The Balatro Joker tier list for version 1.0.1f ranks all 150 Jokers from game-breaking S-tier picks to avoid-at-all-costs F-tier choices. Based on community voting, expert analysis, and the latest balance changes, this comprehensive guide reveals which Jokers will carry your Gold Stake runs and which are dead draws wasting your precious money.
| Tier | Joker Count | Key Characteristics | Top Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| S+ | 3 | Game-breaking, run-defining | Blueprint, Brainstorm, Triboulet |
| S | 8 | Carry potential, high synergy | Vampire, Cavendish, The Duo |
| A | 25 | Strong, flexible, build-enabling | Hiker, Fortune Teller, Hologram |
| B | 45 | Situational but viable | Supernova, Scholar, Smiley Face |
| C | 35 | Niche or inconsistent | Matador, Juggler, Splash |
| D | 25 | Weak or highly situational | Crafty Joker, Hallucination |
| F | 9 | Essentially worthless | Chaos The Clown, Showman |
Version 1.0.1f brought significant balance changes that dramatically shifted the Joker meta. The first "meaty balance patch" nerfed several previously dominant Jokers while buffing others, creating a new competitive landscape for both casual players and Gold Stake hunters.
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Vampire took the biggest hit, dropping from X0.2 mult per enhancement to X0.1 mult per enhancement, and now only removes enhancements from scoring cards rather than all played cards. This nerf knocked Vampire from its S-tier perch in many rankings, though it remains a solid A-tier pick for enhancement-focused builds.
Yorick received a complete rework, scrapping its old consumable-based scaling for a new discard-focused mechanic. Now gaining X1 mult every 23 cards discarded (starting at X1), Yorick has become significantly more consistent but lost its explosive late-game potential.
8 Ball was completely redesigned, moving from its previous effect to a 1 in 4 chance to spawn a tarot when any played 8 is scored. This change transformed 8 Ball from a consistency Joker to a high-variance economy card.
Hanging Chad received a substantial buff, now retriggerring the first played card 2 times instead of just once, making it significantly more powerful in face-card-heavy builds.
The Sinful Jokers (Greedy, Wrathful, Lusty, and Gluttonous) all took small nerfs, dropping from +4 mult to +3 mult, making them slightly less attractive as early-game multiplier sources.
These Jokers don't just help you win—they define your entire run and can single-handedly carry you through Gold Stake difficulty. If you see any of these in the shop, buy them immediately without hesitation.
Effect: Copies the ability of any Joker to the right
Rarity: Legendary
Why S+ Tier: Blueprint is arguably the most versatile and powerful Joker in the game. Its ability to copy any other Joker's effect creates incredible synergy potential. The real power comes from being able to rearrange Jokers as needed—copy your pre-ante effect before the blind, move it to copy discard effects, then position it to amplify your scaling Jokers during hands.
Pro Strategy: Keep Blueprint flexible by not committing to a single copy target. Many players make the mistake of leaving Blueprint permanently copying one Joker, but its true strength lies in adaptability. Before each blind, consider which Joker effect would be most valuable and position Blueprint accordingly.
Effect: Copies the ability of the leftmost Joker
Rarity: Legendary
Why S+ Tier: Brainstorm offers similar copying power to Blueprint but with the constraint of only copying the leftmost Joker. While this limitation might seem significant, Brainstorm becomes absolutely ridiculous when combined with Blueprint itself, creating infinite scaling potential.
Pro Strategy: Position your most important Joker in the leftmost slot when using Brainstorm. Unlike Blueprint, you can't reposition the copy target mid-round, so careful Joker placement becomes crucial. Brainstorm excels in builds where one Joker clearly dominates your strategy.
Effect: Played Kings and Queens each give x2 Mult when scored
Rarity: Legendary
Why S+ Tier: As a Legendary Joker, Triboulet is rare (1/5 chance from Soul Spectral), but its power justifies the rarity. Every King and Queen scored provides x2 mult, creating explosive scaling in face-card-heavy builds. Even with just two face cards in a hand, Triboulet provides significant value, and it becomes absolutely devastating in five-card hands packed with Kings and Queens.
Pro Strategy: Pair Triboulet with deck manipulation Jokers like DNA (clone Kings/Queens) or enhancement-focused builds to maximize face card frequency. Triboulet benefits heavily from mult card enhancements and base hand mult, as the effect applies as each King and Queen is scored.
