Complete Balatro Joker Guide
All 150 Jokers ranked from S to D tier with detailed effects, unlock conditions, and winning strategies.
Tier Ranking System
Top Tier: Game-changing Jokers that can carry runs solo or create devastating synergies. Always prioritize these.
High Tier: Excellent Jokers with strong effects. Great for most builds and provide consistent value.
Mid Tier: Good Jokers that work well in specific builds. May need support to shine.
Low Tier: Niche Jokers with situational value. Can work in specific strategies but generally weaker.
Weak Tier: Rarely useful Jokers. Only consider in very specific circumstances or early game desperation.
S Tier Jokers - Game Changers
These Jokers are the most powerful in Balatro. They can single-handedly carry runs or create devastating combo potential.
Copies the ability of the Joker to the right
Strategy: Place to the left of powerful ability Jokers like Baron, Triboulet, or Joker. Creates double the effect. Combine with Mime for triple effects.
Copies the ability of the Joker to the left
Strategy: Mirror to Blueprint but copies left. Perfect for creating chains: Brainstorm → Joker → Blueprint → Baron = massive multiplication.
Each King held in hand gives +1.5x Mult
Strategy: Combine with Blueprint/Brainstorm for exponential scaling. Hold 4 Kings for 6x Mult. Use with tarot cards to convert cards to Kings.
Each King and Queen held in hand gives +2x Mult
Strategy: Superior to Baron - includes Queens too. 4 face cards = 8x Mult. Unlock by finding 2 Queen cards in a run.
Doubles all Jokers to the right (including their effects)
Strategy: Creates exponential scaling with copy Jokers. Mime + Blueprint + Baron triples Baron's effect. Position matters!
+1 Mult per Planet card used this run
Strategy: Infinite scaling potential. Use Planet cards frequently to build massive Mult. Works best with hand-specialization builds.
This Joker gains +8 Mult for each 2 scored
Strategy: Incredible scaling with Two Pair or Full House builds. Each 2 played adds permanent Mult. Can reach +100+ Mult by late game.
Each 10 and 4 held in hand gives +10 Chips and +4 Mult
Strategy: Great for Straight builds (4-5-6-7-8-9-10). Hold multiple 10s and 4s for strong bonuses. Affordable S-tier Joker.
A Tier Jokers - Excellent Choices
Strong Jokers that provide consistent value and work well in most builds. Many are affordable early-game picks.
+4 Mult, gains +2 Mult when a Joker is sold
Strategy: Best beginner Joker. Scales passively as you sell others. Reach +20+ Mult easily by mid-game. Always consider buying.
+3 Mult for each $5 you have
Strategy: Rewards economy play. With $25 bank, gives +15 Mult. Keep money high for interest AND scoring bonus.
+3 Mult for each Heart card held in hand
Strategy: Excellent for Flush builds (Hearts). Use Tarot cards to convert cards to Hearts. Can give +15+ Mult with full Heart hand.
+3 Mult for each Spade card held in hand
Strategy: Spade-focused builds. Similar to Lusty but for Spades. Works well with straight flush strategies.
+25 Mult, 1 in 6 chance to self-destruct each round
Strategy: Massive early Mult. Risky but rewarding. If destroyed, spawns Cavendish (superior version) in shop next ante.
First face card played gives +2x Mult
Strategy: Triggers once per scoring hand. Play face cards early in scoring. Blueprint copies this for ×4 total.
Re-triggers first card played in scoring
Strategy: Doubles first card's contribution. Amazing with Steel cards (+1.5x Mult) or trigger-based Jokers.
+20 Mult if hand has 3 or fewer cards
Strategy: Perfect for Pair/Three of a Kind builds. High card and Pair easily trigger this bonus.
+30 Chips for each remaining discard
Strategy: Great with low-discard builds or when you have extra discards. Up to +90 Chips with 3 discards unused.
+4 Mult for each remaining hand
Strategy: Rewards efficient play. Save hands for boss rounds. Up to +16 Mult with 4 hands remaining.
+Mult between 0 and 23 (random each scoring)
Strategy: Unpredictable but averages ~11.5 Mult. Low cost makes it decent early game filler.
