In most card-based deck builders, there is usually a pre-game choice that will allow you to start off with unique perks or cards. InSlay The Spire,you have characters in the form of The Watcher, The Silent, The Defect, and The Ironclad. InDicey Dungeonsyou have Inventor, Warrior, Robot, Witch, Thief, and Jester. And true to form, inBalatro, you have different deck variants.
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These are most consistent Jokers in the game!
These decks offer unique changes to the base deck, or the in-game shop, and, in most cases, require you to adapt your playstyle accordingly. But we need to ask the all-important question. Which one of these decks is the most fun? Well, my poker-obsessed friends, this is a question I aim to answer right here, right now.
Just so you know what our selection criteria are for this list, we are primarily basing the order of these Balatro decks on how fun each deck is to play with. However, secondary factors like difficulty, intuitiveness, availability, and how many playstyles the deck accommodates may also be considered.
15Black Deck
+1 Joker Slot
How To Unlock
Discover 100 Items in Collection
We begin with the deck that I think we can all agree is the worst by some distance. Having additional Jokers can be a blessing, especially if you can get some tight synergies going, but at the end of the day, you will pretty much always generate more points inBalatroif you have more hands to play. So starting off with one less than usual is a tough spot to put yourself in.
If you can get your hands on a voucher that gives you an additional hand, then this deck can prove beneficial, but even if you do, you’ll need to earn enough cash to buy it while also earning enough chips to survive rounds. Essentially, with this deck you are always chasing your tail, and therefore, it’s bottom of the pile.
14Green Deck
Earn $2 Per Remaining Hand and $1 Per Remaining Discard
Lose Ability To Earn Interest
Discover 75 Items In The Collection
Next up, we have one of the two economy-based decks in this selection, and when compared to the Yellow Deck, and indeed, all the decks besides Black, this one doesn’t come out top trumps. This deck can be leaned into with certain Jokers that grant the player more hands and discards, but these Jokers take up prime real estate.
Plus, there are a few better economy-based solutions with higher earning potential, and the fact that this deck kills your interest just isn’t worth the hassle. You either lean into this deck, or suffer with less cash if you don’t, and this makes this deck a drag to use.
13Painted Deck
+2 Hand Size
-1 Joker Slot
Win a Run On Green Stake Or Higher
How much you agree with this one will be a little dependent on how much you like playing the secret hand types, like 5 of a kind, or Flush Five. However, as someone who isn’t all that keen on building into these larger, less consistent hand types, I find the Painted Deck to be lacking. The additional two cards per hand right of the bat make it easier to play more complex hands in the early rounds, but the trade-off just isn’t worth it.
Jokers and hands are the two most important things for a successful run. The hands facilitate the Jokers, and the Jokers rack up the points. So if there is ever a clause in a deck that makes you lose either of these, then it’s working against you, not for you. This can be used effectively with clever deck adjustments and lots of planets, but overall, it’s just not all that fun to play with.
12Zodiac Deck
Start with Planet Merchant, Tarot Merchant and Overstock Active
Win a Run On Red Stake Or Higher
If you’ve played for a while, then chances are that you have tried out most, if not all the vouchers in the game. This means you know that some are very situationally useful but otherwise unhelpful vouchers that often hinder you. These vouchers, if you are wondering, are Tarot Merchant, Planet Merchant and Magic Trick. And with the Zodiac Deck, you get two of these right off the bat.
This, along with Overstock, which is admittedly quite helpful, allows you to lean into planets and tarot cards with ease, but unless you get your hands on a good economy card, Constellation, or Amalgam, your options will be limited. It’s not a terrible deck, but it’s a very limiting deck due to the lower ratio of Jokers presented in the shop, and therefore, it’s not all that fun to play with.
11Red Deck
+1 Discard
Available Immediately
Of all the decks listed so far, this is the first one that isn’t actively working against you in some way. But that being said, Red Deck isn’t doing that much for you, either. It’s essentially the status quo deck, with no thrills, but also, no spills. You’ll get an additional discard, but honestly, this isn’t really something that you can take advantage of too much. But it’s appreciated nonetheless.
