🏆 Balatro: Selected Joker Tier List — 1.0.1f
A selection of 27 of the game's 150 Jokers, rated by use. These tiers are a guide to versatility through Ante 8, setup requirements, and handling at higher Stakes, rather than unconditional strength.
📑 Contents
In Balatro, filling a role your current build lacks matters more than buying a card simply because it is strong. Judge it using all four criteria below.
Immediate scoring
Can it immediately supply the Chips or additive Mult needed for the next Blind? Gros Michel and Ice Cream fill this role.
Scaling and X Mult
Can it scale to Ante 8's requirements? Count the hands and cards needed for growth as part of its cost.
Economy and deck improvements
Egg, DNA, and Astronomer do not directly add score, but can improve future purchasing power or consistency.
Restrictions and Stickers
Before buying, include restrictions such as Eternal preventing a sale, Perishable expiring after 5 rounds, and Rental charging $3 per round.
S+ tier [Versatile] Can raise a build's ceiling when a strong compatible copying target is available
Blueprint
(ブループリント) Rare 💰 10$Effect: Copies the ability of the Joker immediately to its right
Reason: Can duplicate many scoring, economy, and generation effects. Check copying compatibility and placement.
Brainstorm
(ブレインストーム) Rare 💰 10$Effect: Copies the ability of the leftmost Joker
Reason: Can copy a core Joker on the far left and work alongside Blueprint to add scoring or generation triggers. Check placement and the target's activation conditions.
S tier [Strong] Can anchor an Ante 8 win when its conditions fit
Triboulet
(トリブレ) Legendary 💰 20$Effect: Each played King or Queen gives X2 Mult when scored
Reason: Powerful with a high density of Kings and Queens. Vulnerable to face-card debuffs and weak when the deck lacks its target ranks.
Yorick
(ヨーリック) Legendary 💰 20$Effect: Starts at X1 Mult and gains X1 Mult per 23 cards discarded
Reason: Scales when obtained early and given enough cards to discard. Blue Stake's -1 discard and a late pickup make it harder to grow.
DNA
(DNA) Rare 💰 8$Effect: If the first hand of a round is a single card, adds a permanent copy to the deck and draws it to hand
Reason: Can copy an improved card to shape the deck. Uses the first hand for generation, which can be difficult when the round leaves little scoring margin.
Vampire
(ヴァンパイア) Uncommon 💰 7$Effect: Removes enhancements from played scoring cards and gains X0.1 Mult per enhancement removed
Reason: Scales with a supply of enhanced cards but also consumes enhancements you may want to retain, such as Glass and Steel. After 1.0.1f, build around its scoring-card trigger.
Stuntman
(スタントマン) Rare 💰 7$Effect: +250 Chips, -2 hand size
Reason: Adds substantial immediate Chips regardless of hand type. The -2 hand size is costly for held-in-hand Baron setups and hands such as Flush.
A tier [Strong] An excellent Joker at the center of a specific strategy
Baron
(バロン) Rare 💰 8$Effect: X1.5 Mult for each King held in hand
Reason: Late-game scoring for held-in-hand builds such as Steel Kings. Can contribute little until King density, hand size, and hand levels are ready.
Mime
(マイム) Uncommon 💰 5$Effect: Retriggers held-in-hand card abilities
Reason: Retriggers held effects such as Baron, Steel Cards, and Gold Cards. Weak by itself when few cards have compatible held effects.
Sock and Buskin
(ソック・アンド・バスキン) Uncommon 💰 6$Effect: Retriggers played face cards
Reason: Repeats face-card enhancements, Editions, Triboulet, and other compatible scoring effects. Watch for bosses that debuff face cards.
Hanging Chad
(ハンギング・チャッド) Common 💰 4$Effect: Retriggers the first played scoring card 2 additional times, for 3 total triggers
Reason: Improving the first scoring card in a Straight or Flush can greatly increase its contribution.
Photograph
(フォトグラフ) Common 💰 5$Effect: First played face card gives X2 Mult when scored
Reason: An affordable X2 effect with strong retrigger synergy from Hanging Chad or Sock and Buskin. Does not activate without a scoring face card.
Astronomer
(アストロノマー) Uncommon 💰 8$Effect: Planet cards and Celestial Packs in the shop are free
Reason: An economy slot that reduces the cost of hand levels. Does not directly add score; you still need a build that can play the upgraded hands reliably.
Hologram
(ホログラム) Uncommon 💰 7$Effect: Gains X0.25 Mult whenever a playing card is added to the deck
Reason: Scales with card generation from DNA, Marble Joker, Certificate, and similar effects.