These Jokers can carry entire runs by themselves or pair with so many strategies that they're almost always correct picks. They don't require extensive build-around and provide consistent value throughout the run.
Effect: Gains X0.1 Mult per Enhanced card played, removes card Enhancement (currently X1 Mult)
Rarity: Uncommon
Why S Tier: Despite the 1.0.1f nerfs, Vampire remains one of the most consistent scaling Jokers. Every deck will want to add enhanced cards, ensuring Vampire always has fuel. As an Uncommon Joker, it appears frequently and is easy to stack. The Xmult scaling is essential for clearing Ante 8 in Gold Stake.
Pro Strategy: Vampire works best when picked up early to mid-game but remains relevant even when acquired late. Note that it doesn't remove seals or editions, and when combined with Midas Mask, position Midas Mask to the left of Vampire unless cards are already enhanced.
Effect: X3 Mult (1 in 1000 chance this card is destroyed at the end of round)
Rarity: Common
Why S Tier: Unconditional X3 mult with no scaling requirements makes Cavendish incredibly powerful. It's always active, works with every hand type, and provides immediate power spikes. The destruction chance is so low (1 in 1000) that it's practically negligible for most runs.
Important Note: Cavendish only appears after Gros Michel destroys itself in the same run, making Gros Michel significantly more valuable as a result.
Effect: X2/X3/X4 mult for Pair/Three of a Kind/Four of a Kind
Rarity: Common
Why S Tier: These common Jokers are the backbone of many successful runs. They can all be run together for four and five-of-a-kind decks, and The Duo works surprisingly well in Full Houses and even Flushes once the deck has duplicate numbers and suits. They transition smoothly through common hand type progressions.
Pro Strategy: The Family is the weakest individually due to its narrow application, but still strong enough to be the primary Xmult source in four and five-of-a-kind focused builds. Consider running multiple of these together for devastating scaling.
These Jokers are excellent in their respective categories and provide consistent value, though they may require some specific deck building or synergies to reach their full potential.
Effect: Starts at X1 Mult and permanently gains X0.25 Mult every time you add a new playing card to your deck
Rarity: Uncommon
Why A Tier: Hologram provides steady, predictable scaling throughout the run. It only grows over time as long as you keep adding cards, making it excellent in shop-heavy strategies. The X0.25 mult per card adds up quickly, especially in longer runs.
Pro Strategy: Don't hoard money when running Hologram—every card purchase fuels its growth. It works best if you pick up cards frequently throughout the run and pairs well with economy-focused Jokers that generate extra money for shopping.
Effect: +1 Mult for each Tarot card in your possession
Rarity: Rare
Why A Tier: Tarot cards are powerful deck manipulation tools, and Fortune Teller rewards you for collecting them. As you accumulate more Tarots, this Joker provides increasingly significant mult bonuses. It's particularly strong in builds focused on deck consistency and manipulation.
Pro Strategy: Pair Fortune Teller with Tarot-generating effects like Perkeo or shop tags that provide additional consumables. The more Tarots you can acquire, the more powerful Fortune Teller becomes.
Effect: +4 Mult for each Planet card used this run
Rarity: Uncommon
Why A Tier: Planet cards are essential for scaling specific hand types, and Hiker rewards you for using them. The +4 mult per Planet card adds up quickly, especially in focused builds that rely on one or two primary hand types.
Pro Strategy: Hiker excels in builds that focus on one or two hand types, allowing you to repeatedly use the same Planet cards for maximum scaling. It pairs well with Joker effects that generate additional Planet cards or reduce their cost.
These Jokers are playable and can be strong in the right circumstances, but they often require specific deck building or have limitations that prevent them from reaching higher tiers.
Effect: Adds Mult based on how many times the scoring hand has been played during the run Rarity: Rare Why B Tier: Supernova provides retroactive scaling, counting all hands you've already played when acquired. This makes it particularly strong in the mid-to-late game when you've already established your primary hand types. However, it's weaker when picked up early and doesn't provide immediate value.
Pro Strategy: Supernova works best in focused builds that consistently play the same hand types. The retroactive nature means timing matters—acquire it after you've already played your primary hands multiple times for maximum value.
