Balatro: A Guide to Your First Victory

Welcome to the world of Balatro, a poker-themed deck-building game that’s taken the gaming world by storm. With over 250,000 copies sold in its first few days, this indie gem has proven that it’s more than just a sleeper hit. If you’re new to the game, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with some essential tips to help you secure that satisfying first win.

1. Build Cash Quickly:

In the early stages of Balatro, cash is king. The more cash you have, the better jokers and perks you can buy. To maximize your end-of-round bonuses, aim to complete rounds with as few hands or discards as possible. A high-value flush, such as aces, kings, or queens, can often be enough to secure a solid chip count in the first few rounds.

2. Adapt Your Jokers as the Rounds Progress:

Different jokers shine at different stages of the game. In the early rounds, jokers that offer a stack of chips will help you reach those relatively low targets quickly. As you progress, you’ll need jokers that add “mult” to multiply the value of your chips and reach higher targets. In the later stages, look for jokers that offer “2x” instead of “+10” mult to maximize your chip count. Remember to adapt your hand of jokers as the rounds progress to stay ahead of the curve.

3. Play Hands to Suit Your Jokers:

It’s crucial to build your hands around the strength of your jokers, not the other way around. If you have jokers that provide bonuses for playing specific hands, such as two pairs, prioritize those hands over straights or flushes, even if they’re nominally better. Exploit jokers that build mult the more you play a particular hand. For instance, the Spare Trousers joker gains +2 mult every time you play a scoring hand with two pairs. Keep playing those hands and retaining the Spare Trousers, and you’ll end up with a powerful joker that massively multiplies your chip count.

4. Focus on One Type of Hand:

Building on the previous tip, it can be advantageous to focus on a particular type of hand throughout the game. For example, if you’re building the Spare Trousers, you could also buy the Uranus planet card to upgrade two-pair hand scores and other jokers that complement the Spare Trousers strategy. This focused approach can lead to powerful combinations and consistent wins.

5. Look for Insurance Jokers:

As you progress through the game, the boss blinds become more challenging, and it’s easy to get stuck on a particularly difficult boss. Insurance jokers can be your saving grace in these situations. The Luchador joker can disable the current boss blind, while Mr. Bones saves you from death if you get at least 25% of the required chip target. Having one of these cards in your hand can be a lifesaver.

6. Dump Cards Even with Zero Discards Left:

Even if you’ve burned through your discards and have no jokers or tarot cards to get rid of unwanted cards, you can still dispose of them. For instance, if you’re playing a three-of-a-kind hand, you can still play two other cards, even if they don’t score or affect the hand in any way. You can even burn a hand and get rid of five worthless cards to hopefully get a decent scoring hand next time.

7. Resist the Temptation to Cheat with Balatro Seeds:

You might find Balatro seeds online or in the Discord community that promise an easy start. However, seeded games don’t count as victories in your official Balatro stats. If you want to build win streaks and truly master the game, you’ll need to do it the hard way.

Remember, practice makes perfect in Balatro. Keep playing, experimenting with different strategies, and adapting to the challenges the game throws at you. With a bit of skill and a lot of determination, you’ll soon be racking up those wins and becoming a Balatro champion.