Each Steel card in deck gives +1.5x Mult (cards held)
Strategy: Use Spectral cards to create Steel cards. Scaling potential as deck transforms. Blueprint copies this.
+3 Mult per Joker owned
Strategy: Rewards Joker collection. With 5 Jokers = +15 Mult. Self-referential scaling.
Creates a Negative copy of 1 random Consumable in hand when boss defeated
Strategy: Builds consumable collection. Negative copies don't use slots. Great for Planet card hoarding.
+50 Chips for each Stone card in deck
Strategy: Use Tarot/Spectral cards to create Stone cards. Stone cards don't count as suit/rank but boost chips.
+4x Mult every 4 hands played
Strategy: Cyclical bonus. Track your hand count. Trigger on hand 4, 8, 12, etc. Great for boss rounds.
Creates a Tarot card if played hand contains an 8
Strategy: Free Tarot generation. Works with Straight builds (5-6-7-8). Infinite Tarot potential.
1 in 4 chance to upgrade level of played poker hand
Strategy: Free hand leveling. Works with any build. Combines well with Constellation for Mult bonus.
+4x Mult if first hand of round is a specific poker hand
Strategy: Plan first hand carefully. Check which hand type it requests. ×4 Mult is huge for early ante boss.
Re-triggers first Jack played
Strategy: Jack-focused builds. Double Jack scoring. Works with Steel Jacks for massive Mult.
B Tier Jokers - Good Options
Solid Jokers that work well in specific builds or as support. May require proper setup to maximize value.
Each even card (2,4,6,8,10) played gives +4 Mult
Strategy: Works with Straight builds. 5 even cards = +20 Mult. Consistent bonus for even-focused decks.
Each odd card (A,3,5,7,9) played gives +30 Chips
Strategy: Complements Even Steven. Pair them for mixed builds. Ace counts as odd.
Each Ace played gives +20 Chips and +4 Mult
Strategy: Ace-heavy builds. Four Aces = +80 Chips, +16 Mult. Works with High Card or Four of a Kind.
+15 Chips if hand contains a Straight
Strategy: Straight-focused builds. Consistent bonus but requires Straight hand. Scale with Straight leveling.
Each Ace,2,3,5,8 played gives Mult equal to Fibonacci sequence
Strategy: A=1, 2=2, 3=3, 5=5, 8=8 Mult per card. Play 2,3,5,8 for +18 Mult total. Expensive but powerful.
Each Spade card played gives +25 Chips
Strategy: Spade builds. Works with Wrathful Joker for Spade synergy. 5 Spades = +125 Chips.
+1 Mult per hand played without face cards (scales)
Strategy: Avoid face cards (J,Q,K). Works with Pair of 2s-10s. Can scale to +20+ Mult.
+3x Mult if all cards held in hand are Spades or Clubs
Strategy: Dark suit build (Spades/Clubs). Use Tarot to convert cards. Powerful but requires deck transformation.
When sold, gain +1 hand size permanently
Strategy: Strategic sell. Extra hand size is permanent benefit. Buy early, sell when needed.
+1 Mult per Tarot card used this run
Strategy: Tarot-heavy builds. Use Tarots frequently for scaling. Works with 8 Ball for free Tarots.
+7 Mult if hand contains a Straight Flush or better
Strategy: Straight Flush builds only. Hard to trigger but pairs with leveled Straight Flush.
+1x Mult per hand played with enhancements destroyed
Strategy: Destroy enhanced cards (Steel, Gold, etc.) for scaling. Use Spectral cards to create then destroy.
1 in 7 chance for +20 Mult, 1 in 7 chance for -$20 Mult
Strategy: Risky gambling Joker. Low cost. On average neutral but can swing runs.
+2x Mult if hand contains a Club and a Diamond
Strategy: Mixed suit build. Easy to trigger with diverse deck. Good early bonus.
+20 Mult, loses -4 Mult each round
Strategy: Temporary boost. Best early ante. Expires after 5 rounds. Sell before it hits 0.