Effect: +20 Chips and +4 Mult for every scored Ace Rarity: Common Why B Tier: Scholar provides solid value in Ace-heavy builds, benefiting from Aces' flexibility (they count as both high and low). It's a reliable filler card that slots into various builds without requiring elaborate setup, but it's limited by Ace availability.
Pro Strategy: Scholar works well in decks that naturally accumulate Aces or can manipulate card distribution. Pair it with deck manipulation effects to increase Ace frequency and consider enhancement strategies to make your Aces even more valuable.
Effect: +5 Mult for every face card you score in your hand Rarity: Common Why B Tier: Smiley Face provides straightforward, reliable scaling in face-card-heavy builds. It's simple to understand and implement, naturally scaling as you prioritize face cards in your deck. However, it lacks the explosive potential of higher-tier Jokers.
Pro Strategy: Build your deck around face cards when running Smiley Face. Consider deck manipulation effects to increase face card frequency and enhancement strategies to make your face cards even more valuable. It's particularly strong in King and Queen focused builds.
These Jokers have specific use cases or suffer from inconsistency issues. They can be strong in very particular builds but are generally outclassed by more flexible options.
Effect: When a Boss Blind is defeated, gain X1 Mult (max X5) Rarity: Rare Why C Tier: Matador provides steady but limited scaling throughout the run. The X5 mult cap prevents it from becoming truly game-breaking, and it's completely dependent on defeating Boss Blinds to scale. It's usable but rarely exciting.
Pro Strategy: Matador works best in longer runs where you'll defeat multiple Boss Blinds. Consider it in consistency-focused builds where steady, predictable scaling is more valuable than explosive potential.
Effect: Retriggers all played cards if exactly 2 cards are scored Rarity: Uncommon Why C Tier: Juggler is highly situational, only triggering with exactly 2-card hands. This limitation makes it difficult to build around consistently, though it can be powerful in specific pair-focused strategies.
Pro Strategy: Juggler requires building around two-card hands, which can be challenging to maintain consistently. Consider it in pair-focused builds or when you have other effects that enable consistent two-card scoring.
Effect: If played hand contains a Straight, gain +200 Chips Rarity: Common Why C Tier: Splash provides a decent chip bonus for Straight hands but is limited to that specific hand type. While Straights are common enough to make this usable, the lack of mult scaling and hand type limitation prevent it from reaching higher tiers.
Pro Strategy: Splash works best in Straight-focused builds, particularly those that struggle with chip generation. Pair it with mult-focused Jokers to create a balanced damage output.
These Jokers are generally weak, inconsistent, or require very specific circumstances to be useful. Most of the time, you're better off saving your money for better options.
Effect: +4 Mult if played hand contains a Straight Rarity: Common Why D Tier: Crafty Joker provides minimal mult scaling for a common hand type. The +4 mult is negligible in the mid-to-late game, and there are many better options for Straight-focused builds.
Effect: Gains X0.1 Mult when a card is sold (max X5) Rarity: Rare Why D Tier: Hallucination requires selling cards to scale, which is generally counterproductive to building a strong deck. The X5 mult cap is low, and the scaling method is inefficient compared to other options.
Effect: +1 Mult for each empty Joker slot Rarity: Common Why D Tier: Showman encourages you to not fill your Joker slots, which is almost always the wrong strategy. The minimal mult gain doesn't justify leaving valuable Joker slots empty.
These Jokers are so weak or situational that they're essentially never worth buying. You're better off keeping your money or waiting for literally any other option.
Effect: Random Joker effect at the start of each round
Rarity: Legendary
Why F Tier: While the concept sounds interesting, Chaos The Clown's randomness makes it completely unreliable. You can't build around it, and most of the time you'll get effects that don't synergize with your current strategy.
Effect: When Boss Blind is defeated, destroy a random Joker and gain its sell value
Rarity: Rare
Why F Tier: Destroying your own Jokers is almost never a good strategy, and the random nature makes it even worse. The economic gain doesn't justify losing potentially game-changing effects.
When playing Gold Stake difficulty, the tier list shifts slightly due to the increased challenge and unique mechanics. Gold Stake introduces the "Rental" mechanic, where Jokers have a 30% chance to cost only $1 upfront but require $3 per round to maintain.
