Balatro – All Deck Ranking Guide

This guide will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each deck in Balatro and rank them based on their overall value.

How We Score the Decks

I’ve split scoring into four categories, each rated on a scale of one to ten. The overall score is the sum of these four scores.

WARNING: This guide uses arbitrary numbers, as many rankings do. It’s a fun thought experiment and a guide to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of each deck, helping you decide which one suits your playstyle best.

Let’s break down the categories:

1. Stability:
   • This category assesses how well the deck performs in the early stages and its likelihood of winning the initial blinds to establish a solid foundation for the mid-game.
   • High stability implies consistent progression to the mid-game, while low stability suggests a reliance on luck or flawless play to survive ante 1.
2. Ease of Play:
   • It evaluates the deck’s transition from the mid-game to victory and whether it requires additional strategic considerations or offers streamlined benefits.
   • Decks that are easy to play facilitate hand selection and strategic decision-making, potentially granting advantages or simplifying gameplay.
3. Versatility:
   • This category gauges the deck’s adaptability to different playstyles and builds. It considers whether certain cards enhance or hinder synergy and if multiple viable builds exist.
   • A versatile deck accommodates various strategies and minimizes the risk of being locked into a single playstyle or reliant on specific card combinations.
4. X Factor:
   • The X Factor measures the deck’s potential for extraordinary performance, particularly in end-game scenarios. It examines the deck’s impact on achieving consistent and impressive results.
   • Decks with a high X Factor excel in delivering superior and reliable end-game outcomes, potentially extending gameplay beyond the initial ante 8.

Now, let’s rank the decks from lowest to highest score based on these categories.

Painted Deck – 17 points

The Painted Deck boosts your hand size by 2 but sacrifices one of your joker slots.

• Stability – 8
• Ease of Play – 5
• Versatility – 4
• X Factor – 0

The trade-off with the Painted Deck is a more consistent draw, particularly in the early game, yet it diminishes your joker count by 20%.

While it can help you navigate through lower-stakes rounds with ease due to the increased hand size, the absence of a fifth joker presents significant hurdles, especially in later stages.

Even securing victories with this deck proves daunting, as exemplified by a win that relied on four negative jokers, a circumstance primarily stemming from random acquisitions.

The allure of larger hand sizes is offset by the perpetual dilemma of joker selection, which frequently hampers progress.

Despite excelling in forming straights and offering decent opportunities for early-game four-of-a-kinds and straight flushes, its inherent limitations prevent it from being a winning choice, ultimately earning it the lowest score.

Green Deck – 21 points

The Green deck doesn’t give you extra interest but provides +1 money for every unspent hand or discard.

• Stability – 4
• Ease of Play – 3
• Versatility – 7
• X Factor – 7

The Green deck excels in money-focused strategies, but you need consistent winning hands to benefit fully.

Some players may find it less rewarding, feeling like they have less money most of the time without significant returns.

It’s seen as an average deck, with its effectiveness heavily influenced by factors like +1 hand, +1 discard vouchers, and cards like Delayed Gratitude to boost income.

However, it’s susceptible to being countered by Blue Stake, and its versatility isn’t universally praised despite the potential usefulness of certain cards.

While it may need more points in Ease of Play, the added complexity of managing every move to maximize earnings, even discarding, can be daunting.

On the positive side, the Green deck allows for rolling down or running Vagabond without penalties, which can be advantageous in certain situations.

Magic Deck – 22 Points

The Magic deck provides the crystal ball voucher (+1 consumable slot) and 2 copies of The Fool (which lets you copy the last played tarot/planet card).

• Stability – 7
• Ease of Play – 5
• Versatility – 6
• X Factor – 4

This deck is generally considered stable, with 3 copies of your first tarot providing helpful consistency, especially when combined with other bonuses like extra money or random jokers.

Starting with 5 tarots played adds versatility, offering a range of options early on.

However, as the game progresses, the deck’s effectiveness diminishes. The permanent +1 Consumable Slot may not always be useful, particularly if you don’t frequently carry multiple consumables.

Compared to other decks, Magic lacks late-game impact, resulting in a lower X Factor score. This makes it comparable to the Yellow Deck in terms of late-game utility, with both receiving a score of 4, while Red and Blue Decks typically score higher at 5.

In high-stakes situations, the potential to lose before utilizing The Fool cards can be frustrating, highlighting a weakness of the deck.

Black Deck – 23 points

The Black Deck sacrifices -1 hand for +1 joker slot.

