While winning your first run inBalatrocan be an exciting experience, it only opens the way for further challenges as you unlock the harder difficulties. With these being exclusive to each deck, you’ll need to approach every difficulty with a unique strategy to overcome the challenges.

There are eight difficulties, with the challenges growing exponentially as you beat each one and all previous limitations apply to your run. Each strategy you use will need to build off the one before it, which will allow you to improve your skills while you find new ways to play your cards off one another.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the New Run selection screen with an orange circle around the Stake difficulty selection screen.

Every Stake Difficulty

Including the base difficulty, there areeight increasing challenges you’re able to take on across the eight different decks, for a total of 64 different runs of increasing difficulty for you to complete. Remember thatall previous modifiers applyto the difficulties after them.

You canunlock all difficulties immediatelythrough the Profile menu, butthis will disable all achievementsuntil that profile is reset.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Joker Collection screen with the Golden Joker selected and the description reading ‘Earn four dollars at the end of the round."

When starting a new run, you canselect any unlocked difficultiesusing themenu under the Deck selection. You cantell which difficulty you’ve beatenon which deck due to thecolored-in sections to the right of the Deckdescription.

Invest in Jokers or Gold Cards that always give money.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Enhanced Cards Collection screen showing the ‘Mult’ card selected and offering an addition four multiplier.

Green

Required score scales faster in each Ante.

Add to your score multiplier with upgradeable Jokers and Enhanced cards.

Black

Shop can have Jokers that can’t be sold or destroyed.

Don’t buy these unless you’re sure you can make permanent use.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Shop screen with the player character hovering over the Onyx Agate Joker with a description that reads ‘Played cards with a Club Suit give +8 mult when scored."

Blue

You have one less Discard per run.

Make up for it by purchasing a Joker or Voucher that gives an additional Discard.

Purple

The required score for each Ante scales even faster.

Focus more on the multiplier while making sure your Chips are steadily increasing.

Orange

Booster Packs cost a dollar more per Ante.

Follow a similar strategy as Red, focusing more on cards and effects that give money.

Lose one slot to your hand size.

Purchase a Voucher to alleviate this and use your Discards.

Completing all of these difficulties is easier said than done, but you’ll need tofind a balanceto get around the challenges posed by all of them.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Voucher Collection screen with the ‘Wasteful’ voucher selected and a description reading ‘Permanently gain 1 discard per round’

Best Red Stake Strategy

Since the limitation of this difficulty is that you’llmake less money from completing the Small Blind, you canuse a Joker to get additional incomefrom each round you play. The’Golden Joker’, for example,gives you four dollars every time you wina round.

One strategy is touse the ‘Midas Touch’ Joker, which makes every played Face card Gold. If youplace the ‘Pareidolia’ Joker to the leftof it, then you can turn every card in your deck Gold.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the last page of Jokers, with the ‘Astronomer’ joker selected and its description reading ‘All Planet Cards and Celestial Packs in the Shop are free."

Another option isusing Gold Cards to earn moneyat the end of each round when they’re in your hand. You canmake or find Gold CardsviaArcana and Standard Booster Packs.

Best Green and Purple Stake Strategy

This issimilar to ‘The Wall’ Boss Blind, which increases the score required for that round, but across the entire run and every difficulty after. To beat this run,you should prioritize adding to and multiplying your scoreeach round, with cards likeSteel,Mult, andGlass.

Don’t rely too much on Glass Cards, as they have a25 percent chance to be destroyed.

A screenshot from Balatro showing the Voucher Collection screen, with the ‘Paint Brush’ Voucher selected alongside a description that says “+1 hand size”

With the difficulty increasing, it’s important tobe mindful of each hand you play. Instead of playing a Pair, check that you can’tplay a Flush or a Straight instead.

Best Black Stake Strategy

Eternal Jokers will start appearingin this difficulty. Thankfully,they’re easy to avoidif you don’t purchase them. When yousee the infinity symbol in the top right cornerof the card, you shouldn’t purchase it unless it’s useful enough to beused throughout your entire run.

Blue Stake Strategy

Since you’lllose a Discard in this difficulty, you cantry to replace it with a cardoruse a strategythat doesn’t reward Discards. The’Drunkard’ Joker and the ‘Wasteful’ Vouchercan bothgive you your lost Discard backduring the run.

On the other hand, cards likethe ‘Delayed Gratification’ Jokergive youtwo dollars per Discardafter the round as long as you don’t use any, whichcan help you make up for what’s lostduring the Small Blind as well.

Best Orange Stake Strategy

You’ll begin to see inflation on Booster Packs atan additional dollar per Ante, but there aresolutions to make more money or lower the priceof the cards. The’Astronomer’ Joker, for example, can lower the cost of all Celestial Booster Packs and Planet Cards inthe Shop to nothing.

Your other option is to follow a similar strategy as the Red Stake tocreate additional funds, which you should still be mindful of anyway. If you’reearning the maximum intereston your money or using other cards tomake more money, the rising cost of Booster Packs shouldn’t ruin your entire strategy.

Best Gold Stake Strategy

Like in the Blue Stake, you can either choose tomake up for the lost hand sizeor make it so thateach hand you draw is enoughon its own. The’Paint Brush' Voucher and the ‘Juggler’ Joker Cardboth add a slot to your hand size, butyou’ll need to keep the Jugglerfor the entire run.

If you’d rather maximize each hand you get, consider taking advantage of Jokers thatcover a range of hands and suits. you’re able to alsochange the suits of your cards using Arcana Booster Packs, which willmake it easier to playregular and Straight Flush.