Balatro: 6 Best Beginner Tips to Master the Poker-Inspired Deck Builder

If you’re considering going into Balatro with the same game plan as with poker, you’re in for a massive surprise. Balatro might be poker-themed, but things are so different regarding winning rounds.

I love the superficial poker theme in Balatro and the aesthetic it created but I do notice it scares some people off when they aren’t familiar with the card game and dislike the lack of characters/fantasy vibes

I often wonder how a different theme would have been received

— localthunk (@LocalThunk) July 19, 2024

However, don’t be disheartened if you’re struggling though. We’re here to help you, as these are the tips our players/writers notice to master the poker-inspired deck builder phenomenon.

Also Read: How to Spot a Fake Panini Card?

Step-By-Step Balatro Tips Guide

1) Memorise the Cards

Firstly, while Balatro is played with a deck of standard playing cards, there are tons of unique abilities available through Jokers, Planets, and Tarots. Moreover, there is always a random selection of cards in the shop, so you can’t bet on finding the exact card you want for your play. This is why knowing what each card does and which cards it synergises with is one of the top tricks to master Balatro.

Going blind is one of the worst things you can do since you won’t know which cards to complete your play. In addition, you could buy the wrong card and not have enough money for a trump card, lessening your chances for a successful play. Having a game plan in mind is always a good idea; This only comes through practice. The more you play the game, the more you’ll understand different synergies and ways to maximise your score.

On the other hand, this doesn’t mean you start card-counting either. Card-counting is the basis of winning for most great poker players but the same doesn’t apply to Balatro. Each Ante begins with the standard 52-card deck, but as the game progresses, you’ll start seeing identical cards of the same or increased value. It’s useless to card-count since you never know what’s still in the deck.

2) Checking Your Deck

Now we know this seems contradictory to what we just mentioned, but hear us out. Card counting won’t get you anywhere in the game, but knowing what cards are left in a deck helps you formulate a game plan for the possible remaining cards.

For example, resting your cursor on the deck will show you a summarised version of which cards are left in the deck. Clicking on the deck will also give you a more in-depth view of the deck, allowing you to see what’s still available.

It is equally beneficial to see what has already been played as those cards will be greyed out. Once you’ve already played a card, the chances of it reappearing in the deck are slim (Except if there’s a special card or condition in play). Make sure you do this every once in a while to have an idea of what possible hands can still be made. Otherwise, you’ll be a victim of chance every round.

3) Planning Beforehand

Every day someone new finds out you can (and should) re-arrange your jokers in @BalatroGame pic.twitter.com/Yv1BRXLygp

— Wout and About (@TheHashtag0nist) July 3, 2024

We’ve covered all the bases of the deck, now it’s time to move on to gameplay. If you’re looking for consistent tricks to master Balatro, there is nothing better than having a game plan in mind before playing your first hand. You’ve received your starting cards and you’ll know your first Joker soon enough, it’s time to get thinking.

We can’t stress enough how important these tricks are to master Balatro, to know what you’re doing before you make a hand. You could score high in one Blind but you’re not receiving extra points, and you might end up losing a critical card you needed ahead.

This also ties into our first point of knowing the cards because how are you supposed to make a game plan when you don’t know half the cards coming up?

4) One Strategy Is Never Enough

We just said that players should have a game plan in mind, and we’re not retracting that statement. However, there’s no point in staying on a sinking ship, no matter how marvellous it is. The same goes for Balatro. If things aren’t going the way you planned, it’s time to switch over to something else. Adapt to the cards you’re dealt instead of trying to force your play to work.

One of the biggest mistakes players make is not having a backup plan and failing to shift from a strategy that isn’t working out. This is a must-execute tip for Balatro and will help you more than you realise throughout the game.

Also Read: How to Build a Winning Panini Card Collection

5) Card Order

You might have heard many veteran Balatro players mentioning card order and its importance. It’s okay if you don’t know how it works since every card does exactly what’s written on it, regardless of the order. The difference comes when working the maths in multipliers. Since every hand or play is read from left to right, your score and multipliers will be added accordingly.

It is critical when assembling Jokers since some add to the multiplier while others multiply it. For instance, if you multiply a higher number, you’ll get a higher score than multiplying a lower number and proceeding to add numbers to it. So always put multiplying cards at the right, starting from the lowest multiplier.

Another point to keep in mind is that some Jokers require particular orders for them to work efficiently. Make sure you read each condition a Joker triggers before playing it; Otherwise, they could go to waste.

6) Currency Saving and Interest

Currency is a crucial component of this game. It lets you buy unique cards like Jokers, Planets, and Tarots. Now, players will earn a certain amount of currency after completing each round, but there’s another, much more passive way to earn money. This is tied to the concept of interest in Balatro.

After each round ends, players will receive an extra $1 for every $5 they have saved (Up to $25 outside of certain voucher enhancements). It means that it’s essential you keep an eye on how much you have left over at the end of a round, especially those $5 intervals. Pretty soon, you’ll realise how important having excess money is.

On the flip side, this shouldn’t deter you from spending any money in the shop while being under the impression you’ll get additional interest. While you wouldn’t be wrong, Jokers help out a lot with reaching the score targets in each Blind and not having any could lead to you losing the Blind altogether. This would render your savings useless as the round restarts so make sure you’re not too greedy when it comes to saving up for interest.

Also Read: Top 5 Trading Card Shop in Singapore 2023 — Ranked (Including TPC)

Parting Notes

These are just a few tricks to master Balatro that we’ve compiled by playing several matches. For any beginners out there, these should be enough to get you going in the preliminary rounds, after which you’ll figure out the game yourself for the most part.

PSA: If you get mad at the current boss blind, you can pick it up and take your anger out on it pic.twitter.com/rnv2MYgpFv

— localthunk (@LocalThunk) July 3, 2024

As you progress, you’ll keep finding out more complicated and interesting strategies you can pull off until you reach the Boss Blinds.

For more gaming guides and tips, follow our Twitter for timely updates and coverage of the latest trending game in the community.