• Stability – 0
• Ease of Play – 5
• Versatility – 8
• X Factor – 10

Early game struggles define the Black Deck, with fewer hands making it harder to compete against blinds and earn money. The extra joker slot rarely impacts the game until later stages, often not until ante 3 or beyond.

However, overcoming this challenging early phase brings rewards, as the extra joker slot adds significant versatility. Late-game potential is immense, with the additional joker providing a powerful advantage. Winning with the Black Deck can lead to remarkable runs, with victories feeling particularly satisfying.

Despite being the most difficult deck to succeed with, the payoff is substantial, making the game feel more like a thrilling slot machine experience than a typical deck-building roguelike.

Checkered Deck – 24 points

The Checkered Deck starts with only Hearts and Spades, with 26 cards of each suit; 2 of each rank per suit.

• Stability – 9
• Ease of Play – 8
• Versatility – 0
• X Factor – 5

This deck heavily leans into flush builds, making them easily achievable. While other combinations are possible, the Checkered Deck excels in flushes, simplifying early-game decisions and gameplay by focusing on this strategy.

Flushes may not dominate late-game scenarios but can scale well with consistent planet cards, allowing for impressive flush levels. The limited suits also streamline gameplay, reducing the complexity of managing multiple suits.

However, without Smeared Joker, much of the suit-based synergy becomes less impactful, diminishing the strength of jokers that enhance different poker hands. While certain combinations like two pairs that also form a flush are viable, they’re not typically prioritized in this deck.

Notably, the Checkered Deck boasts a 100% win rate against Boss Blind 1, along with the Plasma Deck.

Abandoned Deck – 25 points

The Abandoned Deck starts with only 40 cards, lacking any face cards, following the adage “thin to win.”

• Stability – 5
• Ease of Play – 8
• Versatility – 4
• X Factor – 8

By sacrificing high-value face cards, this deck offers a thinner starting deck, increasing the likelihood of drawing four of a kind early on, which can carry you through the mid-game. While initial struggles may arise from lower average chip scores, the consistency of draws compensates for this setback.

Versatility takes a hit due to the absence of face cards, rendering face card jokers useless. However, other jokers like Scholar or Walkie Talkie benefit from hitting these cards more frequently.

Strategically thinning your deck can lead to achieving the small hands achievement, but caution is advised as exhausting your deck results in defeat.

The Abandoned Deck stands out as a favorite due to its appealing simplicity, offering a strong early game similar to the Yellow deck.

Red Deck – 26 points

The Red Deck grants +1 discard.

• Stability – 7
• Ease of Play – 6
• Versatility – 8
• X Factor – 5

An extra discard facilitates building high-value early hands, increasing potential earnings. While not as advantageous for amassing wealth or securing close victories as the Blue Deck’s +1 hand, it synergizes well with discard-based jokers for money-making opportunities.

The ability to cycle the deck compensates for early-game inconsistency, with reliance on discards diminishing as deck consistency improves.

At Blue Stake and higher, this deck counters Blue Stakes, maintaining the standard number of discards. While the -1 discard penalty may feel detrimental, the +1 discard often goes unnoticed, as the increase from 2 to 3 is more significant than from 3 to 4.

Blue Deck – 26 points

The Blue deck grants +1 hand.

• Stability – 8
• Ease of Play – 7
• Versatility – 6
• X Factor – 5

Offering a better early game with increased economy potential, the Blue Deck’s extra hand aids in securing victories, particularly in close encounters with bosses. Although the +1 hand may seem less impactful than Red Deck’s +1 discard, its advantage lies in its ability to generate more points and money.

While the increase in hands is only a 20% boost from the starting 4, its overall impact depends on individual strategies and encounters with hands and bosses.

Red Deck may excel against certain bosses like The Tooth or The Needle, but Blue Deck shines against The Wall or Violet Vessel, with slight advantages against other blinds.

Yellow Deck – 26 points

The Yellow deck provides 10 extra starting cash.

• Stability – 10
• Ease of Play – 5
• Versatility – 7
• X Factor – 4

Starting with additional cash, the Yellow Deck facilitates early-game progression and economy building. However, it lacks support in the mid to late game, offering no additional benefits beyond the initial boost.

Despite this, the deck’s ability to generate starting interest and potentially snowball mid-game with consistent earnings makes it a reliable choice. Its effectiveness is evident in achieving victories even in high-stakes scenarios.

Zodiac Deck – 26 points

The Zodiac Deck begins with 3 vouchers: Overstock, x2 tarot cards in shop, and x2 planet cards in shop.

• Stability – 3
• Ease of Play – 6
• Versatility – 9
• X Factor – 8

Early game progression is hindered by the vouchers, as the focus on tarot and planet cards in shops may not align with immediate priorities. However, the versatility and potential power from these extra cards offer significant benefits.