Re-triggers all cards played, destroys itself after 5 hands
Strategy: Massive boost for 5 hands. Double all card effects. Use for boss rounds or ante clearing.
+1x Mult per Joker sold this run
Strategy: Joker cycling strategy. Sell Jokers frequently to scale. Works with basic Joker scaling too.
C Tier Jokers - Situational Value
Niche Jokers that can work in specific strategies but generally weaker. May be worth picking in certain circumstances.
+3 Mult for each Diamond card held in hand
Strategy: Diamond Flush builds. Same as Lusty but less common suit focus.
+8 Mult if hand contains a Pair
Strategy: Pair builds only. Low cost but limited. Works with Half Joker synergy.
+12 Mult if hand contains a Three of a Kind
Strategy: Three of a Kind builds. Better than Jolly but harder to trigger.
+10 Mult if hand contains a Two Pair
Strategy: Two Pair builds. Works with Wee Joker for 2-focused strategy.
+12 Mult if hand contains a Straight
Strategy: Straight builds. Pair with Runner for chip bonus.
+10 Mult if hand contains a Flush
Strategy: Flush builds. Combine with suit-specific Jokers.
+20 Mult if hand contains a Full House
Strategy: Full House builds. Harder to trigger but solid bonus.
+25 Mult if hand contains a Four of a Kind
Strategy: Four of a Kind builds. Expensive but strong when triggered.
1 in 2 chance to create $2 when a face card is played
Strategy: Economy generation with face cards. Slow money build. Average $1 per face card.
Copies ability of rightmost Joker, destroys when that Joker is sold
Strategy: Cheaper copy than Blueprint. Destroys when source sold. Position carefully.
+3x Mult if hand contains at least one card of each suit
Strategy: Rainbow suit builds. Harder with transformed deck. Good early game bonus.
Copies ability of Joker 2 spaces to the right
Strategy: Longer chain copies. Creates triple effects with proper positioning.
+1x Mult per ante completed
Strategy: Late game scaling. Better in longer runs. Ante 8 = +7x Mult.
Increases shop prices by 50%, free every 5 purchases
Strategy: Economy strategy. Buy 4 cheap items, get 1 free expensive item.
Each Diamond card played gives +15 Chips
Strategy: Diamond chip support. Pair with Gluttonous for Diamond synergy.
D Tier Jokers - Limited Use
Weak Jokers with situational or minimal value. Only consider in very specific circumstances or early desperation.
+100 Chips, loses -5 Chips each hand played
Strategy: Temporary chip boost. Expires after 20 hands. Expensive for short-term benefit.
When sold, create a free Voucher
Strategy: Single Voucher value. Vouchers cost $10+ usually. Limited use for one bonus.
Adds $3 sell value to every Joker and Consumable
Strategy: Sell value boost. Minimal impact. Better economy options exist.
+4 Mult for each Exception (this Joker only)
Strategy: Self-referential joke. Only +4 Mult for $6. Poor value.
+2 Mult for each hand type played this run
Strategy: Rewards hand variety. Better to specialize. Diverse hands hurt consistency.
Each King held in hand gives +3 Chips
Strategy: Weak chip bonus. Baron gives ×1.5 Mult per King. Poor comparison.
+4 Mult (no special effect)
Strategy: Basic Mult Joker. "Joker" costs $4 and scales. Better options for similar price.
Copies ability of Joker to the right (destroys if no Joker right)
Strategy: Cheaper Stamp alternative. Destroys if empty. Risky positioning.
Joker Strategy Tips
Positioning Matters
Copy Jokers (Blueprint, Brainstorm) copy abilities based on position. Place them adjacent to powerful Jokers. Blueprint copies right, Brainstorm copies left.
Scaling vs Static
Prioritize scaling Jokers early game. Joker, Fortune Teller, and Constellation grow over time. Static bonus Jokers like Gros Michel are strong but temporary.
Hand Specialization
Build around one hand type. Pair Jokers like Jolly, Half, and Wee synergize with Pair builds. Focus resources on leveling one hand type.
Economy Jokers Early
Buy economy Jokers (Greedy, Business Card) early for long-term value. Money compounds across antes through interest and shop options.