Summary
- The Order joker provides a x3 multiplier for playing a straight hand, aiding in mid-game scoring.
- Devious Joker grants +100 chips for a played straight hand, enhancing chip value significantly.
- Four Fingers allows the creation of flushes and straights with four cards, simplifying complex hand requirements.
Part of the joy and draw of Balatro is playing through a run, building a powerful deck full of modifiers and amusing jokers, and searching desperately for the perfect hand to finish off the blind. There are many approaches and strategies that can work even into the late antes, with some opting for high card buffs and others looking to remain more broad.
The straight-hand type is one of the middling choices for scoring. It’s not so strong that it wins with a single hand, but not too hard to get for finishing off a boss. It is a nice balance between decent scoring and easy acquisition. There are plenty of synergies and specific cards that can be picked up to amplify the power of this basic but useful hand.
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8
The Order
Simplistic And High Scoring
- x3 mult if played hand contains a straight
- Win a run without playing a straight
- Rare
Simple and easy to get working, the Order is a nice early game pick-up that gives straights some extra power going into the middle rounds. The benefit of straight hands and this joker is that they work in virtually any deck, and can be a nice card to add if the player has upgraded the straight hand a few times.
It also allows for a lot of flexibility. If things are going well and the straight looks like the answer, then keep the joker around. But if things take a turn or a more powerful card appears, the player can switch this one out without it hurting the run too much, and continue maintaining high scores with a range of hand types.
7
Devious Joker
Catching A Cunning Plan
- +100 chips if played hand contains a straight
- Available from the start
- Common
If multipliers are in high supply, then why not add a hefty chip provision that comes into play just for playing a straight? The biggest power comes from the added use case with any straight type. Whether straight flush, royal flush, or the standard, players can net incredible chip scores with just one joker.
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Just when a Balatro run is starting to go well, running into one of these boss blinds can spell defeat in a matter of moments.
The Devious Joker is a great way to add some serious chip value to a hand type. When used in conjunction with some big multipliers and the existing ones on the hand types, scores will topple the charts and hit new highs in no time.
6
Four Fingers
Three’s A Crowd, So Four’s Enough
- All flushes and straights can be played with four cards.
- Available from the start
- Uncommon
Balatro can get quite complex as the numbers reach ridiculous levels and the decision-making becomes doubly difficult. Four Fingers simplifies one aspect of the game by allowing players to create specific hand types with a lower condition requirement.
It is a useful tool for assisting in creating more complex hands. Reducing the hand requirement opens up the options beyond the flushes and straights. Throw in an extra queen for a double or hold onto the remaining cards to build a better follow-up, whilst not compromising the score with this useful and flexible joker.
5
Crazy Joker
His Name Says It All
- +12 multi if played hand contains a straight
- Available from the start
- Common
If straight hands are all the rage, then adding a +12 multi as a bonus will net smooth sailing through the antes with little to no resistance. Rogue-likes can be limiting in consistency for achieving certain runs or goals, but when picked up with decks like the red deck, straight hands are almost guaranteed and victory is just a few plays away.
What’s more is that, because it’s a common joker and isn’t locked behind a condition, the Crazy Joker can be picked up early and frequently, and slotted into any deck for some great scores, particularly those interested in straight hands.
4
Runner
A Marathon, Not A Sprint
- Gains +15 Chips if played hand contains a straight
- Available from the start
- Common
Some jokers are interested in instant gratification with a huge multiplier that applies the second a hand is played. Others like to play the long game, pacing themselves like a marathon runner and building strength over time.
The Runner falls into the latter category, providing a slow and steady buff over time that builds with each subsequent straight. By the time the player reaches ante seven or eight, the chip count can be in the hundreds, netting incredible bonuses for simply playing a straight.
3
Superposition
In Two States At Once
- Create a tarot card if the poker hand contains an Ace and a Straight.
- Available from the start
- Common
Generating modifiers and duplicating cards are essential mechanics in Balatro that are not only useful, but necessary at times when attempting more challenging boss blinds that demand significant scores to clear.
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While every card has its purpose in certain Balatro decks, these cards are often the best choice for destruction to make room for better options.
Rather than directly buffing the straight hand type, this joker is interested in providing a steady stream of tarot cards to the player. This makes it useful for building up a nice supply in the early game and exchanging it for a more powerful multiplier later, which can be used in conjunction with the collected tarots.
2
Séance
Is There Someone In The Room?
- If the poker hand is a straight flush, create a random spectral card.
- Available from the start
- Uncommon
Another card generator, the Séance, ups the power, providing with each straight hand a spectral card that can hold some of the most powerful benefits for any run. It’s another great pick-up for stocking up with incredible buffs that work in almost any deck with any hand type.
The Soul and the Black Hole are the two exceptions in the spectral card family that are excluded from the pool, but the remaining spectrals are more than enough to take on the more brutal runs.
1
Shortcut
Take A Leisurely Stroll
- Allows straights to be made with gaps of 1 rank
- Available from the start
- Uncommon
Straight variants like the royal flush and straight flush net some of the highest hand values in the entire game. And because of their high chip rewards, the difficulty to acquire is far higher than simpler hands like a regular straight or a pair.
The ability to have a shortcut to these hands by adding a looser condition, makes generating high chip scores incredibly easy. That makes this joker the single best straight card that works at any stages of the game, against any level of boss blinds.
Strategy
Digital Card Game
Roguelike
- Released
-
February 20, 2024
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Gambling Themes
- Developer(s)
-
LocalThunk
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