Effective utilization of tarots can enhance economy, allowing for more efficient spending and fewer rerolls. Cards like Constellation and Fortune Teller particularly benefit from this deck’s setup.

While it partially counters Orange Stake, its impact is not absolute. Despite early-game setbacks, the Zodiac Deck’s versatility and potential make it a formidable choice for skilled players.

Nebula Deck – 27 points

The Nebula Deck starts with the Observatory voucher but sacrifices -1 consumable slot.

• Stability – 5
• Ease of Play – 8
• Versatility – 6
• X Factor – 8

This deck allows for hyper-focusing on one hand type, offering significant benefits if done effectively. However, its inability to pivot affects its versatility, particularly due to tarots requiring 2 consumable slots.

Focusing on a particular hand type, like Full House, can lead to strong scaling, with four of a kind offering considerable power. Once a hand type is chosen, the deck often plays itself, especially with early joker options.

The X Factor is notable, as successful scaling with hands like Straight Flush or four of a kind can lead to substantial progress, potentially reaching ante 12.

Ghost Deck – 29 points

The Ghost Deck starts with a Hex and allows spectral cards to appear in the shop.

• Stability – 6
• Ease of Play – 6
• Versatility – 8
• X Factor – 9

Despite playing similarly to other decks, the Ghost Deck offers the advantage of starting with a Hex, with the potential to make the first good joker Polychrome. However, relying on Polychrome’s early-game impact can lead to stability issues if a suitable joker isn’t obtained.

The inclusion of spectral cards in the shop adds versatility, although their appearance rate may not significantly impact gameplay. Winning without seeing spectral cards is possible, highlighting their limited influence in typical play.

In late-game scenarios, Ghost shines, especially with spectral cards in consumable slots for Perkio to copy infinitely. However, this setup is challenging to achieve without specific conditions.

Anaglyph Deck – 31 points

The Anaglyph Deck provides a double tag after each boss blind, totaling 7 within a normal run.

• Stability – 5
• Ease of Play – 8
• Versatility – 8
• X Factor – 10

This deck’s impact begins at ante 2, making ante 2 and 3 relatively easy with good tags. It values strategic skips over uniform approaches, enhancing the overall enjoyment of gameplay.

The versatility lies in how double tags are utilized, offering options for strategic decisions based on the run’s progress.

Anaglyph’s high X Factor stems from its strategic depth and potential for powerful swings, although RNG plays a significant role. Despite the risk of unfavorable tags, the game typically provides useful tags every 2 antes.

In Orange Stake scenarios, the deck enables acquiring multiple Mega Tarot packs, enhancing its effectiveness. Overall, it stands out as one of the top-performing decks, offering both strategic depth and excitement in gameplay.

Erratic Deck – 31 points

The Erratic Deck provides 52 random cards with random suits and ranks.

• Stability – 8
• Ease of Play – 7
• Versatility – 8
• X Factor – 8

Despite its randomness, the Erratic Deck offers strategic potential by allowing players to capitalize on advantageous card distributions. Certain starting hands, like four of a kind or flushes, can be more common, providing consistency in early-game strategies.

With careful observation, players can identify favorable starting configurations and push towards a particular build. This leads to a more reliable early game, often reaching ante 6 with a strong hand.

The X Factor is notable, as the deck’s randomness can lead to diverse and unexpected outcomes, contributing to its overall excitement and potential.

Plasma Deck – 32 points

The Plasma Deck calculates your final score by averaging your two scores and squaring the result.

• Stability – 9
• Ease of Play – 6
• Versatility – 10
• X Factor – 7

The Plasma Deck ensures success in the early stages, as losing ante 1 or 2 is unlikely with minimal effort. High-chip strategies thrive with this deck, avoiding the typical plateau seen around ante 5.

Versatility is a key strength, as the deck’s mechanics ensure superior scaling compared to others. While the ante requirements increase rapidly, the deck’s scaling compensates effectively, often noticeable by ante 6 or 7.

The X Factor is tempered by the challenge of approaching the game differently, particularly with higher ante levels. However, understanding the math behind the deck’s mechanics can lead to significant advantages, especially with stone builds.

Conclusion

With a range of diverse decks, each offering unique advantages and challenges, the balance between early-game stability and late-game potential varies. While some decks excel in certain areas, others offer a more well-rounded approach. Ultimately, personal preference and playstyle determine which deck suits each player best. Whether seeking reliability, versatility, or excitement, there’s a deck to match every preference in the game.