There are a handful of hit indie deck-builders out there, but none of them use a traditional deck of playing cards and rules quite likeBalatro. In this title, you’re working to get the highest score and earn the most money you can by using traditional Poker hands and rare modifiers.

While Balatro can be compelling and draw you in quickly with its fast-paced gameplay, there are some tips you can use to try and get further through the Blinds and Antes. Once you’ve mastered these Balatro beginner tips, you’ll be on your way to completing some of the most challenging runs.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the menu screen for the Collection, with options to view all unlocked Jokers, Decks, Vouchers, Tarot Cards, Planet Cards, Spectral Cards, Editions, Booster Packs, Tags, and Blinds.

Grow Your Collection

As soon as you start playing, you’ll begin tounlock new items for your collection. The Collection can beviewed from the pause screen or the main menu, showing all the unique items you’ve unlocked.

You can tell when something in the store isn’t unlocked becausethe title will read ‘Not Discovered’instead of the item’s actual name.

A screenshot from Balatro showing an active game with an orange circle highlighting the ‘Hands’ and ‘Discards’ on the left side of the screen.

As yougrow your collection, you’ll begin tounlock more decks. Newdecks offer additional strategies, like to grow your Hands and Discards or to give you additional money. Growing your collectionwon’t reward you with all the decks, but it will give you the base ones.

Increase Your Hands And Discards

The number of hands you have each rounddetermines how many sets of five cards you’re able to playbefore the round is over. You don’t need to expend all of these in one round;any Hands you have left over give an additional dollarper.

Increasing either thenumber of Hands you can play or the number of cards you can holdwillgive you more optionson how to proceed through the rounds, in addition to giving you extra money.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Blind selection screen with the “Drunkard” Joker selected, giving ‘+1 Discard’

You canincrease your Hands and Discards through Jokers,Vouchers,anddifferent decks.

Having plenty ofDiscards will ensure that you can clear your handwhen you have nothing to play. You don’t get any monetary bonuses, butsome Jokers will reward you for having bonus Discards.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Blind selection screen with the five jokers being circled in a thin orange oval. ‘Scary Face’ is selected, with it also being polychromed.

Rearrange Jokers For Optimal Strategy

One of the best ways to increase your chips and multipliers on most of your hands is toinvest in the right Jokersand have them lined up sothat their effects stack. Theeffects work from left to right, like reading, with the fifth Joker on the right being the last effect to activate.

For example, you might havea Joker that makes all cards ‘Face’ cards. PlacingJokers that buff face cards to the right of that cardwill then causeevery card that you play to be counted as a face card, then receiving all the following bonuses on every scored card.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the ‘Run Info’ screen, which shows all the available hands you can play in the game and how many you’ve used so far. ‘Flush’ is selected, with the text reading ‘5 cards that share the same suit.'

Keep A Reminder Of Poker Hands

Frequently check the ‘Run Info’ sectionbefore you play a hand tomake sure you don’t have anything better. In that section, there are nine hands you can play.

Base Points

High Card

The highest card is played when no other hands are available.

5 chips x 1

A screenshot from Balatro showing a game in play, with a pair of fours being raised in the middle of the table and a single two laying flat next to it.

Two cards that match in number or face.

10 chips x 2

A screenshot from Balatro showing five planet cards as part of a ‘Celestial Pack,’ with players being tasked with picking one to invest in.

Two pairs of matching cards by number or face.

20 chips x 2

A screenshot from Balatro showing the eight types of Enhanced Cards that can give additional benefits.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same number or face.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the remaining cards in a deck during a run.

30 chips x 3

30 chips x 4

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Blind selection screen, with an orange circle over the Boss Blind condition that reads ‘No repeat hand types this round’

35 chips x 4

A three of a kind and a pair.

40 chips x 4

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same number or face.

60 chips x 7

Five cards in sequential order of the same suit.

100 chips x 8

You can alsolevel up each of these types of hands using the Planet Cardsto increase how many chips you earn each hand and the multiplier that’s applied.

Use Extra Cards In Open Hand Slots

When you run out of Discards, you canuse additional slots in your five-card handto discard additional cards.These cards won’t be scoredor earn you any points unless you have a Joker or other modifier that specifically allows it.

That being said,it frees up a holding slot and could give you an additional cardyou need when you’re stuck. It’s not worth sacrificing a good hand for, butit gives you additional optionswhen backed into a corner.

Invest In Planet Cards

Occasionally, you’llsee cards showing planets in the shopor see ‘Celestial’ booster packs being sold.Investing in these willincrease your earnings on every hand of that typeduring the current run,giving additional chips and multipliers.

If you’re unsure which hand you play the most and should upgrade,click ‘Run Info’ on the left to see the most played hands.

While they can occasionally show up in the shop, you have a much betterchance of getting the cards you wantif youselect the booster packs. Thesetend to have larger selectionsthan getting a random single Planet Card in the shop.

Take Advantage Of Special Effect Cards

When choosing from the standard booster packs or as an effect of the Arcana cards, yourcards can get additional effectsthat will cause an effect thatprovides some kind of bonus. This canadd more chipsto your hand,increase your multiplier, orgive you money.

It can be used as any suit.

Glass Card

Double the multiplier, but one in four chance of being destroyed.

Steel Card

Add 150 percent to the multiplier when the card is in your hand.

Stone Card

Add 50 chips, but the card has no rank or suit.

Gold Card

Earn an extra $3 per Gold Card that is in your hand at the end of the round.

Lucky Card

One in five chance to add 20 to the multiplier when played. One in 15 chance to win $20.

There are alsofour sealsthat can be found in regular booster packs or applied with Arcana,which offer special benefitsseparate from the enhancements. Onlyone Enhancement and Sealcan be applied to each card.

Earn $3 when this card is played and scores.

Retrigger this card one time when played.

Blue Seal

Create a Planet Card if this card is held in your hand at the end of the round.

Create a Tarot Card when discarded if you have room.

Keep An Eye On What Cards Are Left

You’ll be ahead of the game if you cankeep track of how many cards you have leftin a certain number or suit. This can tell youthe probability you’ll pull a card you needfor your next draw.

Thankfully, Balatro makes it easy to look at the remaining cards in your deck by eitherhovering over the deck on the bottom right sideof the screen orclicking on itto reveal a more detailed description of your remaining cards.

When you start a new blind,you can see the boss comingat the end. There is alwaysa condition that’s meant to make the game harder, shown just under the boss’s icon.

As you play through the earlier blinds, you may find Jokers, Arcana, or othercards that can help you preparefor the final boss. For example, if the boss discards your cards, a Joker that rewards you for discarding themcould turn it into a positive.