high-level players aim for a "Thin Deck." They delete the 2s, 3s, and 4s so they draw their high-value cards and Face cards more often. It feels scary to delete cards, but it's the most effective way to ensure you don't get a "dead draw" when you have one hand left and need 50,000 chips.
How to Beat the Boss Blinds
The Boss Blinds are the run-killers. Each one has a "Debuff."
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- The Wall: Massive score requirement.
- The Pillar: You can't play hands you've already played this Ante.
- The Plant: All Face cards are debuffed (they give no chips and trigger no Jokers).
You have to look ahead. You can see the upcoming Boss Blind at the start of every Ante. If you see The Mark (all Face cards are face down) and your entire strategy relies on Smeared Joker and playing Kings, you need to find a way to pivot or buy a Luchador Joker to disable that boss ability.
Failure to plan for the boss is the #1 reason players get stuck. It’s not bad luck; it’s bad scouting. Always check the boss. Always.
Handling the Money
Interest is capped at $5 for every $25 you have (unless you have certain Jokers or Vouchers). You want to stay above $25 as much as possible. This "Interest Floor" gives you a steady stream of income to spend in every shop. If you go broke hunting for a specific Joker, you lose your interest, and your economy collapses. It’s better to take a "good enough" Joker and keep your cash than to roll the shop five times and end up with nothing.
Intermediate Tactics for Consistent Wins
Once you’ve mastered the basics of how to play Balatro, you need to look at Vouchers. These are the permanent upgrades at the bottom of the shop.
- Overstock: Adds an extra card slot to the shop.
- Clearance Sale: Makes everything 25% cheaper.
- Hone: Increases the appearance rate of Foil, Holographic, and Polychrome cards.
These are expensive—usually $10—but they pay for themselves over eight Antes. Especially the ones that give you more discards or hand slots.
Also, pay attention to card "Editions." A Polychrome card (rainbow effect) gives a 1.5x Mult. A Holographic card (shimmering) adds +10 Mult. If you can get a Polychrome Joker, it doesn't matter what its base ability is; that 1.5x multiplier is usually worth more than almost anything else in the slot.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To actually win a run of Balatro, follow this specific progression:
- Ante 1-2: Focus on Economy. Look for Jokers that give money or Scalable Jokers that gain power early. Don't be afraid to restart if your first two shops are total garbage.
- Ante 3-4: Pick a "Direction." Are you playing Flushes? Full Houses? Two Pair? Start buying the corresponding Planet cards and use Tarot cards to shape your deck toward that hand.
- Ante 5-6: Hunt for X Mult. You need multiplicative power now. Look for Jokers like The Constellation (gains X Mult when you use Planet cards) or The Ramen.
- Ante 7-8: Survival mode. Use your money to find "Standard Packs" to get Steel or Glass cards. Glass cards give a 2x Mult but have a 1 in 4 chance to break. Save them for the final boss.
- Check the Boss: If the boss counters your deck (like the one that sets your money to $0), spend all your cash in the shop before you enter the round.
Balatro is a game of probability management. You can't control what cards are dealt, but you can control how much of your deck consists of those cards. Delete the junk, buff the winners, and always keep an eye on your multiplier order. If you do that, you'll see the "Victory" screen much more often.