Top Joker Cards to Play in Balatro

Jokers Overview

1. Standard Joker
   This Joker provides a constant bonus of four to your multiplier (Mult). It’s beneficial during the early stages of the game but becomes less effective as the game progresses.

2. Greedy, Lustful, Wrathful, and Gluttonous Jokers
   Each of these Jokers corresponds to a specific suit and grants three Mult for every card of that suit played. They are essential for Flush builds and can scale well into the late game when paired with other powerful Jokers.

3. Jolly, Zany, Mad, Crazy, and Droll Jokers
   These Jokers correspond to various hand types—from Pair to Flush—and provide a flat Mult bonus based on the hand played. They are especially helpful in the early game to establish hand focus.

4. Sly, Wily, Clever, Devious, and Crafty Jokers
   Similar to the previous set, these Jokers offer a flat chip bonus if the hand contains the specified type on the Joker. They are valuable for early game strategies, especially in low-stakes rounds.

5. Half Joker
   This Joker increases Mult significantly when your hand consists of three cards or fewer, making it useful for Pair or Three of a Kind combinations.

6. Joker Stencil
   It provides a scaling Mult based on the number of empty Joker slots you have. This can be a great help during the early game and can still be effective later with other strong Joker cards.

7. Misprint
   A unique Joker that yields a random flat Mult value ranging from zero to twenty. Its high potential makes it an elite choice early on, but its effectiveness diminishes later.

8. Ceremonial Dagger
   This card removes the Joker positioned to its right at the start of each blind, adding its value to your Mult. Strategic placement can lead to substantial stacking, especially with cards like Egg or Gift Card.

9. Driver’s License
   You get a solid Mult boost from this card, provided your deck has at least 16 enhanced cards. While it’s not the most beneficial early on, it shines in the late game.

10. Smiley Face
    Gives a flat Mult for each face card played, making it a straightforward and effective option for face card builds.

11. Fibonacci
    Grants a flat Mult for each Ace, 2, 3, 5, or 8 played. This Joker works particularly well with Ace-focused decks but is adaptable for using lower-cost cards.

12. Ramen
    This unique Joker offers a flat amount but decreases slightly each time a card is discarded. It’s strong in the late game when discarding becomes less frequent, but it has limited early-game power.

13. Rocket
    Renowned as a top income Joker, it provides a flat cash bonus for every blind, increasing with each Boss Blind defeated while active. It’s a great money-maker.

14. Walkie Talkie
    Grants chips and Mult for every 10 or 4 played. Its ability to provide both resources multiple times per hand makes it powerful, but it’s best suited for specific builds.

15. Faceless Joker
    This Joker provides money when a player discards at least three face cards simultaneously. It’s less consistent than Rocket but can yield significant rewards for face card-focused decks.

16. Mystic Summit
    Offers a flat Mult bonus if all discards are utilized by the time you reach the blind. Especially useful early on, it can fade in value later when discarding becomes less critical.

17. Supernova
    Delivers a flat Mult corresponding to the number of times your most frequently played hand has been played. It works well early and mid-game but loses effectiveness later.

18. Vagabond
    Rewards players with a free Tarot card for each hand played while having four dollars or less. It’s an excellent early-game Joker, though it becomes less useful in the late game.

19. Smeared Joker
    This card treats Diamonds and Hearts as the same suit, similar to Clubs and Spades. It greatly enhances the potential for Flush builds, making it easy to execute.

20. Satellite
    Offers added income per round based on how many unique Planet cards have been used. Depending on the player’s card collection, its effectiveness can range widely.

21. Glass Joker
    Rather than being based on actual Glass cards in your deck, this Joker boosts your Mult for each broken Glass card encountered in the run. It takes luck and frequent use of Glass cards but can perform remarkably well.

22. Cloud 9
    Provides an extra dollar per hand based on the number of 9s in your deck. While specific to 9 builds, it can generate considerable income if structured correctly.

23. Midas Mask
    Converts every scoring face card into a Gold card. If played alongside variations like Steel or Glass, it can synergize excellently with face card builds.

24. Vampire
    This Joker strips variations from any played card while increasing in Mult each time a card changes. It’s a strong choice for players not focused on Steel builds.