Economy Jokers Rise in Value: In Gold Stake, economy-focused Jokers like Credit Card, 8 Ball, and Business Card become more valuable due to the Rental mechanic. The ability to generate consistent income helps maintain your Rental Jokers and fund critical purchases.
Consistency Over Explosiveness: Gold Stake rewards consistent, reliable Jokers over high-variance options. Jokers like Vampire and Hologram that provide steady scaling are generally preferable to explosive but inconsistent options.
Early Game Survival: The early game in Gold Stake is brutal, making Jokers that provide immediate value (like Cavendish, Gros Michel) more valuable than those that require setup time.
After analyzing multiple tier lists from Steelseries, Mobalytics, Steam community discussions, and the TierMaker community voting, several patterns emerge in how players evaluate Jokers:
Different sources prioritize different aspects when ranking Jokers:
Several Jokers generate significant disagreement among experts:
Canio: Ranked S-tier by Mobalytics but A-tier by Steelseries. The discrepancy comes from different evaluations of face card destruction as a scaling mechanism—some see it as too costly, others as worth the investment.
Mr. Bones: Highly valued by some players as insurance policy, dismissed by others as too situational. The divide often comes down to playstyle differences between aggressive and conservative players.
Perkeo: Rankings vary wildly depending on how much players value consumable economy versus direct power scaling.
Many players make the mistake of becoming too attached to early game Jokers that don't scale well. Jokers like Greedy Joker or Wrathsful Joker might feel strong in Ante 1-3 but become dead weight by Ante 8. Be willing to sell your early game picks when better options become available.
Some players focus entirely on damage output and neglect economy Jokers. A strong economic foundation allows you to buy more Jokers, consumables, and vouchers, ultimately leading to more power than raw damage-focused builds can achieve.
Trying to build around too many different hand types or mechanics often leads to unfocused decks that excel at nothing. It's generally better to commit to 1-2 primary hand types and build your entire strategy around them.
Blueprint is generally considered the best Joker due to its incredible versatility and ability to copy any other Joker's effect. Brainstorm and Triboulet are also top-tier picks that can single-handedly carry runs.
The tier list should be updated after each major balance patch. Version 1.0.1f brought significant changes that shifted many Joker rankings, so always check for the most recent patch notes when referencing tier lists.
Not necessarily. While Legendary Jokers like Blueprint, Brainstorm, and Triboulet are indeed top-tier, some Legendary Jokers like Canio or Chicot are more situational. Rarity doesn't always correlate with power level in Balatro.
Xmult (multiplicative multiplier) multiplies your total score, while +mult (additive multiplier) adds to your multiplier before other calculations. Xmult is generally more valuable in the late game as it scales exponentially with other effects.
Jokers are unlocked by defeating Boss Blinds with specific requirements, completing challenges, and progressing through different stake levels. The Collection menu shows your current progress and unlock requirements.
No, the tier list is a guide, not absolute law. Your specific deck composition, available cards, and personal playstyle should influence your Joker choices. Sometimes a "lower tier" Joker might be perfect for your specific situation.
Gold Stake requires a balance of consistency, economy management, and careful Joker selection. Focus on reliable scaling Jokers, maintain strong economy to handle the Rental mechanic, and build around 1-2 consistent hand types rather than trying to do everything.
The 1.0.1f patch introduced significant nerfs to Vampire and buffs to Hanging Chad, among other changes. These adjustments shifted the meta, making some previously dominant Jokers less powerful while elevating others that were previously overlooked.
The Balatro Joker tier list for version 1.0.1f reflects a dynamic meta shaped by significant balance changes and community discovery. While S+ and S-tier Jokers like Blueprint, Brainstorm, and Vampire will consistently carry your runs, the true mastery comes from understanding how to adapt these rankings to your specific playstyle and deck composition.
Remember that this tier list is a guide, not absolute law. The best Balatro players understand when to follow conventional wisdom and when to break from it based on their specific situation. As you continue to play and experiment, you'll develop your own preferences and insights that may differ from the community consensus.
Stay updated with future patches, as the Balatro meta continues to evolve with each balance update. The developers have shown they're committed to keeping the game fresh and balanced, so tier rankings will continue to shift as new strategies emerge and old ones get adjusted.
Happy gaming, and may your Joker pulls always be lucky!
Looking for more Balatro content? Check out our other guides on deck building strategies, stake progression tips, and complete card databases. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates as the meta evolves!