The Best Common Starting Jokers In Balatro

As a seasoned Balatro player with countless hours spent shuffling, stacking, and strategizing, I can confidently say that these jokers are not just cards, they’re the lifeblood of the game! Each one offers unique advantages that can turn the tide in your favor.

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but be captivated by Balatro, the indisputable sensation of 2024 in the independent gaming scene. This game has become an irresistible time vortex, gobbling up countless hours of productivity from gamers all around the world. And now that it’s made its debut on mobile platforms, I find myself even more ensnared in its gripping allure.

This year’s Game of the Year contender requires a steeper learning curve when compared to other roguelite games of its kind. It’s essential to understand which common cards are worth their value, how they fit into various decks, and where to strategically place them for survival during initial rounds. Here are some versatile cards you might want to keep an eye on in your fight against the dealer. Remember, the house doesn’t always come out on top in this game.

10. Misprint

It’s All About Luck

Add between +0 to +23 to mult
Buy Price: $2
Unlock Requirement: available from the start

Kicking off the list is the somewhat contentious card named “Misprint”. Just like all cards in Balatro, Misprint relies heavily on chance and can significantly influence a game, especially during the mid-game. Initially, Misprint proves beneficial since, statistically, it typically grants a player an average bonus of +11.5 times their original value early in the game.

This alone can be enough to get a player through the early antes, although the unpredictable nature of this card leads it to become relatively weak in the mid-game.There’s nothing quite as heartbreaking as a player’s final hand falling just short because Misprint produces a +2. Still, at $2, this is a strong starter joker.

9. Riff-Raff

The Bottom Of The Barrel Might Come In Clutch

Generates two random common jokers at the start of a blind
Buy price: $6
Unlock requirement: available from the start

Riff-Raff is often referred to as a ‘random jester’, implying it doesn’t have a direct impact on chips or multipliers. Similar to Misprint, Riff-Raff’s effectiveness is purely luck-based. It might generate two strong common jokers or ones that don’t align with a player’s current strategy.

Instead, Riff-Raff particularly excels at crafting boost cards for escalating cards like the uncommon joker, Ceremonial Dagger, and the rare joker, Campfire. These cards amplify with sacrifices. Acquiring Riff-Raff as soon as possible is advantageous because it allows room in your joker slots for the two cards it generates.

8. Business Card

It Even Has A Watermark

Played face cards have a 1 in 2 chance to give $2 when scored
Buy price: $4
Unlock requirement: available from the start

In the game of Balatro, establishing a solid economy is crucial for a successful start. While it can be beneficial to get lucky with high-value, scarcely found jokers appearing in the shop, players still need funds to acquire these items. This is where cards such as Business Card become essential, as they can help generate income.

While cards like Golden Joker and Egg primarily offer a straightforward economic enhancement with minimal user interaction, Business Card can be strategically adjusted to yield substantial amounts of money. Since Business Card is activated using face cards, players constructing decks that prioritize jack, queen, and king cards will enjoy greater benefits compared to the economy jokers mentioned earlier, which focus on simpler gameplay.

7. Credit Card

Breaking The Bank

Go up to -$20 in debt
Buy price: $1
Unlock requirement: available from the start

A credit card functions as a handy tool, enabling users to borrow funds up to $20. In essence, this appears as ‘free’ money, empowering users to buy additional game packs and jokers, thus accumulating a significant sum over time.

Obtaining this item early during gameplay gives players an advantage by providing them with a strong initial lead. However, it’s important to note that if sold while in debt, the debt will not be cleared, and the player must still find a way to pay off their obligations.

6. Scary Face

Nothing To Be Scared Of

Played face cards give +30 chips when scored
Buy Price: $4
Unlock requirement: available from the start

Similar to a Business Card, the Scary Face character advantages from a unique deck setup that heavily emphasizes face cards. Utilizing face cards in your hand strategy is advisable, as these cards inherently hold greater chip values compared to other cards.

The effectiveness of Scary Face stems from its simple stackability with numerous hand combinations. For instance, having two sets of Kings and Queens would earn a player 120 chips. However, as +Mult jokers become more valuable in later rounds, it remains a reasonably priced, dependable joker that assists players during the early antes.

5. Hanging Chad

Double Trouble

Retrigger first played card used in scoring two additional times
Buy price: $4
Unlock requirement: beat a boss blind with a high card hand

In the game of Balatro, it might seem challenging to fully grasp and appreciate Hanging Chad’s potential, but when paired with other scoring jokers like Scary Face, its synergy becomes remarkably strong. Regular cards in this game can be augmented with various boosts, offering extra chips and multipliers to the player.

If the strongest card (Enhanced) is played initially within a turn, it triggers itself and its powers not once, but twice. Hanging Chad works exceptionally well with three types of cards:

4. Ride The Bus

Tickets, Please

This joker gains +1 mult per consecutive hand played without a scoring face card
Buy price: $6
Unlock requirement: available from the start

For a brief interlude from building decks centered around Face Cards, let’s discuss Ride The Bus – a Joker card that thrives when a player only uses numbered cards. This special card grows without limit until a player secures a score with a Face Card, at which point it comes to an abrupt end. To summarize, while players can still employ Face Cards in their strategy, they should refrain from scoring them.

For instance, if you play Ace-King-Queen-Jack, the Ace will serve as the highest card, eliminating any unwanted face cards, and giving you control over the stacks. If a player prioritizes getting this combination early on, it can become an incredibly potent card in the later stages of the game.

3. Supernova

Reach For The Stars

Adds the number of times a poker hand has been played in the current run to mult
Buy price: $5
Unlock requirement: available from the start

Generally speaking, during gameplay of Balatro, players often develop proficiency with a specific hand and design their decks to focus on that particular type. The Supernova card can accumulate indefinitely, and it significantly boosts when playing hands that are simple to assemble, like high cards, pairs, and two pairs.

The ability of supernovas to accumulate continually is quite powerful, and grabbing this wildcard as early as possible is advantageous. This card can help players navigate the initial betting rounds, while still proving valuable during later stages if managed properly.

2. Gros Michel

Big Mike

+15 mult 1 in 6 chance this joker is destroyed at the end of the round
Buy price: $5
Unlock requirement: available from the start

Gros Michel is an early ante-beating machine, as +15 mult will almost guarantee a clear in one hand. As strong as this effect is, this joker has one huge downside: It has a 1 in 6 chance to destroy itself at the end of the round.

1 out of 6 chances remains promising, and it’s likely that a player can retain the Gros Michel for about two out of every three rounds. This joker possesses a concealed function: when discarded, it provides the key to unlocking the incredibly potent Cavendish joker.

1. Cavendish

Bigger Mike

x3 mult has 1 in 1000 chance to destroy itself at the end of the round
Buy price: $4
Unlock requirement: will not appear until Gros Michel has destroyed itself during the current run

This card serves as a powerful boost for players, tripling their winnings at the conclusion of each round. It’s one of the strongest frequently-used jokers in the game, and some might even consider it the best overall.

The main challenge lies in actually obtaining Cavendish, as a player must first secure Gros Michel, make it self-destruct, and then wait for Cavendish to appear in the shop. Going through all this hassle and getting Cavendish is pure “Balatro” and the kind of gameplay element that’ll keep players engaged.

2024-12-04 07:04