Though on the outside, Balatro seems like it’s just playing poker, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In order to succeed, you’ll need to utilize the varied and helpful Joker cards. We have gathered a list of the best ones so you can know what you’ve got when you find them.
Best Balatro Joker Cards
Though you can only have five of these at one time, there are some solid ones to help you. According to the game, there are 150 total, so keeping track of the best can be hard. While Balatro seems like a typical card game, it is anything but.
Blueprint
It’s impossible to overstate the Blueprint’s usefulness because it just gives you a copy of your best Joker. The only downside is that it doesn’t copy editions (Holographic, Negative, etc.), but that barely matters considering the benefits. There isn’t a single build or strategy that isn’t made better by having the Blueprint.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm is mostly just as good as the Blueprint, but its function makes it slightly less useful. As it copies the leftmost Joker, using it on anything with an X Mult is inadvisable. This is because you need them as far right as you can get them for the math to work. However, when used on a Joker that gives money or chips, it is amazing. Considering that unlocking Brainstorm requires discarding a Royal Flush, it is at least very worth it.
Burnt Joker
This one is a little more specific because the Burnt Joker is at its best when paired with the Checkered Deck. That deck easily thrives on Flushes, so constantly upgrading them is one of the best feelings. I think I have gotten them to at least level 30 using this. That’s not to say the Burnt Joker is bad on other decks, but it can spread its usefulness a little too thin.
Credit Card
Those card packs can be expensive, and you might not get much money after a round. Fortunately, the Credit Card lets you go into the negatives by $20, so you can grab that run-saving card pack.
Four Fingers
Being one card short for a straight or a flush can be extremely frustrating, especially when a discard gives you absolutely nothing. However, this joker makes that no longer a problem. Though you are missing out on the chips from the fifth card, being able to rack up bigger hands helps offset that.
Green Joker
I don’t know about you, but I don’t find myself discarding that often. It’s probably a losing strategy, but then I found this beauty, and it immediately turned it all around for me. It doesn’t appear to have a ceiling, so as long as you keep winning, it keeps improving.
Supernova
This is perfect for trash hands, especially if you keep getting only pairs or can only make a High Card. It doesn’t only mean time played against that one blind; it means in the whole run. You can check your hands played under Run Info. For instance, I got this when I had already played four pairs, making me more willing to play pairs.
Turtle Bean
Turtle Bean is perfect for the added chance of making a really good hand. However, losing one card means that if you get this too early in a run, it’s not that great. If you can get this by the second Ante or later, it’s amazing. This is one of those roguelike items that is either terrific or a waste.
We will keep searching, of course, but for now, these are the best Jokers we have found in Balatro. If you find a terrific Joker you’d like to tell us about, give it a shout in the comments.