Constellation
(コンステレーション) Uncommon 💰 6$Effect: Gains X0.1 Mult whenever a Planet card is used
Reason: A scaling Joker that can grow alongside free Planets from Astronomer.
The Duo
(ザ・デュオ) Rare 💰 8$Effect: X2 Mult if the played hand contains a Pair
Reason: Broadly useful; also activates for hands such as Four of a Kind that contain a Pair.
B tier [Useful] A practical option that shines under the right conditions
Steel Joker
(スチール・ジョーカー) Uncommon 💰 7$Effect: Gains X0.2 Mult for each Steel Card in the full deck
Reason: A core Steel-build option. Three or four Steel Cards give X1.6 or X1.8 Mult.
Stone Joker
(ストーン・ジョーカー) Uncommon 💰 4$Effect: +25 Chips for each Stone Card in the full deck
Reason: A scaling Chips Joker with Marble Joker synergy.
Even Steven
(イーブン・スティーヴン) Common 💰 4$Effect: Played even-rank cards give +4 Mult when scored
Reason: A consistent scoring source when the deck and played hands use 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.
Bull
(ブル) Uncommon 💰 6$Effect: +2 Chips for each $1 held
Reason: Fits an economy build that saves money. Holding $50 gives +100 Chips.
Spare Trousers
(スペア・トラウザーズ) Uncommon 💰 6$Effect: Gains +2 Mult whenever a played hand contains Two Pair
Reason: Can grow early if you repeatedly play hands containing Two Pair, potentially reaching +30 Mult.
Gros Michel
(グロ・ミッシェル) Common 💰 5$Effect: +15 Mult, with a 1 in 6 chance of destroying itself at the end of each round
Reason: An affordable temporary +15 Mult source. Its destruction also allows the stronger Cavendish to appear later.
Ice Cream
(アイスクリーム) Common 💰 5$Effect: +100 Chips, loses 5 Chips for each hand played
Reason: Immediate scoring can comfortably exceed early targets. It weakens after each hand, so consider selling it for a scaling option as its contribution declines.
Egg
(エッグ) Common 💰 4$Effect: Gains $3 of sell value at the end of each round
Reason: Does not directly score, but an early pickup has more time to build sell value. Synergizes with Swashbuckler, Temperance, and Ceremonial Dagger.
C tier [Situational] An early bridge or a choice for particular conditions
Joker
(ジョーカー) Common 💰 2$Effect: +4 Mult
Reason: The basic Joker. A useful early bridge that can be replaced when a better scoring option appears.
Misprint
(ミスプリント) Common 💰 4$Effect: Random +0–23 Mult
Reason: The mean bonus is +11.5 Mult, but its variability makes the next score uncertain.
⚡ Representative synergies
Blueprint + Brainstorm + a strong Joker
Setup difficulty AArrange a compatible core Joker so Blueprint copies the Joker immediately to its right and Brainstorm copies the leftmost Joker. Repeating a scoring ability can be powerful, but the result depends on its trigger and placement.
Baron + Mime + Steel Kings
Setup difficulty BMime retriggers Kings' held-in-hand Baron and Steel effects. A late-game plan requiring enough Kings and hand size.
Astronomer + Constellation
Setup difficulty BA long-term strategy using free Celestial Packs to grow Constellation through Planet use.
DNA + Hologram
Setup difficulty AEach card DNA adds to the deck also increases Hologram's X Mult.
Steel Joker + four Steel Cards
Setup difficulty BFour Steel Cards give X1.8 Mult. The Chariot adds the Steel enhancement to a playing card.
💡 Tips for choosing Jokers
1. Balance immediate scoring with future scaling early on
Holding only scaling Jokers is no help if you lose to the next Blind. Use the immediate impact of Gros Michel or Ice Cream to survive while developing Spare Trousers or Hologram early.
2. Check how you will multiply your score from the midgame onward
X Mult Jokers are not the only way to multiply your score: high-level hands, Glass Cards, and retriggers also help. Triboulet・Yorick・Baron are powerful, but do not force them into a deck whose conditions do not fit.
3. Five Joker slots are standard; consider a sixth carefully
Negative effectively does not occupy a normal slot, but its effect still needs to fit your current build. If you add Negative with the Spectral card Ectoplasm, weigh it against the reduction in hand size. Antimatter is the upgraded Voucher unlocked through Blank. Judge it by your money and the Antes remaining when it appears.
4. Buy and sell with the Boss Blind in mind
Check the Boss Blind in advance. If you have Director's Cut or Retcon, consider rerolling an unfavorable boss. Otherwise, adjust your hand choice, discards, and card order before hastily selling a core Joker for a temporary counter.
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