25. Seeing Double
    This unique Joker awards a flat Mult if your hand contains a Club plus a different suit. It requires a bit of effort to maximize but can deliver substantial rewards.

26. Arrowhead
    It provides considerable chip bonuses for every Spade played, making it ideal for chip-heavy or Spade Flush builds.

27. Onyx Agate
    Offers a flat Mult for each Club in your hand, similar to the Gluttonous Joker but focused on clubs.

28. Scary Face
    This Joker awards chips for each face card played, effectively pairing with the Smiley Face for face card deck strategies.

29. Popcorn
    A powerful Joker that delivers a large flat Mult that diminishes with each blind defeated, offering significant early-game strength.

30. Raised Fist
    Provides a flat Mult amount equal to the lowest card in your hand. The value corresponds to the chips that each card holds.

31. Hiker
    Boosts the base value of chips per card each time it’s played. A strong pick for early stages, as its effects linger even if the Joker is removed later.

32. Riff-Raff
    This straightforward Joker spawns two random common Jokers each blind, making it a fantastic pick for the early game while its value diminishes as time goes on.

33. Abstract Joker
    Grants a flat Mult that adjusts based on the number of other Jokers you have. It’s a good option for the early and mid-game but becomes less impactful in the late game.

34. Bootstraps
    Scales in flat Mult depending on your cash reserves, making it versatile but best for players focusing on accumulating wealth.

35. Scholar
    Offers a flat chip and Mult boost when an Ace is played, making it central to many Ace-centric builds.

36. Ice Cream
    Functions like Popcorn but affects chips instead of Mult, offering significant early-game advantages that diminish over time.

37. Swashbuckler
    Delivers a scaling Mult based on the overall value of the Joker cards you hold. Combining it with high-value cards is crucial for maximizing returns.

38. The Duo, The Trio, The Family, The Order, The Tribe
    Rare Jokers that yield a fixed Mult if your hand matches the specific hand type depicted. While powerful, they can be challenging to integrate, particularly in the endgame.

39. Hanging Chad
    This Joker replicates the first card played in a hand, offering benefits especially for low-card hands when players strategically position key cards.

40. Photograph
    This card grants the first face card played a Mult boost, which is especially effective if moved strategically in your hand. Its combination with Hanging Chad can create exceptional outcomes.

41. Stuntman
    Grants a bonus of 250 chips but limits your hand size by two cards. While useful in specific builds, this can hinder performance early in the game.

42. Cartomancer
    Creates a random Tarot card every time a Blind is selected. While it shares similarities with Hallucination, it is limited to one Tarot per Blind.

43. Certificate
    This Joker adds a random card with an accompanying seal to your deck at the start of every Blind, increasing deck randomness but offering unique combinations when paired.

44. Troubadour
    Increases hand size by two while reducing available hands per blind by one. It’s excellent for Straight and Steel builds but can be costly in the early game.

45. Golden Joker
    Offers a flat monetary reward after each blind, providing a strong early-game income boost that should be replaced as players acquire stronger cards.

46. Gift Card
    Improves the value of all Jokers and consumables by one dollar at the end of each blind. Great for early-game income, though it can lose value as more powerful Jokers are obtained.

47. Blackboard
    Grants a Mult bonus when all remaining cards in hand are Spades and Clubs after playing a hand. It can be effective for Flush-focused decks but limited otherwise.

48. Burglar
    Increases the number of hands per blind while eliminating all discards. It pairs well with certain cards but can necessitate a hefty amount of luck in the early game.

49. Egg
    The value of discarding this card increases after every blind. The key is to hold onto it until it’s worth a lot, leveraging combos with cards like Ceremonial Dagger for greater value.

50. Delayed Gratification
    Provides bonuses for discards if none are used at the end of a blind. It requires either luck or a specially tailored deck to reap the most significant benefits.

51. Chaos the Clown
    Gives you one free reroll per Shop, which is useful for acquiring desired Jokers but typically gets replaced by stronger cards over time.

52. Astronomer
    Makes all Planet cards and Celestial Packs free, allowing for easy pairing with specific cards, though it doesn’t enhance chips or Mult directly outside of played hands.