This deck isn’t inherently fun, but it does offer a welcome consistency to each round. Not to mention, it allows you to pretty much pursue any strategy that the RNG gods present to you. So, if you’re a go-with-the-flow kind of person, this is a fun deck to use, and if you’re new to the game, it’s available right away, so you’ll become familiar with this one whether you like it or not.
10Nebula Deck
Start With Telescope Active
Lose 1 Consumable Slot
Win A Run With The Blue Deck
After a few games inBalatro, you will come to realize that if you don’t play into one hand type relentlessly, then chances are your run will fall apart. Honestly, if you’re someone who likes playing with Obelisk, you actually need to be sectioned. The problem with this at times, though, is that Planet Packs might not give you the planets you want, but with the Telescope Voucher given to you via this deck, you’ll pretty much be guaranteed the Planet you need every time.
This does mean that you need to rely on planet cards a lot, so you’ll need a good economy strategy. Especially because this deck will take away one of your Consumable Slots. However, I think the trade-off is a fair one. Plus, if you can get a Crystal Ball on board then you’re flying.
9Magic Deck
Begin With Crystal Ball Active
Begin With 2x Copies of ‘The Fool’
Win A Run With Red Deck
While I’m not going to claim that the Magic Deck lives up to its name, I have to admit, if you may stoke the fire and set this one ablaze, it can be a lot of fun to play around with. The drawback of this one is that you need to get a Tarot card on deck early to make the most of the Fool Tarot Cards you start with, but if you can do this, the options available begin to showcase why this deck can be a lot of fun.
Balatro Patch 1.0.1 Adds new Mechanics and Ante Scaling
A new Patch for Balatro has Dropped.
Get yourself a Tarot that changes suits and you can immediately make your deck flush-friendly. Get yourself Emperor and you get 5x Tarot cards in one fell swoop. Or you can get 3x Wheel of Fortunes and try your luck pimping out your regular jokers with some Polychrome flair. Your mileage may vary as it’s a little RNG-reliant, but that’s part of the charm of this deck, and when it works, it really works.
8Abandoned Deck
Start Run With No Face Cards
Win A Run With The Green Deck
As anyone who plays deck-builder games often will know, having fewer cards to work with is a deceptively good thing. Fewer cards mean more consistent draws and bulletproof strategies, and of all the decks on the roster, the Abandoned deck gives you a headstart on cutting your deck down to size. The only downside is that it does this by chopping all of your face cards.
This means that a lot of Jokers in the pack will be almost useless to you, and you’ll need to work a little harder to generate chips. But the trade-off is that all those Jokers you never use, like Ride The Bus, Wee Joker, and Fibonacci, become much better options. It’s a great way to play around with Jokers you’ve previously turned your nose up at, and these discoveries make this deck a ton of fun.
7Checkered Deck
Start The Run With 26 Spades
Start The Run With 26 Hearts
Win A Run With The Black Deck
I’m not going to hide that I am a basicBalatroplayer, and when given even the slightest nudge in the direction of a flush build, I will follow that path every time. Which, by default makes the Smeared Joker one of my favorite Jokers. But the Checkered Deck is a godsend for flush fans as this essentially offers the effect of this joker as standard by only having one red suit and one black suit in the entire deck.
This makes the early rounds of each game a breeze and basically guarantees that every game will get up and running at the very least. The only downside is that it’s a very one-note deck where only flushes are worth playing, and this can limit the fun factor, but the increased chances of winning sure make it feel a lot more fun.
6Erratic Deck
All Ranks and Suits are Randomized
Win A Run On Orange Stake Or Higher
We’ve all played games that embrace chaos and are better experiences for it. Well, this is still a quintessentially chillBalatroexperience, but the Erratic Deck brings just a hint of chaos to proceedings by randomly determining the number of cards of each rank and suit you will get in your deck. This, in theory, means that you could end up with 20 heart cards or eleven Jacks right from the word go.
It’s a deck type where you only get the best out of it if you constantly refresh until you get a setup you like, so it’s terrible for trying for a winning streak. But the potential for crazy builds in the early antes is off the charts with this deck. It does lead to some inconsistencies that can ruin runs occasionally, but that’s the thing about chaos. It’s an untamable beast, but you can’t deny, it is bloody entertaining.
