Balatro Beginner Guide: How Scoring, Blinds and Jokers Work
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Short answer: In Balatro every hand you play scores chips × mult. Each ante has a Small Blind, a Big Blind and a Boss Blind, and beating the Boss Blind of Ante 8 wins the run. Pick one poker hand to build around, keep $25 in the bank for the maximum $5 of interest, and put ×Mult Jokers on the right, because Jokers trigger from left to right.
How scoring works
Every poker hand has a base number of chips and a base mult. The cards that score add their own chips, Jokers add chips or mult, and at the end the game multiplies the two. A level 1 Flush, for example, starts at 35 chips and 4 mult.
That is why mult matters so much: adding 10 chips to a hand with 4 mult adds 40 points, but adding 4 mult to a hand with 100 chips adds 400. Jokers that give ×Mult multiply your mult instead of adding to it, and several of them together grow your score very quickly.
Blinds and antes
| Blind | Can you skip it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small Blind | Yes, for a tag | The first Small Blind of a run asks for 300 points. |
| Big Blind | Yes, for a tag | A higher score target than the Small Blind. |
| Boss Blind | No | Has a special rule that works against you, such as debuffing some cards. |
One Small, one Big and one Boss Blind make an ante. Beat the Boss Blind of Ante 8 and you win the run; after that you can keep going in Endless Mode.
Skipping a Small or Big Blind gives you a tag (a bonus such as a free Joker or extra money), but you lose that blind’s cash reward and the shop visit after it. Early in a run the shop is usually worth more, so skip only when the tag is clearly better.
Money and interest
At the end of each round you earn $1 of interest for every $5 you hold, up to $5 at $25. Building up to $25 over the first antes and then spending only what is above it gives you a steady income for the rest of the run.
Jokers: order matters
- Jokers trigger from left to right. Drag them in the Joker row to change the order.
- Put Jokers that add +Mult on the left and Jokers that give ×Mult on the right, so the multiplier applies to the biggest possible number.
- Chip Jokers can go almost anywhere, as long as they come before the ×Mult Jokers.
- Sell Jokers that do not fit your hand type and use the money for ones that do.
Planet and Tarot cards
Planet cards level up one poker hand, raising its base chips and mult. Buy the Planet for the hand you play most. Tarot cards change the cards in your deck: some change suits, and The Hanged Man destroys cards so your deck gets smaller and your best cards come up more often.
Discards and hands
One discard lets you throw away up to five cards at once, so when you discard, discard as many unwanted cards as you can. You can also check the cards left in your deck at any time to see your chances of drawing what you need.
Checklist for your first runs
- Choose one poker hand early (Flush and Pair-based hands are easy to aim for) and stay with it.
- Buy the matching Planet card whenever you see it.
- Get at least one Joker for chips, one for +Mult and one for ×Mult.
- Keep $25 in the bank once you can afford it.
- Order your Jokers: +Mult on the left, ×Mult on the right.
- Look at the next Boss Blind before you spend, and keep a plan for its rule.
More guides
All our Balatro guides are on the Balatro page. More guides for other games are in Guides & Tips.
Sources
- PC Gamer: essential Balatro tips
- Blizzard Watch: Balatro beginner and intermediate tips
- Balatro Wiki (Fandom): Blinds and Antes
- Gameplay.tips: Balatro ultimate guide for beginners
Last checked against sources: 10 November 2026.
